4 February 2018
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Job in today’s 1st reading says man is a slave; Paul in the 2nd says he has made himself a slave. In the Gospel Jesus acts as if he were a slave, doing the work the Father has assigned him to do.
Can’t I sympathize with the vocalist singing in Ol’ Man River? “Pullin’ dose boats from dawn to sunset/ Gettin no rest till de Judgment day”?
I’ll begin by looking around more closely at creation. That’s work of our Father, his gift to me. By imitating him I can use the talents he has given me to work at building a better world for others.
The Gospel shows me what Christ’s workday was like: rushing around day night serving others.
Tomorrow is Monday. I begin a new workweek. There I’ll meet routine, maybe even drudgery. I’ll consider using our heavenly Father’s work about me as a model for my work, and his Son’s activity as my inspiration to serve others. This means at night when I turn in I’ll have joy in common with Job, Paul and that Mississippi boatman too.