It is interesting that 2500 years ago when the first reading from Job (7:1-4, 6-7) was written, they were asking the same questions that we still ask today? ‘Why do we have to work so hard? What is the point of it all? Why is our life often so difficult? Why is it that good people often suffer so much for no apparent reason?’ Throughout the centuries people continually ask the same questions. Sometimes it takes a dramatic event like a tsunami or an earthquake, where thousands are killed in an instant, to make people ask themselves these questions. One minute all those people were just getting on with their daily lives, the next minute the tsunami struck and they were gone. If we can suddenly be snatched away like that, then what is the purpose of our being here? Is there any purpose, or is it all chance? The Lord teaches us that there most certainly is a purpose to our being here and nothing is by chance.
During his life on earth Jesus continually worked extraordinary miracles—just as we read in today’s Gospel—and as a result thousands of people were drawn to him looking for healing, just like we do today when we hear of someone who has been given a gift of healing, but this was not the main purpose of Jesus’ being here. Jesus was happy to heal people because he had great compassion for people, but primarily he wanted to teach people, to teach us about God and about the reason why we are here. When you think about it, all the people he healed and even brought back to life from the dead, they all eventually got sick again and died. So he wanted to teach us that we are loved by God and we are not here by accident; that our life has a purpose and is going somewhere; that it is worth keeping going even when we are suffering, and above all the mission of his life was to die for us so that we could get to heaven when we die.
When the disciples found him alone, praying, the first thing they told him was that everyone was looking for him. There was so much work to do, so many people to heal. But look how he responded: ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’ That is why I came: to preach and teach. But why is it so important to teach us? Wouldn’t it be much better just to heal us? Physical healing is important and Jesus knew that, but he also knew that if we have meaning, if we have purpose, that is much more valuable to us.
What is also interesting is the way that He taught. He mostly used parables. The reason why that is different is that a parable does not always give you a obvious explanation. It points you in a particular direction, but you must go on searching for the truth if you are to discover the meaning. Why is that important? Because it engages us in the work of searching for and discovering the truth. It makes us think and also use our imagination. In other words, he didn’t just shove a set of teachings down our throat and say ‘that’s it.’ He invites us to search for the truth.
When I began my ministry as a priest I worked as a hospital chaplain, I remember meeting a man who had been suffering for most of his life. He had had operation after operation and he was in pain most of the time. But when I met him he was smiling and he said, ‘Father I have so much to be grateful for.’ It was very humbling to hear this. Why was he grateful? Because he had faith and he had purpose. He understood that his life had meaning and that it was going somewhere. He believed that this life was not everything and that it was worth persevering, despite his difficulties. Having that purpose is what makes all the difference and that is what our faith gives us. It doesn’t take away the pain, but it helps to make sense of why we are here. It reminds us that God does want us to be happy, that that is what He created us for. It also reminds us that it is worth putting up with the various struggles we have to go through, because they are often what make us into better people. The suffering will not last forever. Sooner or later we will cross over to the next world where our happiness will be complete, unless we have rejected God. Having that hope is what makes all the difference and that is why Jesus kept moving around and teaching people, so that they would have the strength to keep going especially when times were more difficult.
The rate of suicide is increasing at a frightening rate at this time. The reasons for it are often complicated, but I have no doubt that one of the reasons is that people have lost faith. If you have no faith, no sense of purpose, then where do you turn to when you are suffering, or when everything seems to have gone wrong? When we do have faith, it changes everything. We know that there is a reason why we were created and there is a purpose to us being here. We have the strength to keep going, even when we are struggling, because we know that no matter how bad it gets, it is temporary. We also know from our faith that suffering is part of the journey. We look to Jesus. His path was the path of suffering. The struggles we go through have the potential to make us into better people, depending on how we respond to it.
Why were we created? Just as our natural instinct is to share our joy with other people—think of weddings, birthdays, the birth of a child—in the same way God created us to share in his happiness. But He also gave us this time on earth to learn to love or not, to choose for God or not. We have the freedom to accept or reject God, just as children have the freedom to love or reject their parents. It is heartbreaking when they do, but sadly it happens quite often. You cannot force someone to love you.
To understand that we were created out of love and have a purpose, gives us an inner strength that nothing else can replace. Our greatest mission is to serve God and love the people around us, wherever we are planted. Earthly honors are great and we should strive to use our talents to the best of our ability, but loving people is more important than anything else, because in doing that we imitate God. Jesus’ life was a life of love, service and self-sacrifice. We are called to the same.
It also says that Jesus continually went off to lonely places to pray. He kept turning to the Father to receive the strength and direction that He needed for his mission. It also says that before He chose the Apostles, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. That tells us that that is where we need to turn too, that is, to God in prayer. Our life may not be easy, but God offers us the strength and direction we need to face it. And we can never say that we are on our own on this journey. Jesus is present in the Holy Eucharist which we can receive every day if we wish. All the guidance we could ask for is handed to us in the Scriptures.
Meanwhile we will continue to pray and look for healing and it is right that we do, but it is also good to remember that the hope we have in God is worth more than any physical healing, because that is what will keep us going.
‘Rising very early before dawn, He left and went off to a deserted place where He prayed.’ (Mark 1:39)
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