Lectionary # 460. Oct. 2.

Scripture: Lectionary # 460. Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-16. Psalm
119:66:71.75.91.125.130. Luke 10:17-24:

Job is the greatest among the Books of Wisdom not only for its great
message about suffering and how to reason about it with God, but also
because of its language, its imagery, and sheer beauty as a book of the
Bible. We hear the last reading from Job in today's liturgy and it is a
fitting conclusion where we see an ongoing inclusion of what the author
presented at the beginning is now even more astounding but similar at the
end. The Hebrew Bible has it among the third part of the inspired word of
God and it is among what is called the "Writings".

Job's struggles have come to an end and now after listening to God he is at
peace and is once again a blessed and happy servant of the Lord. He
weathered the attacks of his wife, then had the patience to take the
judgment of his so called friends as he had to struggle through his
problems by being faithful to dialoguing with God and persevering through
all that he experienced.

Job is a fictional person created by a great Jewish spiritual author who
knew he had to deal with this subject of why good people often suffer much.
We learn much from this book about the unknown author who has the depth of
a Jeremiah and the swift pen of a classical royal Isaiah. We profit and
learn much from this book every time we read it and pray it. Job shows us
the way to move on in life despite its tragedies and setbacks and losses.
We come to realize that through it all God is always there for us more than
our best friends are. Job confesses with these words, "Therefore I disown
what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes."

Psalm 119 again complements Job in the disparate verses that are chosen for
today. We come to realize how to praise God for the gift of these inspired
verses in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. In the selection verse
130 of Psalm 119 is at the heart of the message: "The revelation of your
words shed light, giving understanding to the simple."

In the Gospel Jesus confirms the message of God found in Job while
rejoicing in the Holy Spirit: "I offer you grateful praise, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because what you have hiden from the learned and the
cleve you have revealed to the merest children." Amen.