Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Gn 32:23-33
In this passage we find Jacob in a wrestling match with and angel of God (while it is not stated in this passage that it is an angel, Hosea 12:5 makes that clear). The match ends in a draw but Jacob takes injury. This mythic battle gives rise to one of the dietary laws regarding eating the sciatic nerve. In the end Jacob receives his blessing and is given the name Israel.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15
R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.
The selection of Psalm 17 is a plea for God’s help. The intercessors ask for this help in spite of the tests they are forced to undergo.
Gospel Mt 9:32-38
In this selection Jesus continues his healing practice as he travels from town to town. We see growing opposition from the Pharisees as he does so. Using the same language we heard in Sunday’s Gospel (Lk 10; 1-9) Jesus prepares to send out the disciples to proclaim the Good News.
Reflection:
Today we take a moment away from the specific call in the Gospel to take the Good News into the world to consider how we ourselves must prepare for that mission. It is instructive for us to look at the first reading from Genesis and reflect on the metaphor depicted there.
In this story we find the main character, Jacob, the son of Isaac who was the son of Abraham, contending with a man – a messenger from God – an angle. We are not given a motive in the story, but only told that Jacob sent his family across a stream and he stayed there, presumably close to the place were he had his dream.
We are told that the angel and Jacob wrestled. Note, this was not fight based in anger from either party, rather it was a contest of strength, not intended to result in serious injury or death. Why would such a struggle take place? To us it is an indication that, because God created us with our own free will, we have the strength to resist the will of God we can choose to contest God’s plan for us and go our own way.
This story celebrates that strength. It places us in a unique relationship with the Father. Just as sons of fathers have always sought to test their strength against each other, so we as God’s children test our will against the Father’s will. And just like those tests of strength in the family, sometimes we, God’s children, believe our physical (or emotional) strength proves we have grown up. It is only later we find that physical maturity is not a match for wisdom and we seek once more that strength from the Father.
Today we see that struggle between our human nature and God’s will laid out in a biblical story from antiquity. We are reminded that God made us with the strength of will to contend even with Him who made us and to ignore his direction. It is up to us to come to the maturity of faith that understands that while we can deny the Father’s will; we need to have the wisdom to accept that will because it is the right thing to do.
Pax
[1] After Links to the Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Eugene Delacroix, 1854-61
Readings for Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Gn 32:23-33
In this passage we find Jacob in a wrestling match with and angel of God (while it is not stated in this passage that it is an angel, Hosea 12:5 makes that clear). The match ends in a draw but Jacob takes injury. This mythic battle gives rise to one of the dietary laws regarding eating the sciatic nerve. In the end Jacob receives his blessing and is given the name Israel.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15
R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.
The selection of Psalm 17 is a plea for God’s help. The intercessors ask for this help in spite of the tests they are forced to undergo.
Gospel Mt 9:32-38
In this selection Jesus continues his healing practice as he travels from town to town. We see growing opposition from the Pharisees as he does so. Using the same language we heard in Sunday’s Gospel (Lk 10; 1-9) Jesus prepares to send out the disciples to proclaim the Good News.
Reflection:
Today we take a moment away from the specific call in the Gospel to take the Good News into the world to consider how we ourselves must prepare for that mission. It is instructive for us to look at the first reading from Genesis and reflect on the metaphor depicted there.
In this story we find the main character, Jacob, the son of Isaac who was the son of Abraham, contending with a man – a messenger from God – an angle. We are not given a motive in the story, but only told that Jacob sent his family across a stream and he stayed there, presumably close to the place were he had his dream.
We are told that the angel and Jacob wrestled. Note, this was not fight based in anger from either party, rather it was a contest of strength, not intended to result in serious injury or death. Why would such a struggle take place? To us it is an indication that, because God created us with our own free will, we have the strength to resist the will of God we can choose to contest God’s plan for us and go our own way.
This story celebrates that strength. It places us in a unique relationship with the Father. Just as sons of fathers have always sought to test their strength against each other, so we as God’s children test our will against the Father’s will. And just like those tests of strength in the family, sometimes we, God’s children, believe our physical (or emotional) strength proves we have grown up. It is only later we find that physical maturity is not a match for wisdom and we seek once more that strength from the Father.
Today we see that struggle between our human nature and God’s will laid out in a biblical story from antiquity. We are reminded that God made us with the strength of will to contend even with Him who made us and to ignore his direction. It is up to us to come to the maturity of faith that understands that while we can deny the Father’s will; we need to have the wisdom to accept that will because it is the right thing to do.
Pax
[1] After Links to the Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Eugene Delacroix, 1854-61
No comments:
Post a Comment