Moved with Pity

July 10, 2007

Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. Genesis 32:25

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 9:22

Piety

Jesus, don’t leave us alone to face our troubles. Send your messenger to be at our side. Give us the sight to recognize and welcome your presence into our lives and allow your servants to be the Church to us. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/071007.shtml

How often do we truly wrestle with the message God has for us? One the one hand, it would be so easy if we can just put aside our pride, our comfort and our ego. Yet the message of divine obedience flies in the face of our modern culture.

So we fight onward and realize that our free will is no match for God…and God’s message is no match for our free will. It is only in giving up our personal ambition and possessions that we can attain the state of grace possible if we practice radical obedience.

We have so much to learn from Jacob and Esau. After cheating his brother Esau of his birthright and then stealing Isaac’s blessing from his brother, Jacob now faces the prospect of coming face-to-face with Esau. Jacob has spent years in exile hiding from the anger of his betrayed brother. Now, he wants to head home with his wives, concubines and twelve assorted sons (!!!). Along the way, he fears a battle with the Esau’s army of 400 men. So Jacob decides to split up his possessions and give ample gifts to his brother in seeking forgiveness. Not only does Jacob fear the brewing fight with Esau, but he also engages in a mysterious battle with a man or an angel or perhaps even Yahweh himself.

Despite all his blessings from Isaac and God, Jacob is uneasy. He would fit right in during our modern times.

Jesus sees how we are troubled and how we feel abandoned. Yet he does not want us to feel that way. So he sends his disciples into the fields to carry on his work for our benefit.

Action

Whose help do you need to accept this week? Sometimes, the Gospel message is not just to take action and serve others. As Children of God, we also are the Church. We need help in our lives. Through Cursillo, we have the support of our small group reunion, our parish Ultreya group and the diocesan community.

When you feel most troubled and abandoned, who is “Jesus” to you? Who is Jesus working through for you when He is moved with pity about your story?