I never gave this any thought until my mother once taught me and my family how to make a humble reference to the future as she would always tell us: “Whenever you say what you want to do in future, always add, ‘Please God’”. It did make more sense when I read a similar comment, “If you want to make God laugh tell him about your plans”.

It is a world in constant motion, yet every now and again, we discover that even with the speed of the motion, we have not moved that far from where we were. Amazingly, we dash off in the morning, go to bed at the night with a huge presumption that we will dash off again the next day in the spirit of ‘business as usual’. An average person goes to bed every night presuming they will wake up in the morning. If this is a positive thinking, it is highly commendable. But if it a mere nonchallant attitude to life, it calls for a reflection.

But life itself has a way of making us to stop and think. What life throws at us could draw our attention to what we can easily overlook. The pain of being human can remind us of the joy of being human which could easily be taken for granted.

Job is not a very happy man. But he had seen good old days. As for this moment he expresses pain, sadness and despair. For some people, Job’s experience is very real. The very ill, the sick, the lonely, the unloved, the depressed and those who suffer from terminal illness may be tempted to sound like Job or give in to despair. If only Job (human suffering) had the opportunity of meeting Christ, just as Simon’s mother in-law did, he wouldnt have described his life as ‘swifter than a weaver’s shuttle…leaving no hope behind”. As for Simon’s mother in-law, having been told of her fever, Jesus went straight to her house, held her by the hand and lifted her up. This is the difference it makes when Christ is invited into the suffering of humanity; one is uplifted from despair. The pain of being human may not be taken away completely but the upliftment and comfort of Christ makes all the difference.

This is the goodnews we bring to those who suffer physical, emotional or mental agony. This is what drives St Paul in his passion for mission – being all things to all people; being there for anyone in any situation. Of course, people do ask, “why should I suffer”? “Is there any value in suffering”? But there are common questions which are often not voiced out: “Am I alone in this suffering”? “Is there anyone who cares”?