MANILA, Philippines — There's a devoted husband and father of three children. He is 47 years old, a respected doctor in the community and an active member of the parish.

He's lying in a hospital bed wracked with intolerable pain; his days are numbered. Cancer has spread from his pancreas throughout his abdomen. There's one unanswered question in his mind and in the minds of his family and friends. That one question is, "Why?"

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The experience of this man illustrates graphically the perennial problem of why people, including the good, must suffer.

Moreover, people get to wondering why some who seem to care nothing at all about God and religion apparently prosper, while the good and God-fearing struggle with a host of trials and sufferings.

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In the first reading of this 5th Sunday, Job wondered, too, about why the good must suffer when he lost thousands of his cattle, his enemies ran off with his camels, his seven sons and three daughters were crushed to death after a violent wind struck their house. That was not enough. Satan struck Job with a serious ulcer which covered his whole body.

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His wife who was a mulier fortis taunted him to deny his God. To which Job replied: "You speak like a foolish woman. You have received good things from the hand of God; why should we not receive bad also?"

The story of Job teaches that a good, faithful life in this world is NO GUARANTEE that you are immune from trials and sufferings.

But the story teaches, too, that if one is faithful and patient amidst sufferings, he will be rewarded just like Job in the end.

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Jesus was concerned with the problem of human suffering in all its forms as shown in this Sunday’s gospel. We see him curing people who were afflicted with various diseases, including the simple fever of Peter's mother-in-law (cf. Mk 1:30). There’s a joke that Peter had a grudge with the Lord — he denied Him three times — because He cured his mother-in-law!

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Jesus did not stamp out suffering altogether. He Himself had to undergo terrible suffering. Suffering, He taught, is part and parcel of human existence  – "a problem not to be solved, but a mystery to be lived."

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Not all suffering is inevitable though. Much of it is MAN-MADE, that is, caused by us. A husband, for instance, who comes home drunk and terrorizes the whole neighborhood or the guy who fritters away his salary in gambling, inflicts pain on his family.

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We may not be able to make miracles as Jesus did. But much of the world’s suffering would be minimized if we would be more caring, more generous and sensitive to the feelings of our fellowmen.

Are you the cause of suffering or God’s instrument of healing?

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FAMILY TV MASS — is aired on IBC-13 at 7 a.m. every Sunday and on GMA Pinoy Global TV. Sponsor: Holy Family Chapel, Greenhills, Mandaluyong. Celebrant: Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD.

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For Mass intentions, e.g. sick, dead, call Brian at Christ the King Seminary (cf. tel. directory) or e-mail: familytv.mass@yahoo.com.