5th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Generous in Service

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This week's reading :
[Job 7:1-4, 6-7], [1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23], [Mark 1:29-39]

Every day, news on TV, papers as well as the internet is filled with companies recording record loss, banks going bust, investment vanishes into thin air and people losing their jobs, family losing their home….all the doom and gloom.

In the first reading today, Job is complaining and lamenting about his misfortune in self pity. A picture of hopelessness is painted when he said : "I am allotted months of futility and nights of grief and misery ... Oh God, never will I see happiness again.”

In this world we are living today amid the economic crisis, the situation of Job can be very real to us too. No matter how bad is the situation, we should never give up. But to find purpose and meaning in our lives which will pull us out of the rut.

In the second reading, we see how Paul found the purpose in his life and despite being persecuted, shipwrecked and imprisoned, Paul found his fulfilment by zealously sharing his God experience with people: "In announcing the gospel I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel."

Today‘s Gospel reading in Mark coupled with last Sunday’s reading, provide a composite of Jesus’ many acts of gracious healing. Jesus showed us that despite being the Son of God, He knew His mission and purpose which is to serve by preaching the Gospel and healing.

Another example was Peter's mother-in-law. Instead of lying back to recuperate after being healed, she immediately began to serve Jesus and the others with him.

Therefore whenever we feel down and feel the impulse to complain, the best cure for that is to go out and render service to others, especially the less fortunate.

And we should pray a lot like Jesus who went away to a quiet spot to pray to His Father. Only through prayers that we can communicate with our Father and be able to do what He command us to so.