Why do good people suffer? (5 Sunday of Ordinary Time, year B)

The book of Job grapples with some of life's most difficult questions. Why do we suffer when we have done nothing wrong? Why does God feel absent at times? In the Gospel today (Mk 1:29-39) Jesus confronts these challenges. He shows us that, in the end, all suffering will be destroyed. In the meantime, Jesus is very close to those who suffer. This care is expressed in a special way in the Sacraments of healing, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.