Saturday, July 5, 2025

Blessing and Fasting

Comments on the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today.


Food for Inspiration


The Reading from Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29 describes Jacob’s Deception.


* [27:145] The chapter, a literary masterpiece, is the third and climactic wresting away of the blessing of Esau. Rebekah manages the entire affair, using perhaps her privileged information about Jacob’s status (25:23); Jacob’s only qualm is that if his father discovers the ruse, he will receive a curse instead of a blessing (vv. 1112). Isaac is passive as he was in chaps. 22 and 24. The deception is effected through clothing (Jacob wears Esau’s clothing), which points ahead to a similar deception of a patriarch by means of clothing in the Joseph story (37:2133). Such recurrent acts and scenes let the reader know a divine purpose is moving the story forward even though the human characters are unaware of it. (Genesis, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB, n.d.)



Psalm 135 is an invitation to praise God.


* [Psalm 135] The hymn begins and ends with an invitation to praise God (Ps 135:13, 1920) for the great act of choosing Israel (Ps 135:4). The story of Israel’s emergence as a people is told in Ps 135:514; God created and redeemed the people, easily conquering all opposition. God’s defeat of hostile powers means that the powers themselves and their images are useless (Ps 135:1518). The last three verses appear also in Ps 115:48. (Psalms, PSALM 135 | USCCB, n.d.)




The Gospel of Matthew presents The Question About Fasting.


* [9:15] Fasting is a sign of mourning and would be as inappropriate at this time of joy, when Jesus is proclaiming the kingdom, as it would be at a marriage feast. Yet the saying looks forward to the time when Jesus will no longer be with the disciples visibly, the time of Matthew’s church. Then they will fast: see Didache 8:1.

* [9:1617] Each of these parables speaks of the unsuitability of attempting to combine the old and the new. Jesus’ teaching is not a patching up of Judaism, nor can the gospel be contained within the limits of Mosaic law. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)







Rev. Rash­mi Fer­nan­do, SJ shares the Daily Reflection July 5, 2025


https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul5      


Don Schwager The Day Will Come When They Will Fast



Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for July 5, 2025



Liberation and Justice: Weekly Summary


Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, presents a summary of Liberation and Justice.



References

Genesis, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/23?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?14 

Psalms, PSALM 135 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/135?1 


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