“The Lord addressed Job out of the storm.” (Job 38:1)
There’s just no getting around it. Whether physically or emotionally or both, each of us will encounter suffering at some point in our lives. It’s part of living in this world— something poor old Job knew quite well. In addition to his storm of misfortunes, Job also had to endure the baseless philosophizing of his friends. In discourse after discourse, they tried to convince him that he was being punished for some serious hidden sin and that he should turn away from such a cruel God. But Job remained steadfast.
In the end, God appeared and silenced these men. He reminded Job that as Creator of all things, he is always in control. Job had not sinned, and the fact that he never turned his back on God made his righteousness shine all the more.
In his apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris, Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote that the Book of Job “is not the last word on this subject… . In a certain way it is a foretelling of the Passion of Christ.” Jesus, though innocent, endured bitter suffering— including betrayal by close friends. And in his suffering, he not only redeemed us; he revealed the redemptive power implicit in all hardship and pain. To explain this, papal preacher Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa asked: “What do you do to reassure someone that a particular drink contains no poison? You drink it yourself first, in front of him. This is what God has done for humanity: he has drunk the bitter cup of the passion… . At the bottom of the chalice, there must be a pearl. We know the name of that pearl: resurrection!”
Both of these spiritual masters show us that the best way to deal with suffering is to find its redemptive and intercessory purposes. We can even “redeem” our sufferings this way, showing that they don’t have to rule us. Like Job, we can resolve to weather the storms of life by holding on to our hope and faith in the Lord. And if all else fails, we can remember our ultimate destiny: “For I know that my Vindicator lives, … and from my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25, 26).
“Lord Jesus, take my hand and strengthen me through my difficult circumstances. Teach me to remain steadfast. May I never lose sight of you!”
Psalm 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14 Luke 10:13-16