Courage on the Journey

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are set in a background of a journey. The challenge for disciples of Jesus on our journey is often in the degree to which we put our trust in God. In the Book of Genesis, Jacob is fleeing from Esau, his brother, from whom he stole the birthright blessing of their father Isaac. As Friar Jude Winkler comments, we can find some unsavory aspects in Jacob and some attitudes which we practice today in our relationship with God. The deal maker, Jacob, is offering God his conditional allegiance. If you protect me, I will follow you. In the Gospel from Matthew, the miracle of healing the daughter of Jairus told by Mark is shaped by Matthew to be one of reanimation of the girl who has already died. The thrust of the writing in Matthew is to declare the Divinity of Jesus. The detail of whether Jesus is made unclean by being touched by the woman with the hemorrhage is edited to avoid describing the actual touch. The journey of each person is unique. The message of Sacred Scripture is understood by those who seek regardless of their place in the spiritual order or past experiences. We meditate on the observations of Barbara Dilly as we read the protection verses from Psalm 91