THE RIGHTEOUS JOB THE MUCH-SUFFERING (MAY 6TH)

A Contemporary Byzantine Icon of the Holy Righteous Job, Patriarch of Uz

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

The Righteous Job the Much-Suffering, whose name is a byword for patience under affliction, stands as a prophetic witness to the mystery of suffering and divine providence. Though his story is ancient - set among the patriarchs and the men of the East - it was beloved by both East and West alike. In him the Church sees a figure of Christ’s own Passion: innocent, yet afflicted; steadfast, yet humbled; silent, yet glorified.

Job lived in the land of Uz, a man “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). He was rich in flocks and herds, possessing seven sons and three daughters. Yet it pleased God to allow Satan to test his servant. In one day, Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. Sorely afflicted with boils from head to foot, he sat among the ashes, scraping himself with a potsherd. Yet through all his sorrows, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

His friends - Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar - came to comfort him, but they became accusers, presuming to speak for God. Job cried out for justice and declared his innocence. He confessed his longing for a Redeemer, saying, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25). This ancient testimony became a cornerstone of Christian hope in the resurrection.

In the end, the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind, humbling his servant not with condemnation but with glory. Job repented in dust and ashes, not for sins of which he was falsely accused, but for the folly of speaking in ignorance. God restored to him double all he had lost and blessed the latter days of Job more than the former.

The Church Fathers saw in Job a type of the righteous sufferer, the innocent Israelite who kept covenant amidst unjust suffering. Saint John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Job, praised his perseverance as a lamp for all generations. In the Anglo-Orthodox tradition, Job’s cry of faith echoes in the burial liturgy: “In my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26), reminding the faithful that even in death we await vindication.

Job’s patience is not mere resignation, but a living witness to the mystery of grace working through affliction. Though stripped of every earthly consolation, he clung to the justice of God. His feast is thus kept in the season of Pascha, as one who, by endurance, entered into the joy of the Lord and experienced the power of His Glorious Resurrection! 

HYMN FOR THE RIGHTEOUS JOB

O righteous Job, thou mirror of long-suffering, 

when trial by flame descended upon thee, 

thou didst not curse thy Maker, but didst glorify Him. 

In sackcloth and ashes, thy faith burned bright. 

Entreat now the risen Lord, that we may endure every cross, not shying away from any loss, 

and beholding His face in glory everlasting.

COLLECT

O Almighty God, who didst strengthen thy servant Job to endure manifold afflictions with steadfast faith and humble trust: Grant unto us the same grace, that we, being tried as gold in the fire, may never waver in our confidence in thy righteous judgment, but may in patience possess our souls; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

#RighteousJob #WesternOrthodoxSaints #AngloOrthodox #AncientChurchoftheWest #ByzantineAnglican #OrthodoxArchdiocese #JobTheLongsuffering #FeastofJob #PatienceInSuffering #EasternWesternBridge #SaintsOfTheOldTestament #ChrysostomOnJob #BookOfJob #OrthodoxHagiography #BlessedAreThoseWhoSuffer