These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Job answered the LORD and said:
I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.
Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job
more than his earlier ones.
(Job 42)
We have quickly traveled through the Book of Job. And the book ends with Job repenting in "dust and ashes" and God blessing Job’s latter days. But Job’s question still remains unanswered, “Why do the good suffer?” The picture today is a wood carving of Job from Germany (18th century).
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
(Mt 18:10)
The Holy Guardian Angels—such providential love God has for us! The little prayer we learned when we were children still holds a place in our hearts:
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Oh, would that my words were written down!
Would that they were inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and with lead
they were cut in the rock forever!
But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another’s, shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see God;
my inmost being is consumed with longing.
(Job 19:23-27)
Job’s words have been cut into the rock of human memory expressing the longing to see God. Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower, who lived her own “Job moment” in her short life also expressed this longing: "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses."
Job answered his friends and said: How can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
who has withstood him and remained unscathed. (Job 9:1-3)
We continue reading the Book of Job. Job’s question is about the all-powerful God and the puny human being. Who can resist God? Who can justify himself before God?
Today is the feast of Saint Jerome, the great lover of God’s Word. He learned Hebrew so that he could translate the Scriptures from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek into a language that people could understand. We call his translation The Vulgate. As Saint Jerome said:
Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
(Psalm 138)
Today we celebrate God’s providential care for us as manifested through the angels. The names of the archangels are theophoric (the name contains the name of God): Michael (Who is like God?); Gabriel (God is my Strength); Raphael (God heals). They are the only angels named in the Bible. Michael was my confirmation name.