MONDAY, FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Gn 28: 10-22 Ps 91: 1-4, 14-15 Mt 9: 18-26
FROM JACOB TO ISRAEL
Today’s first reading presents us with the compelling story of Jacob, later renamed Israel, meaning “the one who struggles with God and prevails.” As the father of twelve sons whose descendants formed the twelve tribes of Israel, his life marks a pivotal moment in salvation history. Yet his journey begins in deception: his very name, Jacob, means “heel-grabber,” foreshadowing his nature as he enters the world clutching his elder twin Esau’s heel. Driven by ambition, Jacob manipulates his brother, trading a bowl of stew for the sacred birthright, revealing a man who values ends over means. How often do we, like Jacob, justify our actions by the desired outcome rather than the righteousness of the path?
But God meets us in our brokenness. Fleeing from Esau’s wrath, Jacob encounters the Divine in a mysterious dream at Bethel – of a ladder bridging heaven and earth. It is interesting to note that while Abraham received God’s call at seventy-five, Jacob receives it in his youth. This begs the question: Does God delay His call, or do we delay our listening? Perhaps Heaven’s voice is constant, and it is we who, in our human frailty, take time to attune our hearts. For Jacob, divine encounter comes at his lowest point, when his schemes have left him homeless and hunted. Yet in that moment of surrender, his life is irrevocably transformed.
Jacob’s dream at Bethel finds its fulfilment in Christ. No longer must we yearn for symbolic visions, for God Himself has descended in Jesus, the true “stairway to heaven.” Our call is simpler than Jacob’s: not to dream, but to follow. To walk where Christ walks, to love as He loves, and to trust that even our struggles can become sacred encounters when surrendered to God’s grace. Thus, ask yourself today: Where is God meeting you in your struggles? How might He be calling you, as He did Jacob, to move from self-reliance to faith? Have you found your fulfilment in Christ yet?
Response: O my God, I trust in you.
Copyright ©2025 ©Springs of Living Water http://springs.carmelmedia.in