Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
July 5, 2011
By Beth DeCristofaro
Then some man wrestled with (Jacob) until the break of dawn. When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled. The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” (Genesis 32:25-27)
But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” … At the sight of the crowds, (Jesus’) heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:34, 36-38)
Piety
Dear God. I thank you for the many blessings you have given me, not the first of which is my very existence. I pray for the faith to always ask you for blessings in good times and in bad. May my fear of inadequacies, ill health and death never get between me and you. May I never let you go until you bless me.
Study
When my father was 55, he was diagnosed with leukemia as a very observant doctor said “let me do a blood test, Alex, you look terrible.” Had he not done that and immediately hospitalized dad, my father would have died within a few short weeks. At first his decision was to not agree to harsh chemotherapy because hope for survival was so very low. My dad was certain that God’s love would bring him to a better life – that death was not the worst thing possible. But a dear friend convinced him that my mother and the rest of us needed him to try. As it was, my father fought the disease and every possible painful, itchy, choking and humiliating side effect possible of the chemotherapy available in 1984 for the next 15 months.
We all know how really unfair life can be. Jacob’s struggle throughout the night made him permanently lame. Jesus’ action to cure a man caught in madness caused the leaders to link him to evil. My dad watched what he ate, exercised and was a loving father and devout Catholic.
Jacob did not condemn the attacker but asked for his blessing. My dad tried – and was discouraged at times because of the awfulness of what he went through – but he never despaired. Jesus’ concern was not for himself but for those in need out of his love of them and his love of God. In the stories in Genesis we see dramatic instances of God breaking through into human history. In Jesus we see God choosing to become part of human history. In my dad and countless others who cling to God in spite of illness, adversity, injustice, tragedy, cruelty, addictions, we see God upholding humans in history.
Action
Our faith assures us that God, a God of power and majesty, has overcome sin and death through the place of choosing to be powerless. In moments of our own powerlessness, we can forge a deeper relationship with God who understands and is moved with pity for us.
In what way are we powerless? Pray to turn over that sense of powerlessness to God. Who do we see around us who are powerless? In what way is God asking us to be laborers in God’s own harvest for those in need?
