Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time


Are you good at doing hard things? My daughter says, “I can do hard things” which is a great mantra and to believe, but it is a challenge and at times ends in unhappiness. If I am honest, I react like Job in our first reading, from a place of despair and pain.

We all have responded like Job in those moments of suffering. When I am faced with distress, I respond like those looking for healing in our Gospel: take this away, heal me, fix it. Our Gospel is challenging us to respond like Jesus, rather than those looking for healing. Jesus retreats to the deserted place to pray and invites us there too. How can we lean into suffering and through deeper prayer confront our hardships and despair? The only thing besides pain in this desolate place is God inviting transformation.

In just over a week, we begin Lent. Take inventory of the pain, hurt, suffering, and deserted places that are hard to retreat to. How can you go deeper in prayer, without asking anything of Him, rather meet Him and let Him transform you?