Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Genesis story, Jacob leads his family out of exile back home to Canaan. At the end of such a long emotional journey, I would want to unwind and relax and get a good night’s sleep! Instead, Jacob is confronted by a night-long wrestling match with a man (identified as God or an angel of God). Eventually Jacob’s fellow wrestler concedes to Jacob, and dislocates his hip. When Jacob insists on a blessing, he is given a new name that acknowledges his transformation - Israel, meaning “one who wrestles with God”.
This story gives many insights for our faith journey. The concept of wrestling can have physical and mental meanings. In the sport of wrestling, opponents are matched as equals (by weight categories) and both their strength and mental abilities to respond to the other’s movements are challenged. While there are time limits in a match, Jacob and the angel engage continuously. Jacob’s courage in asking for a blessing, shows his trust in God to recognize his needs and meet him where he is. A good healthy dialogue and sharing of our feelings and needs is a sign of intimacy in a relationship. And we are permanently changed and altered in true relationships.
Another meaning of wrestling is portrayed symbolically - the wrestling we do in our mind or conscience, through deep thought, consideration or debate. Such moments can befall us as we seek to do the right thing and find ourselves wrestling with our options and their implications or temptations. Do we hide some of our feelings and thoughts from God, and end up trying to handle things ourselves, rather than showing our reliance on God and asking for help and insights? The story encourages us to meet God directly and interactively with all of our abilities and strength and to persevere in our relationship with God, even when it is difficult and challenging. Such faithful dialogue and reliance on God’s way and guidance can permanently mark us and change us too! May we ever have such courage and trust as we journey and are blessed by beholding God’s face.
—Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI