A Cautionary Tale

Homily for Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

At this point in our journey through the Book of Job, he is no longer being questioned by his wife and his friends. They have been unable to get Job to admit that the evils that have befallen him are the result of his sins. He has clung to his faith and to his innocence. However, that does not mean that he understands or even accepts his current predicament. He still questions why God has allowed evil to befall him.

Today’s passage describes some of the most dramatic scenes in sacred Scripture. God speaks out of the desert in a whirlwind. He begins his response to Job’s questions with a series of questions that are filled with poetic images. Indeed, the Creator takes him on a tour of the cosmos. God shows him mystery after mystery and wonder after wonder, comparing Divine Providence and almighty power with the limited vision of Job.

Then Job responds to God. For all practical purposes he is basically speechless. He will no longer complain because his grasp of the situation was so weak and limited. The overall point is that any event that transpires in our life must be seen within the context of the infinite plan of God throughout all space and time. It takes prayer, reflection and time to understand what God is doing.

To come to a better understanding of this point, I would invite you to stand before a picture, any picture, with your nose about one inch away from the image. What do you see? Are you able to grasp the artist’s work? Of course not! We only see a collection of meaningless points. However, when we step back, the various points blend