Readings: Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5; Luke 10:13-16
We get a rare glimpse of a family likeness today: Father and Son both letting off steam, both sounding provoked beyond endurance, both ticked off. And both complaining that we continue to be wilfully blind to the plain and glorious truth under our noses.
I love Job, the man, the book. He won’t let up his demand for explanation. And it won’t give up any answer to Job’s predicament. What we do get—which finally silences Job—is this tirade from the tempest’s heart. Who are you? Can you not see? Do you not know? Will you not wonder?
And then there’s Jesus letting rip too, wondering what it would take to get people to see and believe, pointing to miracle and marvel and the kingdom coming about their heads. Who are you? Can you not see? Do you not know? Will you not wonder?
I guess I’m glad Father and Son care enough to lose it a little. I have a tendency to let God grow distant, above my petty concerns, and beyond caring. I let God grow cool and careful and colourless. Maybe it feels safer. Certainly it asks less of me. But God never lets me off the hook. God cares. God nudges. God nags. Once in a while God loses it. God aches for me to see and to celebrate, to live and to love. Nothing less will do.
I’m so glad to get a homily again! I’ve loved this week’s readings. I hear an excellent talk on Job in February which said that through his suffering and not understanding he was taken up into the mystery. Reading the Scripture again had some of that effect on me. I found it very powerful and moving. I was disappointed when I heard we were having the readings for St Bruno today but when I got up to read I found the first reading was Philippians 3. That always speaks to me and it was particularly powerful this morning. It’s all of a piece with my prayer this week in which God has been saying many of the things you mention.
Once in a while God loses it.
… I like that image.
Father
Love your homilies. I know once in awhile you post a joke thought you might enjoy this one.
Playing Golf
Moses and Jesus were in a threesome playing golf one day. Moses pulled up
to the tee and drove a long one. The ball landed in the fairway, but
rolled directly toward a water hazard. Quickly Moses raised his club, the
water parted and it rolled to the other side, safe and sound.
Next, Jesus strolled up to the tee and hit a nice long one directly toward
the same water hazard. It landed right in the center of the pond and kind
of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and
chipped the ball onto the green.
The third guy got up and randomly whacked the ball. It headed out over the
fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street. It bounced off a truck
and hit a nearby tree. >From there, it bounced onto the roof of a shack
close by and rolled down into the gutter, down the drain spout, out onto
the fairway and straight toward the aforementioned pond. On the way to the
pond, the ball hit a stone and bounced out over the water onto a lily pad,
where it rested quietly. Suddenly a very large bullfrog jumped up on a
lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth. Just then, an eagle swooped
down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green,
the frog squealed with fright and dropped the ball, which bounced right
into the cup for a hole in one.
Moses turned to Jesus and said, “I hate playing with your Dad.”