Wrestling with Compassion

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess the scope of our compassion and care and wrestle with the prompting of the Spirit to extend our compassion to those in need.

Moved to Compassion

The reading from the Book of Genesis describes the origin of Jacob’s New Name.

* [32:23–33] As Jacob crosses over to the land promised him, worried about the impending meeting with Esau, he encounters a mysterious adversary in the night with whom he wrestles until morning. The cunning Jacob manages to wrest a blessing from the night stranger before he departs. There are folkloric elements in the tale—e.g., the trial of the hero before he can return home, the nocturnal demon’s loss of strength at sunrise, the demon protecting its river, the power gained by knowledge of an opponent’s name—but these have been worked into a coherent though elliptical narrative. The point of the tale seems to be that the ever-striving, ever-grasping Jacob must eventually strive with God to attain full possession of the blessing.

* [32:25] A man: as with Abraham’s three visitors in chap. 18, who appear sometimes as three, two, and one (the latter being God), this figure is fluid; he loses the match but changes Jacob’s name (v. 29), an act elsewhere done only by God (17:5, 15). A few deft narrative touches manage to express intimate contact with Jacob while preserving the transcendence proper to divinity.

* [32:29] Israel: the first part of the Hebrew name Yisrael is given a popular explanation in the word saritha, “you contended”; the second part is the first syllable of ’elohim, “divine beings.” The present incident, with a similar allusion to the name Israel, is referred to in Hos 12:5, where the mysterious wrestler is explicitly called an angel.

* [32:31] Peniel: a variant of the word Penuel (v. 32), the name of a town on the north bank of the Jabbok in Gilead (Jgs 8:8–9, 17; 1 Kgs 12:25). The name is explained as meaning “the face of God,” peni-’el. Yet my life has been spared: see note on 16:13. (Genesis, CHAPTER 32|USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 17 is a lament of an individual unjustly attacked.

* [Psalm 17] A lament of an individual unjustly attacked. Confident of being found innocent, the psalmist cries out for God’s just judgment (Ps 17:1–5) and requests divine help against enemies (Ps 17:6–9a). Those ravenous lions (Ps 17:9b–12) should be punished (Ps 17:13–14). The Psalm ends with a serene statement of praise (Ps 17:15). The Hebrew text of Ps 17:3–4, 14 is uncertain. (Psalms, PSALM 17|USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims the Healing of a Mute Person through the Compassion of Jesus.

* [9:32–34] The source of this story seems to be Q (see Lk 11:14–15). As in the preceding healing of the blind, Matthew has two versions of this healing, the later in Mt 12:22–24 and the earlier here.

* [9:34] This spiteful accusation foreshadows the growing opposition to Jesus in Mt 11 and 12.

* [9:35] See notes on Mt 4:23–25; Mt 8:1–9:38.

* [9:36] See Mk 6:34; Nm 27:17; 1 Kgs 22:17.

* [9:37–38] This Q saying (see Lk 10:2) is only imperfectly related to this context. It presupposes that only God (the master of the harvest) can take the initiative in sending out preachers of the gospel, whereas in Matthew’s setting it leads into Mt 10 where Jesus does so. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Mag­gie Knight asks how often do we, too, find our­selves wrestling with God – inte­ri­or­ly, in prayer, in our ques­tions, in the silence of uncer­tain­ty?

Per­haps we need not fear meet­ing God in the dark.  Per­haps some nights of wrestling are invi­ta­tions.  Some­times, per­haps God meets us in the strug­gle to bless us through it. 

Today, let us be more mind­ful of the ways God draws near us in our soli­tude, in our wrestling.  Are we will­ing to stay with Him long enough to receive what He offers?  May we have the courage to ask for His bless­ing – and the humil­i­ty to wel­come the change it brings. (Knight, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Freedom and healing in Christ,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"In the deaf and dumb and demoniac appear the need of the Gentiles for a complete healing. Beleaguered on all sides by misfortune, they were associated with all types of the body's infirmities. And in this regard a proper order of things is observed. For the devil is first cast out; then the other bodily benefits follow suit. With the folly of all superstitions put to flight by the knowledge of God, sight and hearing and words of healing are introduced. The declaration of the onlookers followed their admiration over what took place: 'Never has the like been seen in Israel.' Indeed, he whom the law could not help was made well by the power of the Word, and the deaf and dumb man spoke the praises of God. Deliverance has been given to the Gentiles. All the towns and all the villages are enlightened by the power and presence of Christ, and the people are freed from every impairment of the timeless malady. (excerpt from ON MATTHEW 9.10) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 9:32-38 comments that we live in an era that prizes skepticism about anything we can’t explain scientifically. At the same time, many of us carry past hurts and disappointments stemming from times when we felt sure that God would come to our aid, only to be let down. Setbacks like these can make us cynical and hesitant to trust in the Lord again.

Jesus is still active today! He is still working miracles. Don’t let suspicion or fear cloud your vision. Try to set aside your doubts. If you ask, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes. He will start healing your wounded heart. Even if you don’t fully understand how, he will help you rest in the assurance that he is near, always inviting you to see his goodness.

“Lord, open my eyes and my heart!” (Meditation on Matthew 9:32-38, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Genesis 32 places Jacob in the ancestral home where he has two concubines and children as he gets ready to meet Esau. Does he encounter an angel or God? He is named Israel as he fights with God and receives a new name, in contrast to the liar, the grasper, in Jeremiah the deceiver, Israel refers to Jacob when he does not lie. When Jesus meets Nathaniel, a true Israelite, he is recognized as an honest man. An etiology explains not eating the sciatic muscle. The limp of Israel is respected. Friar Jude notes that driving the demon is out of a man, Jesus observes they are sheep without a shepherd God with priests who had rejected the Lord Jesus to lead them in the right path.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Debie Thomas who considers how Jonah’s story challenges our notions of God’s mercy. After hearing Jonah’s complaints, God asks, “What right do you have to get angry?” (Jonah 4:9). Thomas comments: 

To Jonah, then, God’s question is a ridiculous one. Of course he has a right to be angry. Isn’t it right to be angry that God’s mercy extends to killers? Isn’t it right to be angry when people who break the rules don’t get the comeuppance they deserve? Isn’t it right to be angry about a grace so reckless and wasteful that it challenges our most cherished assumptions about justice? 

All too often, we are also left to wrestle with the scandalous goodness of God, a goodness that calls us to become instruments of grace even to those who offend us most deeply. God’s goodness gently probes beneath our pieties and asks why we often prefer vindication to rehabilitation—prison cells and death sentences to hospitality and compassion. It exposes our smallness and stinginess, our reluctance to embrace the radical kinship God calls us to embrace. Why do we grab at the second chances God gives us, even as we deny those second chances to others? God’s goodness dares us to do the braver and riskier thing: to hold out for the hearts of those who belong to God, whether we like them or not. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to enlighten our mission to be truth, faith, compassion, and love in our environment.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 32|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/32?23 

Knight, M. (n.d.). Dai­ly Reflec­tion. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-8-2025 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?32 

Meditation on Matthew 9:32-38. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/07/08/1327720/ 

Psalms, PSALM 17|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/17?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jonahs-anger-and-our-own/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Never Seen Anything like This. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul8 

Working in Persecution

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that the message of truth, love, and compassion from Christ is counter cultural and likely to draw us into persecution by the powers of the world.

Prayer and Persecution

In the reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, he denounces his persecutors.

* [20:7] You seduced me: Jeremiah accuses the Lord of having deceived him; cf. 15:18. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)

 

Psalm 18 is a Royal Thanksgiving for Victory.

* [Psalm 18] A royal thanksgiving for a military victory, duplicated in 2 Sm 22. Thanksgiving Psalms are in essence reports of divine rescue. The Psalm has two parallel reports of rescue, the first told from a heavenly perspective (Ps 18:5–20), and the second from an earthly perspective (Ps 18:36–46). The first report adapts old mythic language of a cosmic battle between sea and rainstorm in order to depict God’s rescue of the Israelite king from his enemies. Each report has a short hymnic introduction (Ps 18:2–4, 32–36) and conclusion (Ps 18:21–31, 47–50). (Psalms, PSALM 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus  implores the Pharisees to believe the works.

* [10:34] This is a reference to the judges of Israel who, since they exercised the divine prerogative to judge (Dt 1:17), were called “gods”; cf. Ex 21:6, besides Ps 82:6 from which the quotation comes.

* [10:36] Consecrated: this may be a reference to the rededicated altar at the Hanukkah feast; see note on Jn 10:22. (John, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

George Butterfield comments that Jeremiah has a thing or two to say to those Prosperity Gospel preachers. Everything will be just rosy, if you trust in God.

Whenever I think of Jeremiah I am reminded of the prosperity Gospel. If you trust in God, you will be healthy and wealthy. Jeremiah trusted in God, and it got him nothing but misery. Of God, Jeremiah says, “he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” Jeremiah was found to be telling the truth. The nation fell to the Babylonians. Almost everyone but the poorest were carted off to Babylon. You would think that Jeremiah would be celebrated as a true prophet of the Lord. Well, against his advice, the people in the land fled to Egypt and forced Jeremiah to go with them. Eventually they couldn’t handle the truth, so they killed him. Healthy and wealthy? No – dead! (Butterfield, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “The sacrifice of Christ,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Even though the man Christ Jesus, in the form of God together with the Father with whom He is one God, accepts our sacrifice, nonetheless He has chosen in the form of a servant to be the sacrifice rather than to accept it. Therefore, He is the priest Himself Who presents the offering, and He Himself is what is offered." (excerpt from City of God, 10,20) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 10:31-42 comments that we have our own plans and ideas for how life ought to be or how our prayers ought to be answered. And when those plans or ideas don’t come to fruition, it can cause us to stumble. Maybe it’s a job that falls through, a loved one who dies suddenly, or a relationship that begins to crumble. Despite all the good things we have received from our Father, doubt can creep in. We fail to see Jesus, who stands with us faithfully through the good and the bad.

But what if, in these moments, we paused and asked, “I know what I want in this situation, but how is God working here? Where is Jesus trying to meet me?” What if we asked the Lord to open our eyes and help us see his presence in all things and in all of our circumstances? When we let go of our tight grip on what we think God ought to be doing, we make room for his Spirit to surprise us and show us how he is already at work.

You can be confident that Jesus is with you and working in your life, even when you can’t see how. He is your rock and fortress (Psalm 18:3). Today, ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of renewed sight. Ask him to remove the blinders of your expectations. He will help you to see more clearly. And he will move you to rejoice in the ways he is already present and working.

“Lord, open my eyes to your works and your presence with me!” (Meditation on John 10:31-42, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the spiritual difficulty expressed by Jeremiah as he ponders that the consequence of attending to God’s Plan has brought him to calls for his death as a traitor. The dialogue of Jesus with the Pharisees reveals the difference between the prophet or hero “Son of God” and the metaphysical Son that Jesus declares for Himself. Friar Jude reminds us of the declaration of the Baptist that Jesus is the true “Lamb” and “servant” of God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author and podcaster Cassidy Hall who explores the desert as a metaphor for difficult times in our lives. Through desert experiences, we learn to care more deeply for ourselves and the world:  

The deserts are many. Chosen and unchosen desert encounters have opened me up to see and experience more room within myself for the whole world—to carry myself, the beloved, and the world with open hands; with compassionate, vulnerable, and tender acceptance. From here, I recognize my capacity for action in the world with deeper clarity about who I am and what I am to speak—or show up to….  

In the spaciousness of solitude, we open ourselves up to the truth of ourselves. We more deeply root, examine, shed, and soften. Even in the desert moments of daily life, we are invited into renewal, when the wonder of uncertainty meets a sacred pause amid a busy day. And almost always, the desert spaces are places and moments of paradox: knowing amid the unknowing, refreshment in the parched places, life amid death, fecundity in the barrenness, midnight blooming, and acceptance of seasons. (Rohr, n.d.)

When we encounter disappointment, confusion, and dismissal we are invited to seek the wisdom of the Spirit and continue to persevere in love as companions of Jesus.

References

Butterfield, G. (2025, April 11). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/041125.html 

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/20?10 

John, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10?31 

Meditation on John 10:31-42. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/11/1245124/ 

Psalms, PSALM 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/18?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Deserts in Our Lives. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-deserts-in-our-lives/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Am the Son of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr11