Fr. Roger J. Landry
Visitation Convent of the Sisters of Life, Manhattan
Saturday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II
Memorial of Blessed Marie Rose Durocher; Memorial of St. Bruno
October 6, 2018
Job 42:1-3.5-6.12-17, Ps 119, Lk 10:17-24
To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:
The following points were attempted in the homily:
- On Monday we focused on the meaning of spiritual childhood, with the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the “little way of trust and love” that helped make her a doctor of the Church. Today Jesus speaks about spiritual childhood when he rejoices in the Holy Spirit and praises his Father for revealing the most important things — especially who the Father is — to the childlike rather than to the worldly wise and learned. He was rejoicing because the 72 had just returned from proclaiming the Gospel and had participated in Jesus’ authority over Satan and the demons. The disciples were full of joy. Jesus responded by saying, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.” This meant that they had “tread[ed] upon serpents and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing [harmed them” but was also a warning for them not to become proud as a result of it, because Satan himself had fallen. He then helped them to rejoice fundamentally because their names had been written in heaven, that they were known by God before they had done anything. He finished the whole passage by saying how blessed they were to see and hear what they do and not to take it for granted. He wanted them to share his joy in what they were doing, which was far greater than what they themselves had done!
- We can see the drama between being childlike and worldly “wise and clever” throughout the Book of Job we’ve been pondering this week. Job had a childlike faith that rejoiced in both what the Lord gave and took away and blessed God’s name. But his friends were educated and tried to draw him to look at things in a sophisticated manner, without childlike trust. His sufferings challenged him to begin a little rebellion. But when God spoke and took him on a spiritual journey through creation seen from the perspective of the Creator, he repented and returned anew to his childlike situation. He humbly admitted today, “I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.” His childlike faith was rewarded, by receiving more than he had had before. The extended allegory of Job helps us to appreciate the way God’s mercy works: As St. Ambrose teaches, our state after having been forgiven is greater than if we had never sinned, because we know know God in his mercy better than we would have otherwise.
- We have three other figures of childlike trust we can note today. The first is St. Bruno, who forsook all of his longing to found the Carthusians, because he grasped how fortunate he was to hear the word of God and look upon the Word made flesh. He wouldn’t trade that for anything. Similarly we have Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, who in French Canada responded to the Lord with childlike trust and founded a new religious order to teach countless generations of children how to receive God’s self-revelation and grow to full statue while remaining trusting, childlike and simple. She died at 38, only five years after founding the institute, which teaches us that we should not procrastinate on this summons. Finally, we have our Lady, who was still a child of 14 when she was visited by the Archangel and became the Mother of God, but who remained childlike ever after. She consistently rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and wishes to help us, too, experience that joy, the joy that comes from enmity with the devil out of love for God, the joy that comes from having a soul magnify the Lord, a joy that comes from allowing one’s whole life to develop according to God’s word. She was one whose eyes beheld Jesus throughout his earthly life and heard him, not just spiritually before his birth, but crying as an infant to crying out in faith on Calvary. She helps us to appreciate what happens in the Mass as our ears hear her Son’s word, our eyes behold the Lamb of God under the appearances of the Eucharist, and our bodies and souls enter into Holy Communion through this most wondrous sacrament. This is a blessing far greater than fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses! How lucky indeed we are. Let us ask God the Father to send the Holy Spirit so that we may rejoice together with Jesus!
The readings for today’s Mass were:
Reading 1 JB 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Job answered the LORD and said:
I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.
Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job
more than his earlier ones.
For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels,
a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
And he had seven sons and three daughters,
of whom he called the first Jemimah,
the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhappuch.
In all the land no other women were as beautiful
as the daughters of Job;
and their father gave them an inheritance
along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years;
and he saw his children, his grandchildren,
and even his great-grandchildren.
Then Job died, old and full of years.
Responsorial Psalm PS 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may know your decrees.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Alleluia SEE MT 11:25
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 10:17-24
The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
