Turn to God. Today’s Gospel invites us to practice confidence in the power of grace. In the first reading, we encounter the suffering of Job. We catch him at a moment when he seems to be at a loss. “Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has struck me! Why do you hound me as though you were divine, and insatiably prey upon me?” (Job 19:21). These words echo a cry for mercy, and yet, when his friends reject him (as we discover later), Job lets it not discourage him, but rather turns to God in faith: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day I shall rise out of the earth. And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh, I shall see my God” (Job 19:25-26). The plight of the situation leans heavily on Job, but he still continues to trust.
To Trust
When we look at the Gospel, we also encounter a similar call to confidence. Christ sends out his disciples into a dangerous environment. “Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). Jesus creates His team in such a way that His disciples must depend upon Him if they wish to thrive because “without me you can do nothing.” Otherwise, Satan will sift them like wheat (Luke 22:31).
To Surrender
Christ continues this call toward divine trust when He demands that His disciples “carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals” (Luke 10:4). Jesus wants divine providence to become a reality for them which can only happen when they have surrendered everything — quite literally.
So, what do we do?
To desire God’s Grace
“Everything is possible to one who has faith” (Mk 9:23). We must have confidence that He gives us His grace in each and every moment to surrender; but we must desire it as a miser does his gold. And we must beg for it. If there’s one common trait among the saints, it’s this: they begged and begged and begged for grace. The question really becomes: how much do we want it? Let’s become beggars for grace, so that we too can have the confidence that “my Redeemer lives . . . and in my flesh I shall see God.” Mary, handmaid of the Lord, pray for us.
