5th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Fr. Leo
After a long day of preaching and healing those in need spiritually and physically, Jesus goes off to a deserted place. When his disciples find him, they say everyone is looking for him. The need for Jesus’ healing is never ending.
What is interesting, is that he doesn’t go back to the same town. He moves on to other places so his healing can be known everywhere. I have mixed feelings about that. It is like being in the checkout line at the grocery store and after waiting for your turn, the teller says, ‘Sorry, I’m on break now.’ Was Jesus ignoring his customers?
One explanation I’ve entertained, is that Jesus didn’t want to be known as a miracle worker, but as a messenger of God to bring his healing love to all. Jesus was getting the ball rolling and the Church, including you and I, are to keep his healing love alive. Jesus was inspiring faith, which shouldn’t come at the price of Jesus doing miracles.
Our first reading, is from Job and gives the context needed for faith. Job is in great despair in our first reading. Jesus let him be tested to prove to the devil he had real faith. In the beginning, Job’s life is the best. He knows his great blessings are from God and is a good and faithful man.
To confirm his faith, God lets every bad thing happen to him. He loses his property, heath and friends who try to convince him he sinned when he didn’t. But despite all his despair, Job resigns himself to the work of God, even if his life is what it is. In the end, his is exonerated and lifted up. Not because he was rescued, but because he endured the cross of life.
So our faith, while believing in miracles, should be based on our love of God and trust that all things will work toward the good for us who love him. Healing is God’s act of love, but his first gift is faith. Then, the graces that bring a deep faith will have its own way of healing us, even when miracles are delayed or are not needed.
What we can count on for sure, is what the psalmist prays in todays psalm response: “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.”