Reading 1 (Job 19:21-27)
Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.
Job spoke out and said:
Perish the day on which I was born,
the night when they said, “The child is a boy!”
Why did I not perish at birth,
come forth from the womb and expire?
Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,
like babes that have never seen the light?
Wherefore did the knees receive me?
or why did I suck at the breasts?
For then I should have lain down and been tranquil;
had I slept, I should then have been at rest
With kings and counselors of the earth
who built where now there are ruins
Or with princes who had gold
and filled their houses with silver.
There the wicked cease from troubling,
there the weary are at rest.
Why is light given to the toilers,
and life to the bitter in spirit?
They wait for death and it comes not;
they search for it rather than for hidden treasures,
Rejoice in it exultingly,
and are glad when they reach the grave:
Those whose path is hidden from them,
and whom God has hemmed in!
Gospel (Mt 18:1-5, 10)
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
Fr. Anthony Dinh Minh Tien, O.P.
THEME: Different human reactions when people face sufferings.
People can have three following reactions when they suffered: First, people can blame on God, as Satan tried to set up Job so that when he greatly suffers, he shall blaspheme God for not protecting him. Secondly, people can blame on their parents as a Vietnamese adage says, “if the father ate salty food, his children shall be thirsty.” This belief is also popular in Jewish tradition, and God, through the prophet Jeremiah’s words, wants people to know that it is also due to their own fault: “In those days they shall no longer say, “The fathers ate unripe grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” but through his own fault only shall anyone die: the teeth of him who eats the unripe grapes shall be set on edge” (Jer 31:29-30). Lastly, people can blame on themselves because they were born under a bad star or on a bad day as Job did in today passage.
ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: Job blamed on his birth.
1.1/ Job wished he shouldn’t be existed in the world: Job said these words about his birthday, “Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, “The child is a boy!” Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth, like babes that have never seen the light?”
Some people considered Job’s words as a blaspheme to God; but he didn’t imply anything to God. He only wished that he didn’t exist in the world so that he shall not have go through all the sufferings in life. Rather, these are the words of the one who didn’t find out the meaning of suffering yet in his life.
1.2/ Job wished to die: Job thought that if life is full of sufferings, death is an escape. We need to know that the Book of Job, as most of the wisdom Books, was written about 2 -3 century BC, and was influenced by Hellenistic culture. The Greek considered the human body is a prison that confines the soul, so death is a liberation of soul from one’s body, and one is no longer suffered.
To the Jewish tradition, the faith in the next life and how to attain it weren’t clear at that time until Jesus’ revelation. Job also had no clear understanding about the next life. We can see this in his complaint, “For then I should have lain down and been tranquil; had I slept, I should then have been at rest with kings and counselors of the earth who built where now there are ruins
Or with princes who had gold and filled their houses with silver. There the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest.”
1.3/ Job didn’t understand the meaning of suffering: Since he didn’t know the ultimate goal of life, so Job also didn’t understand the meaning of suffering. What do people live this life for? Isn’t it for suffering? If people live for sufferings, death is better. Job couldn’t find a proper answer for these questions: “Why is light given to the toilers, and life to the bitter in spirit? They wait for death and it comes not; they search for it rather than for hidden treasures, rejoice in it exultingly, and are glad when they reach the grave: Those whose path is hidden from them, and whom God has hemmed in.”
2/ Gospel: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
This passage is selected for the Guardian Angels memorial day. The Church believes that God creates angels to be His messengers in governing of people. Angels also have intellect and will as human beings, but they aren’t depend on space. The Church also believes that each faithful has a guardian angel who guides them during their life on earth.
2.1/ Humility is one of conditions to enter the kingdom of heaven.
(1) Human ambition: The disciples approached Jesus and asked him, “Master! Who is the greatest in heaven?” They asked Jesus this question because they were so used to worldly values and standards, such as: high position, fame and power. The greatest one according to them is the person who has a highest position and greatest power; for examples, the king or the leader of a nation. We can see that the disciples’ purpose when they followed Jesus is to govern with him when Jesus recovers the Israel kingdom. This ambition was shown when the mother and her two sons, James and John, made a request to Jesus so that they can sit one at the right and the other at the left when Jesus reigns. The other ten apostles were indignant with the two brothers about this request.
(2) The condition to enter the kingdom of heaven: Jesus called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” Two main ideas which Jesus wanted his disciples to understand here: First, the standards and values of the kingdom of heaven are different with what of the world. Secondly, to enter the kingdom of heaven, they must humble themselves and become like children.
2.2/ The good shepherd: To help his disciples to be familiar with the kingdom of heaven’s values and standards, Jesus continued to teach them two lessons:
(1) Don’t despise the lowly: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
The world pays attention to the high position, the power and the rich; Jesus taught his disciples to love and to care for the small (mikros). This Greek adjective used as a noun here is different with the noun used for a child above (paidíon). This adjective has two meanings:
– those have a small figure such as a child or a dwarf;
– those aren’t important, have no position in society, the poor, the illiterate. Jesus used both meanings.
(2) The second meaning is proper for this sentence. Jesus’ disciples must be on the side of these people to protect and to care for them as God’s children. Each of them have a guardian angel to protect for them before God. Whoever insults or causes damage to them, the guardian angel shall report to God (x/c Tob 3:8-9, 12:12-14).
APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– We are more fortunate than Job because Jesus revealed for us to know the ultimate goal of life and how to attain that goal. Sufferings are necessary to purify us and to show our faith in God.
– We can’t fathom all God’s works due to our human limitations. Therefore, when we face sufferings or things we can’t understand, we need to imitate Mary who keeps all things and mediate them in her heart; instead of blaming God, our parents or ourselves.