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The Saints of Old |
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Wrestling With
An Angel
Jacob is the son
of Isaac and Rebecca, the third great patriarch of
the chosen people, and the immediate ancestor
of the twelve tribes of Israel. His name means
"supplanter," and refers to a well-known
circumstance of his birth (Genesis 25:25).
During Rebecca's pregnancy, "the children
struggled together within her" (Genesis
25:22). Whenever Rebecca passed a house of
study, Jacob would struggle to get out.
Whenever she passed a temple of idolatry, Esau
would struggle to get out. Rebecca later
learned through a prophecy that she was to
give birth to two children, who would become
the respective founders of two very different
nations. They would always be in competition,
and eventually, the elder would serve the
younger. She did not tell her husband Isaac
about this prophecy, but kept it in mind. Esau
was the firstborn with his brother Jacob born
immediately afterwards grasping Esau's heel.
Jacob was favored by his mother, while Esau
was favored by his father.
The Struggle for the Birthright
Jacob’s early years were marked by efforts to get the birthright from his brother
Esau. One day, Esau returned from the field
faint from hunger. Seizing an opportunity,
Jacob informed Esau that he would sell him
some lentil soup which he had cooked, in
exchange for the birthright which belonged to
Esau as the older brother. Esau agreed,
commenting, "I am going to die - what is this
birthright to me?"
The birthright included the traditional
Biblical birthright, which granted superior
rank in the family (Genesis 49:3), a double
portion of the paternal inheritance
(Deuteronomy 21:17), the priestly office in
the family (Numbers 8:17-19), and the
Abrahamic blessing, which promised that his
descendants would be a source of blessing for
all the nations of the earth (Genesis
21:15-18). However, Esau, knowing that God had
declared that Abraham's descendants would be
enslaved for 400 years before returning to
their own land (Genesis 15:13-14), wanted to
exclude himself from being part of God's
chosen people.
The Ruse
When Isaac grew old and was blind, Rebecca
overheard Isaac send Esau out to hunt down
some meat and prepare him a meal, after which
Esau would receive his blessing as his eldest
son, before he died. Rebecca then commanded
Jacob to bring the meal that she prepared to
Isaac to receive the blessing in his brother's
stead. Jacob protested that his father might
notice the substitution through touch, since
Esau was hairy and he was smooth. Rebecca told
him not to worry, and placed hairy goatskins
over his neck and arms.
Thus disguised, Jacob went into his father's
tent. After a suspicious beginning Isaac
nevertheless blessed him. As soon as Jacob
left the tent, Esau arrived and exposed the
deception. Isaac was shaken, but affirmed that
Jacob would indeed be blessed. To Esau's
pathetic entreaties, he agreed to give Esau a
lesser blessing. Then Esau swore to himself
that he would kill Jacob in revenge as soon as
his father was dead.
Jacob’s Ladder
Knowing Esau’s murderous intentions, Rebecca
commanded Jacob to flee to Haran, the house of
her brother, Laban. His trip would serve the
double purpose of finding a wife, as Laban had
two daughters, Leah and Rachel.
On his way to Haran, Jacob had the vision of a
ladder reaching into heaven with angels going
up and down it. From the top of the ladder he
heard the voice of God, who repeated many of
the blessings upon him. When he woke up that
morning, he stopped by the well where the
shepherds were gathering their flocks to water
them and met Laban's younger daughter, his
cousin Rachel. Jacob loved her immediately and
proposed to marry Rachel. However, Laban deceived Jacob by switching his older
daughter, Leah, as the veiled bride during
their wedding.
When the truth became known, Laban agreed to
give Rachel in marriage as well if Jacob
worked another seven years for him. After the
week of wedding celebrations with Leah, Jacob
married Rachel, and continued to work for Laban another seven years.
Leah gave birth to four sons, Reuben,
Simeon,
Levi, and Judah. Rachel, however, was barren,
and gave Jacob her handmaid Bilhah in marriage
so she could raise children through her.
Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali. Leah
then gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob in
marriage so she could raise more children
through her. Zilpah gave birth to Gad and
Asher. Afterwards, Leah gave birth to
Issachar,
Zebulun, and Dinah. Rachel later gave birth to
Joseph. |
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Wrestling with An Angel |
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When Joseph was born, Jacob was ordered by God
to return home to the land of his parents. But Laban was
reluctant to release him, as God had blessed
his flock because of Jacob. Nevertheless,
Jacob, his wives and children left without
informing Laban. As Jacob neared the land of
Canaan, his messengers to his brother Esau
returned with the news that Esau was coming to
meet Jacob with an army of 400 men. Preparing
for the worst, Jacob felt that he must now
depend only on God and prayed earnestly. He
then sent, "a present to my lord Esau from thy
servant Jacob."
Jacob, his
family and flocks then crossed over towards
the direction from which Esau would come, and
spent the night alone, in communion with God.
There, a mysterious being ("a man", according
to Genesis 32:24, or "the angel",
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according to
Hosea 12:4) appeared and wrestled with Jacob
until daybreak. When he saw he
could not defeat Jacob, he touched him on the
sinew of his thigh. Jacob then demanded a
blessing, and the mysterious being said that
from now on, Jacob would be called Israel,
meaning "one who has struggled with God".
Jacob then asked the being's name, but the
being refused to answer. Afterwards Jacob
named the place Pnei-el (Penuel, meaning "face
of God"), saying "I have seen God face to face
and lived."
With his wives and twelve children behind him
Jacob proceeded with his journey back to
Canaan, expecting Esau's revenge. However,
Jacob's gift of camels, goats and flocks had
appeased Esau who offered to accompany them on
their way back to Israel. As they neared the
border of Canaan, Rachel went into labor and
died as she gave birth to her second—and
Jacob's twelfth—son, Benjamin. Jacob buried
her and erected a monument over her grave,
which is located just outside Bethlehem, which
remains a popular site for pilgrimages and
prayers to this day.
Jacob was finally reunited with his father
Isaac in Mamre (outside Hebron) where later he
was joined by Esau for their father's burial.
In the midst of Jacob’s quiet pastoral family
life he received with inconsolable grief news
of Joseph's death and his separation from
Benjamin. However, later came the news that Joseph was
still alive and that Joseph had invited him to come to Egypt
revived the patriarch. In Egypt, he met Joseph
again, to enjoy the honors conferred upon him
by Pharaoh, and to spend prosperously his last
days in the land of Gessen. There, on his
death- bed, he foretold the future of fortunes
of the respective descendants of his sons. As
he wished, he was buried in the land of
Canaan.
Jacob was
blessed with 12 sons, Reuben,
Simeon,
Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali,Gad,
Asher, Issachar,
Zebulun,
Joseph and Benjamin. They are the ancestors
of the tribes of Israel, and the ones for whom
the tribes are named. Each occupied a separate
territory (except the tribe of Levi, which was
set apart to serve in the Holy Temple).
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The Sunday Readings |
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January 28, 2007: The
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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First Reading From the Book of
Jeremiah: |
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Jer 1:4-5, 17-19 |
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The word of the LORD
came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over
you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD. |
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Notes: |
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The Book of
Jeremiah combines history, biography, and
prophecy. It portrays a nation in crisis and
introduces the reader to an extraordinary
leader upon whom the Lord placed the heavy
burden of the prophetic office. Jeremiah was
born about 650 B.C. of a priestly family from
the little village of Anathoth, near
Jerusalem. While still very young he was
called to his task in the thirteenth year of
King Josiah (628), whose reform, begun with
enthusiasm and hope, ended with his death on
the battlefield of Megiddo (609) as he
attempted to stop the northward march of the
Egyptian Pharaoh Neco.
Jeremiah was destined to the office of prophet
before his birth; cf Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke
1:15; Gal 1:15, 16. I knew you: I loved you
and chose you. I dedicated you: I set you
apart to be a prophet.
The nations
refer to the pagan neighbors of Judah, besides
the great world powers-Assyria, Babylonia,
Egypt-intimately associated with Judah's
destiny.
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Responsorial From the Book of
Psalms: |
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Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17 |
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R. I
will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I
will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the
wicked.
R. I
will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O
God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I
will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your
wondrous deeds.
R. I
will sing of your salvation.
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Second Reading
From
the Letter to the Corinthians: |
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1 Cor 12:31—13:13 or 13:4-13 |
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Brothers
and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual
gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent
way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all
knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may
boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood
over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be
brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy
partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will
pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a
child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish
things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a
mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully
known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love. |
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Brothers
and sisters:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood
over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but
rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be
brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy
partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will
pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a
child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish
things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a
mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully
known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love. |
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Notes: |
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In speaking of
love, Paul is led by spontaneous association
to mention faith and hope as well, which are
already a well-known triad, three interrelated features of
Christian life, more fundamental than any
particular charism. Love is operative even within the other
members of the triad, so that it has a certain
primacy among them. Or, if the perspective is
temporal, love will remain even when faith has
yielded to sight and hope to possession. |
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The Gospel
From the Gospel
of Luke:
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Lk 4:21-30 |
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Jesus began
speaking in the synagogue, saying:
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled
in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that
came from his mouth.
They also asked, "Isn’t this the son of
Joseph?"
He said to them, "Surely you will quote me
this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in
Capernaum.’"
And he said, "Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native
place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days
of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half
years
and a severe famine spread over the entire
land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was
sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land
of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only
Naaman the Syrian."
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them
and went away. |
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Notes: |
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This is the
fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy of the
rejection and suffering of Jesus leading to
his death, and resurrection. |
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Coming Soon! |
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Comments and
Contributions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
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