Reading 1 Jb 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (cf. 3a) Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, for He is good;
sing praise to our God, for He is gracious;
it is fitting to praise Him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel He gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
He calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to His wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked He casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.Reading 2 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
Gospel Mk 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told Him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to Him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and He drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew Him.
Rising very early before dawn, He left
and went off to a deserted place, where He prayed.
Simon and those who were with Him pursued Him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for You.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So He went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Job, The Loving Programmer’s “test program” was wallowing in self-pity, just as we sometimes do, enjoying being overwhelmed by the futility of life. He compares himself to a slave, a hireling, and realizes that he is no better than they. He understands that his days in the clay are passing quickly; since Jesus and the Good News about a joyful eternity in Heaven hadn’t opened up the hope of perpetual purpose, He was despressed. So are all those who look at life without traveling the road to salvation.R. Praise The Loving Programmer for restoring our own programs when they need it.
Praise The Loving Programmer, first of all, because He’s good. And, praise Him because He’s gracious. The Loving Programmer restores His people on earth, and gathers those who have become separated from Him.
R. Praise The Loving Programmer for restoring our own programs when they need it.
The Loving Programmer restores our programs when they’re crippled by sorrow, He restores any part of our program that has been corrupted. He knows The Code for each of the stars whose programs He wrote and downloaded, and knows them perfectly.
R. Praise The Loving Programmer for restoring our own programs when they need it.
The Loving Programmer has infinite power. There is no limit to what He can conceive of and do. Even in that majesty, He sustains the programs of even the poorest people. Those who corrupt His programs, He throws away.Brothers and sisters, I can’t boast for telling you about The Loving Programmer and His Operating Instructions. If I’m doing it because I have to, there is no reason to expect payment; I will just be punished for not doing my duty. If I do so freely, I will be paid, but only by the opportunity to provide the most valuable service that can be offered and not charging for it. I could get paid, but I’d rather be paid more fully by The Loving Programmer.I’m a free man, and I have chosen to become a slave to all human programs (for thousands of years) to help them choose to serve The Loving Programmer (and their own, immortal souls) rather than the various kinds of viral corruption that will destroy them. I know that what I’m doing won’t save everyone, but it will help some to download and obey The Operating Instructions. I do it to serve my own Operating Instructions so that I can help others to do so, as well.
After Jesus left the synagogue, He went into Simon Peter’s house with James and John. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick. Peter, a promising businessman, had just abandoned his business to follow Jesus, Whom His own family thought to be insane. His wife’s mother was sick to death about it. “Who will support my daughter? Where will she go?”, were the thoughts that made her literally sick with grief and worry.
They told Jesus. He knew what the problem was. He merely took her hand, and she was healed, going from the sickbed to making dinner and cleaning up. His majestic download was so powerful that it even cured that deepest heartache and the effects it had on her body.
That night, all the sick and possessed people were brought to Him. He cured many (those who believed?) and drove out many corrupting viruses. He didn’t permit them to speak, because they knew Him (from His programming power).
Before sunrise, He left, and went to a deserted place and prayed. Simon and those with him went after Him, and said, “Everyone is looking for you (in all the ages).” He told them, “Let’s go to the closer towns so I can provide The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions for the human programs there.”
Thanks for tuning in for our Bible Reading Sunday, February 5, 2012
