The spirit of faith invites us always to search for God’ s will.

Jesus declares the least to be the greatest. Were without status or power or influence.

Are you surprised to see the disciples of Jesus arguing about who is the greatest among them?

Who doesn’t cherish the ambition to be “somebody”.

Who is the greatest in God's kingdom?  The one who is humble and lowly of heart.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

 Job 1:6-22

One day the heavenly beings came to present

Temselves before Yahweh, and Satan came with them Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you been?” Satan answered, “Going up and down the earth, roaming about.”  Yahweh asked again, “Have you noticed my servant Job? No one on earth is as blameless and upright as he, a man who fears God and avoids evil.”

 But Satan returned the question, “Does Job fear God for nothing?   Have you not built a protective wall around him and his family and all his possessions? You have blessed and prospered him, with his livestock all over the land.  But stretch out your hand and strike where his riches are, and I bet he will curse you to your face.”

 Yahweh said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power. But do not lay a finger upon the man himself.” So Satan left the presence of Yahweh.

 One day, while his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their eldest brother, a messenger came to Job and said, “Your oxen were plowing, and your donkeys were grazing nearby   when the Sabaeans came and carried them off. They killed the herdsmen. I alone escaped to tell you.”

 While he was still speaking, another messenger came, “God’s fire fell from the sky and burned all your sheep and the shepherds as well. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

 

 He had hardly finished speaking when another messenger arrived, “Three raiding teams of Chal­deans have killed your servants and carried off your camels. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

He was still speaking when another messenger came and said to Job, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking in the house of their eldest brother  when suddenly a great wind blew across the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they all died. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

In grief Job tore his clothes and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped,  saying, “Naked I came from my mo­ther’s womb, naked shall I return. Yahweh gave, Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be his name!”  In spite of this calamity, Job did not sin by blaspheming God.

 

Ps 17:1bcd, 2-3, 6-7

Incline your ear to me and hear my word.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Luke 9:46-50

 One day the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most impor­tant.  But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he took a little child and stood him by his side.   Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.”

 Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he doesn’t follow you with us.”  But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”

 

 Gospel Reflection：

Arriving at Faith

We can never understand a mystery on this side of life at least; we can only stand under the mystery and live with it, with an attitude of awe and dynamic surrender. This is essentially the lesson the book of job offers us on the vexing problem of human suffering. One of the classics in world literature and acclaimed by Alfred Lord Tennyson as “the greatest poem of ancient and modern times,” the book of job takes us through the deepening of faith of job.

In today’s reading we find him with a certain equanimity and ready-made catechetical answer at the face of tragedies, an answer which is indicative more of rationalization than faith. (Don’t we too live with such platitudes in life?) As we will see in the coming days, Job’s defenses must and will crumble down and leave him utterly naked in soul before God, and he will, at the end, arrive at the core of faith: wonder, awe, marvel, and surrender to the Mystery.