Reflection for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time…February 4, 2024

by Ed McKibbin, Notre Dame Associate

On this the last Sunday before Lent we are reminded by Job, St. Paul, and St. Mark that life is often not easy, especially if we are in tune with how God is calling us to serve. It is only through denying ourselves and serving others that we perform God’s work here on earth, and through it gain eternal happiness. Jesus gave us the example of the “suffering servant” and reminded us that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.

Job describes himself as a “slave who longs for shade, a hireling who waits for his wages.” St. Paul writes that he has made himself “a slave to all.” Jesus acknowledges in a Gospel that describes the hard daily work of Jesus and how much in demand he was, that “for this purpose I have come.” What are we going to do this Lent to follow these examples by denying ourselves for the benefit of others?