Fifth Sunday, Ordinary Time [B]

 


FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [B]


Job speaks for each and every one of us: he wants to be blessed. It’s safe to say that we all want to be blessed. And for Job, the blessings do arrive—eventually. He has to undergo a period of waiting. Additionally, he has to straighten up his attitude. But finally, when we reach chapter 42, the blessings begin to take shape, they begin to materialize. 


We want our own experience of chapter 42. Bring on the blessings, Lord! And there is nothing wrong with that. You’re well within your rights, when you seek blessings from above. For the sake of argument, suppose the blessings arrive tomorrow. How will you respond? The hope is that you will respond according to the pattern outlined in Mark chapter one. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law has taken ill. Like Job, she needs to be blessed. Having received her blessing, she responds, springing up, waiting on Jesus and his disciples (1:31). 


In basic terms, she receives a blessing and subsequently she BECOMES a blessing. Granted, her contribution doesn’t rank as anything monumental. Nevertheless, she acts within her capacity. The pattern is what we should be appreciating. It begins with the desire for a blessing. The blessing descends upon you. As a result, you become a blessing for the people around you. Whether you become a profound blessing or simply a modest blessing, the idea is that you are acting within your particular capacity—after the fashion of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. 


Perhaps you are familiar with the super-hero, Captain America. He starts off as a young patriot named Steve Rogers. He wants to join the army so that he can fight the Nazi’s in Europe. However, he fails to pass the physical exam. He then takes advantage of an opportunity to serve as a test subject for something called the “Super-Soldier Serum.”  Upon being injected with the Super-Soldier Serum, he in turn becomes an actual Super-Soldier. He receives what could be called the properties of the Super-Soldier, and as a result he goes on to become an authentic Super-Soldier. 


Hopefully you’ll recognize the parallel: when you receive a Super-Soldier Serum the hope is that you will become a Super-Soldier. Similarly, when you receive a blessing the hope is that you will become a blessing for the people that you encounter. This would prove to be the case with Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. As for Job, the blessings are temporarily withheld. They finally appear once his attitude has shown some improvement. 


So we can say that the Lord does pay attention to your attitude. Job’s attitude can be described as a work in progress. Meanwhile, we should also consider the attitude of St. Paul. The words relayed in our second reading reflect the attitude of a true saint. He’s willing to adapt in whatever way he needs to adapt, so that the Good News can be effectively received (see 1st Cor. 9:19-23). This is another way of saying that he wants to be a blessing. For Paul, it’s not so much about receiving blessings; rather, it’s about being a blessing to the wider community. Ideally, we will absorb not only his message but also his saintly attitude. 

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