Reading I
Jb 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (cf. 3a) Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
Mt 8:17
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mk 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
The world can be a very dark place if we choose it to be. We have the power to perceive this world through many different interpretations that will be influenced by our experiences, actions, and what we hold as important in our lives. There is a material aspect to the world, created by society and our ambitions, that forces us forward to accomplish certain goals so as to be rewarded in a material sense. This aspect takes on a predominant role if all we chase after is personal reward and material gain; fulfilling pleasures of the flesh and quenching the thirst of our pride. Inevitably this perception and way of life leads to waist and ruin. We might think that we might enjoy the finer things in life but, in reality, these finer things are an illusion that usually leaves us empty and broken. We can ask ourselves a series of questions: “How many people have we read about or knew personally that were completely miserable even though they were materially rich? How many people have we read about or knew personally that became consumed and broken by their wealth?” Unfortunately this is all too common and leads to a brokenness in this world that is unrepairable without God.
Job speaks of this today in the Scripture Reading. There is a definite hopelessness in the way that he speaks; describing our lives on this earth as drudgery. It is a very power, descriptive word that offers no solace. He describes all of us as being hirelings and slaves working for what amounts to nothing. Troubled thoughts fill our mind and there isn’t even comfort in sleep. This vision that he describes is one that does not take God or spirituality into consideration. Without our spirituality and our connection to God we are guaranteed to live a cycle of gaining, consuming, and being empty; looking only to gather more things so as to consume them for pleasure. When that which is sought after is consumed then it is gone yet our appetite for it is never quenched so we are forced to work for more. When does it really end? Even though there might be enjoyment in the moment, the moment soon passes then there is nothing beyond it. What we have here is a materialistic interpretation of our existence where our desires dictate our actions and leave us as victims of Satan. When we focus on the material there is only an opportunity of happiness in the moment but never joy with God.
There is something more to the world than what society can offer. To see this we have to be open to the opportunity and take the first step towards discovering who God is. It is all about relationship and relationship building. It we are focused on the material world and what has been built by human hands then the only thing that we will get in return is that which is material. God did not intend for us to do that. God did not intend us to ignore Him in favor of something that is not eternal. It was by our own choices that we, at some point, ended up focusing on all the wrong things expecting a different result. The solution to problem in this area is right in front of us. We just need to change our interpretation and perception of this world and what fills it.
In the Gospel Reading today we find Jesus fully engrossed in His ministry. He was teaching in the areas synagogues, healing the sick, and casting out demons. No human or spiritual powers could oppose Him. He opened the hearts, minds, and souls of all that listened to Him. What He read and what He taught came directly to God. Surprising was the fact that He brought forth instruction from what had been written previously in the Jewish Canon for hundreds and thousands of years. What was being taught to them was something that was in front of them all of the time but was just not recognized; much the same way as they did not recognize Him as The Son of God. It took Jesus coming in the flesh, evangelizing the Gospels, and preaching the Good News for their eyes to be opened; finally understanding what they had been in possession of for so long. Their perception and interpretation of things was wrong and Jesus corrected it though His presence and actions.
Jesus Christ has the capability of correcting our perception and interpretation of the world around us. Our eyes can be opened to the beauty of God’s creation and our path can be cleared of all obstacles if only we accept what is being offered to us. Listening is very important to achieve these things: listening to Sacred Scripture, listening to Jesus as He speaks to us, and listening to what all of God’s creation is saying to us. We can have an experience much like those gathered in the synagogues around Capernaum as Jesus spoke and worked miracles. We ourselves can become witnesses to the limitless power of God in our lives.
The negative aspects of life are brought upon by us. Our thoughts truly do determine our lives. It is amazing how we will try to convince ourselves that the way we see things and the way we perceive things is the correct way even though they may be completely wrong. In our pride we will work tirelessly to enforce our point of view instead of admitting that we were wrong. This usually leads to unhappiness and a disconnect with God. As we get closer to God and start to incorporate His view into our own views these negative feelings and the negative outlooks that we might have had will naturally leave us. Even in what would be seen as our most troubling times we will be able to confront these things with a positive outlook and joy. Nothing is impossible with God and that will soon be realized.
We can have two purposes in this world: a purpose created by us or one that includes what God wants for us. If we choose the purpose that we create for ourselves then we are basically cutting ourselves off from God. If we choose one that includes the advice and counsel of God, led by the teachings of Jesus, then we will find ourselves in great company with a deeper understanding of everything around us. God is wisdom and He will share all of His wisdom with us which will only benefit us. What can be better than our Creator sharing what He knows with us? This will lead to a better understanding of God’s creation, us, and what we have to do in this life. It begins with listening, changing, and then doing.
Deacon Tom
We all come to a point in our lives where we feel totally helpless and hopeless. We find ourselves in circumstances beyond our control; forced into calamity after calamity without any apparent avenue of escape. There is only unhappiness with no hope to change course. This is an example of life without God. It is our nature to separate God from his creation and try to live our lives without him. This is when we enter an existence filled with drudgery and false promise. The beauty of life is lost and the void is filled with worldly desires that stimulate ourselves for the moment but fade away as quickly as they came’ leaving us empty once again. This cycle can be repeated constantly until we find ourselves in a state of utter ruin.
The only way to break this cycle is to give ownership completely over to God; recognizing that he is indeed the creator of the entire universe and master over us all. We were created out of love: for God to love us and us to love God in a mutual relationship that, at one point in time, was completely perfect. Through us and because of us, that relationship was broken and cannot be completely repaired without a complete surrendering to him.
Even though this surrendering seems like the most obvious solution to our problems we tend to resist it; refusing to give up that control that we want even though it has led to our current state of affairs. We, in our arrogance, still want to remain masters of our own destiny, causing ourselves to be slaves to our own desires regardless of the consequences. It must be understood that no one can be both master and slave at the same time. If we are to be one it is so much better to be a slave to the one who created us. We neither have the ability or wisdom to become the true master when that person is the one who created us.
Imagine being a slave to God. If we were created for love isn’t it obvious that our master would completely love us and ask only one thing in return? That would be only to love him and be faithful to him. When this occurs, shouldn’t it be obvious that we will be cared for, comforted and loved in return? Oh how our ignorance and self-centeredness gets in our way. We are our own obstacle to complete and utter happiness. What is even sadder is the fact that we already know this and continue to drown ourselves in our stupidity. Yet, we are not alone. God has taken pity on us and leaves the doorway open for us to return any time we desire with open arms and a loving embrace.
We must do what the Master requests. As long as we do that then we will be rewarded as any slave would. To fully understand what the Master wants we just need to live our lives by his example. We take his love and immerse ourselves in it. We then let it transform us into a more perfect being while reacting to this love with good works; spreading the message of the Gospels to all who will listen and to those who do not. We must celebrate our life of servitude and understand that it is a great privilege to have. Once this is realized then we can gain the power to free ourselves from the temptations and dark forces that threaten to pull ourselves down into the darkness each day. Life becomes simpler and more obvious. We are the only ones who complicate things. We are the only ones who are enabling ourselves to fail. In the end, we need to get out of our own way and let God do his work.
He is capable of so many things.
Deacon Tom
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Job asks us today: “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?” Yes we know that in the end, Job received so many gifts from God because his faith did not fail. We can contrast the feelings of Job in the first reading today with those of Jesus in the Gospel: “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” In the First Letter to the Corinthians. Saint Paul tells us of his challenges: “All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.”
Today in the three readings we are given the inner sense of three different people and their relationship to what the Father has asked of them. We can put them in this order: Job speaks before knowing of the salvation given to us in Christ Jesus. Jesus speaks to us of His inner calling to proclaim the Good News. Saint Paul then tells us how to proclaim that Good News so that all can come to know Jesus.
Most of us probably already know the story of Job. He was a man who believed completely in the Lord and had receive enormous blessings. The devil tries to undo this faith of Job. Eventually all the blessings are removed and sufferings are heaped on Job. While Job questions what is happening, he never doubts nor loses faith.
Are we that strong in faith? Can we trust God even when we question? Do we accept both blessings and sufferings from our Lord?
The second reading, from the First Letter to the Corinthians, is Saint Paul’s account of how he tries to live the Good News. Saint Paul is clear: I must preach the Good News! Here we see Saint Paul not just enduring all of the trials and tribulations, but recognizing that preaching the Good News is required of him because he believes in Jesus.
Does our faith impel us to share our faith with others? Are we able to tell others about our faith in Jesus? Are we willing to suffering because we believe that Jesus is the Lord?
The Gospel today is from Saint Mark. We are still at the beginning of this Gospel. Jesus is just beginning His public ministry. What is truly strong in the Gospel today is that everyone is looking for Jesus and that there is no place for Him to be away from the people. Jesus responds to that by saying: “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”
The whole purpose of the life of Jesus is to preach the Kingdom, to proclaim the Good News: God loves us and invites us to share His life.
Can you believe that?
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip
If we listen to the readings today, we can see a strong sense of humor in the hard work of proclaiming God’s Word and in doing God’s Work.
The first reading, from the Book of Job, is all about the drudgery of just living, without even any energy to speak about God or about something divine in life! Just living out daily existence in a pain and the author thinks that everything is just not worth doing. This is truly a depressed view of life, but one that is all too common among many people.
Jesus, in the Gospel, cures the mother-in-law of Peter. The next thing that happens is that everyone sick in the whole neighborhood is brought to Jesus. The next morning Jesus rises early to go away and pray alone, in a deserted place. But even then the people come looking for him.
This is a different view of drudgery! Jesus is not portrayed as running away from this multitude that seeks him, but rather, Jesus sees this as his call: Preaching the Word of God. And in that preaching, he does healings as well.
The Book of Job sees really nothing good about life: just live it and get through it! The Gospel, on the other hand, sees that the purpose is to proclaim God’s wonderful works and to do them in action, in healing and in other ways.
Saint Paul, in the second reading today, is also pondering what it means to preach the Gospel. Paul’s attitude is very close to that of Jesus Himself. Paul tells us that he cannot do anything else than preach what he has received.
What about us in all of this? Do we feel any pressure from the Word of God in our lives? Do we feel called by God at all? Or is our life much more like that of what Job is describing? Do we just hope that we can get through life, since it all seems not to matter that much anyway?
We have to be honest about these things! We cannot pretend that the Gospel and the teachings of Christ or the teachings of the Church mean anything to us if, in fact, they really don’t touch our lives. Many of us can remember periods in our lives when the teachings of Christ were not very strong or did not touch us. Some of us can actually say now that we try to live as Saint Paul did and as Jesus taught us: proclaiming the marvelous works of God by the way we live and the way we speak about our Lord.
So many of us would like to believe and sort of keep that belief simply in our own hearts and not have to say anything about it to anyone else. Can we imagine anyone who has just unexpectedly won and enormous fortune remaining silent about that to his or her best friends? It would not be normal! When we are surprised with some unexpected good, we almost always want to share that unexpected joy and gladness with others.
That is what happened to the early followers of Jesus and it can happen to us as well. Let us ask today that we may know this divine presence within us, that we may experience it as unexpected treasure and that we learn how to share it with others.
CHRIST IN THE DESERT MONASTERY
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