Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 4 February 2024
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Job 7:1-4, 6-7. 1 Corinthians 9:16-19. Mark 1:29-39
Servant – Steward – Master
Once a young girl, who was preparing for the competitive exams, told her mother, ‘Let this exam be the last exam of my life. I can’t bear the pain; I can’t take in the stress. I can’t compete with 15 lakh people. I would rather stay home quiet; give me some food and a shelter. I shall spend my time at home, reading books, watching TV, meeting friends, and visiting relatives.” Upon hearing these words, the mother realised the amount of pain that the present children may have to bear. She whispered in her ears, “The joys of life are hidden in the pains that we bear!”
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In the first reading, Job laments about the pains that he has to bear. Job, who was a righteous person, loses his possessions, children, and health. He felt alienated from God; he was afflicted with bodily pains; and he was separated from his family and society. The friends who came to meet him, through their arguments, added to his pain.
Job compares pains to ‘hard service on earth,’ ‘day of a hired hand,’ ‘hired hand who awaits his salary.’ These metaphors reveal the hard work that we may have to endure and the little compensation that we receive in the end. Job falls into depression.
In the second reading, Paul underlines that he bears everything for the gospel. He bears two pains: (a) proclaiming the gospel without any charge; (b) becoming all things to all people.
The gospel reading is divided into three sections: (a) Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, who was down with fever; (b) Jesus heals many people of the town who were afflicted with various diseases; and (c) Jesus, who is found praying, wants his disciples to move along with him to the next town.
Jesus bears the pain of being available to the people, adjusting himself to the discomforts, and finding time to be alone with his father. By saying, ‘let us go on to the next towns’, Jesus takes his disciples out of their comfort zones of familiarity.
The readings of the day portray before us three modes of facing the pain:
(a) Slave or servant mode
Job sees himself as a hired hand or a slave. For a hired hand, everything is a task; his ‘to do’ list is always full. He goes on doing the work and ticking off the tasks he has completed. He feels happy when the tasks are imposed on him. When his ‘to-do’ list is empty, he feels empty, useless, and guilty. When we have a lot of tasks on our to-do list, we lose our sleep and peace of mind. We are anxious and hasty. It is for the slaves to be hasty.
(b) Steward mode
Paul considers his ministry of proclamation a responsibility. He exercises stewardship in his ministry. A steward knows how to handle situations; a steward is not stressed by the work that he does, for he is not attached to his work. When pain besets us, we may adopt a steward mindset in order to remain calm and poised.
(c) Master mode
Jesus, despite his full-day work of preaching and healing, has time for himself alone. He is not carried away by popularity and familiarity. He wants his disciples to get rid of the distractions as well.
In sum,
Amidst suffering and pain, Job considers himself a servant, while Paul regards himself as a steward. Jesus goes a step ahead; he remains the master of the situation. Being and acting in master mode gives us authority and power.
In the responsorial psalm (cf. Ps 146), we hear that the Lord heals the brokenhearted. Let us raise our minds and hearts to God amidst suffering.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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