Word to the Wise
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 - Tuesday in the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 32:23-33 and Matt 9:32-38]You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.
JULY 9, 2013 ST. JOHN OF COLOGNE, O.P. AND COMPANIONS, martyrs
[ Scriptures may vary at Dominican locations.]
We learn today where the name "Israel" comes from! Jacob receives this name after his wrestling match with God! A change of name can mean a change of status in the bible! Abram changes to Abraham. Jacob changes to Israel. Simon changes to Peter! Saul changes to Paul! I am acquainted personally with people who have changed their names. And, of course, most brides experience this when they marry! That is indeed a change of status and "mission."
The wrestling match with God should not surprise us. Many of us have to struggle with important decisions. I recall my own "wrestling" with God as a college student reluctant to give up my plans and go to religious life! Moses would later become my patron in this because of his own struggles with God at the burning bush and later on as well! Perhaps we might find the image of "elbow wrestling" easier to imagine, but at least we should remember that God doesn't mind us wrestling with God. It's a sign of the importance of the persons involved and the decision to be made! Grace can be unsettling and combative at times! AMEN