Homily: Fourteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time
Homily: Fourteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Genesis 32:23-33) “Do My Wounds Strengthen Me?”
God seems to pick the wrong people on purpose in the Bible. At least that is the way the world would see it. To me, this is especially the case when we reflect on the story of Jacob and Esau. The two men were twins and were the sons of Isaac.
Esau seems like a sad character. He competes with Jacob to get his father’s affection. We all know the story of how Jacob, with the help of his mother, deceived Isaac so that he might steal his father’s blessing. After that, Jacob runs away. He gets in a battle of wits with his future father-in-law and walks away with two of his daughters, a lot of his live-stock, and other wealth.
Jacob decides to go back home, so he flees from his father-in-law, but he also knows he must face his brother, Esau. He is afraid of what kind of reception he will get. Will he run again, or will he face his brother and try to make amends in some way?
All these situations lead to the story that we read at Mass today of Jacob wrestling with the angel. We could ask the question of whether Jacob was fighting with God or with his conscience? He has quite a tussle. In the end, he is wounded, and he limps the rest of his life. He is changed physically, but he is also changed spiritually.
He meets his brother. He flings himself on the ground in front of his brother asking for mercy. He and Esau embrace. They reconcile. Jacob does not run any more. We get a sense that he becomes an honest, upright person. He has what we would call a conversion.
The wisdom that we gain from the story of Jacob is that often out of woundedness comes a change of heart. Jacob had realized his faults and failings. In a sense, he was broken. He was not the man his brother was. But his wounds made him a better man, probably a more empathetic man. And that was the greatest gift that he ever received.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I received a wound in my life that changed me for the better? What was that wound?
- Is it true that to appreciate the Christian message, one must fail at something in life? How does that change a person?
Dear Parishioners,
The Second Hand Sale begins this week. This sale is always a nice event for our parish. The committee has been trying to pay off the window restoration they sponsored in the church. Last year there was no sale, so they feel behind in their commitment. Please be generous so that the sale will be a success. We also appreciate the Catholic Order of Foresters supplementing the sales income with a grant.
My thanks to Connie Morris and the committee who will be putting in long hours over the next ten days to make the sale a success. The Second Hand Sale is a sign that some normalcy is returning to our lives. For that we give thanks.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark