Weekdays in October, November and December 2020
Thursday 1 October
Week 26 in Ordinary Time
St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin, Doctor
Job 19.21–27
Psalm 26
Luke 10.1–12
In the second series of the dialogue between Job and his ‘friends’, Job answers Bildad and begs him and the others to understand him and take pity on him. He expresses his hope in God, his ultimate avenger (Hebrew: go’el – the next of kin who has the duty to defend his wronged relative). Go’el was translated by Jerome as Redemptor – the one who ‘buys back’. Many would argue that these verses are later insertions as they indicate an idea of resurrection of the flesh (First Reading: Job 19.21–27). Only in Luke is there the sending out of the seventy-two (or seventy in some manuscripts). The emphasis is on detachment and urgency. There is a huge contrast between those who accept and those who reject the message and the consequences for each (Gospel: Lk 10.1–12).
