5TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME AND PRESSING THE PATIENCE OF JOB............

Anyone who has suffered  a serious illness, disease, limitation, or disability, is able to understand the patience and perseverance required to contend and cope with the physical, developmental, or intellectual, challenges that must be confronted, dealt with, and overcome, in addressing the ability to live a quality life, with confidence and optimism.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, the central example of that necessary perseverance and patience is the infamously beset Job, from whom we hear in today's  First Reading at Sunday Mass and Christian Worship.  Despite a relentlessly continuous string of afflictions and setbacks thrust upon him and his people, Job withstood falling into despair.  Today's passage indicates Job's humanness caused frustration to overflow as he questioned, if not argued the merits of of the maladies, a natural response of anyone so immensely tested.  I am surely not alone in being able to identify with the magnitude of the challenges and frustrations Job endured and spoke to, in today's Sunday Scrptures.  Even good people find themselves confronted with bad things in the world.  The affects of illness, disease, suffering, pain,  immobility, disability, do not need to vanquish our ability to proceed with a quality of life that is grounded in positive attitudes and productive actions.  Job did not give up on himself or God, and neither should those bearing inordinately crosses.  Any person, community, institution, or employer, who marginalize or deflate the spirit, or discourage the opportunity for the fullest possible inclusion and empowerment of every human person, regardless of their state in life, need to remain keenly aware at any given moment, the patience and perseverance of Job may become a part of your human experience............Fr.  Troy