Saturday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Everyone likes happy endings! If this is true it provides the reason for the popularity of so many novels, films, short stories, and musical masterpieces down through the centuries. All’s well that ends well and brings a certain satisfaction and lasting joy.
Our Scripture readings for today combine to bring two very different stories to a happy conclusion. The Old Testament story of Job was a page-turner from the very beginning which took the reader into deep waters of struggling with the age-old question of why bad things happen to good and innocent people. Job’s search for the answer involved a variety of opinions from true as well as false friends. Eventually the search ended with Job himself taking a courageous and personal position of trust in the presence of God. But the final surprise ending came with God approving Job’s steadfast faith with a super abundance replacing all that he had lost and then some.
The exuberant story in today’s Gospel with the missionary disciples returning from their first experience as missionaries turns out to be a victory party. There is an important shift in the story moving from amazement to awareness and gratitude for God’s power. This gratitude reaches its highest expression when it sparks the heartfelt prayer of Jesus giving thanks to his Heavenly Father. Perhaps the true gift of a happy ending for anyone is to realize that good luck can never adequately explain what happened. It had to be God choosing to give us a glimpse of glory and happiness still to come. To be continued…
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections