The Strange Ways of Divine Providence.
"When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “Son!” “Yes, father!” he replied. Isaac then said, “As you can see, I am so old that I may now die at any time.
"Take your gear, therefore—your quiver and bow—and go out into the country to hunt some game for me. With your catch prepare an appetizing dish for me, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my special blessing before I die.”
Rebekah had been listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. So, when Esau went out into the country to hunt some game for his father, Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau that she had in the house, and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear; and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands and the hairless parts of his neck.
"Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish and the bread she had prepared.
"Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, “Father!” “Yes?” replied Isaac. “Which of my sons are you?”
"Jacob answered his father: “I am Esau, your first-born. I did as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your special blessing.”
"But Isaac asked, “How did you succeed so quickly, son?”
"He answered, “The Lord, your God, let things turn out well with me.”
"Isaac then said to Jacob, “Come closer, son, that I may feel you, to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not.”
"So Jacob moved up closer to his father. When Isaac felt him, he said, “Although the voice is Jacob’s, the hands are Esau’s.”
"(He failed to identify him because his hands were hairy, like those of his brother Esau; so in the end he gave him his blessing.)
"Again he asked Jacob, “Are you really my son Esau?”
“Certainly,” Jacob replied.
"Then Isaac said, “Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it and then give you my blessing.”
"Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate; he brought him wine, and he drank. Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob,
“Come closer, son, and kiss me.” As Jacob went up and kissed him, Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes. With that, he blessed him saying,
“Ah, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that the Lord has blessed!
“May God give to you of the dew of the heavens. And of the fertility of the earth abundance of grain and wine.
“Let peoples serve you, and nations pay you homage; Be master of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you.” (Genesis 27: 1 - 5, 15 - 29).
Saturday July 8th 2023 in 13th Week of Ordinary Time. Let us honor the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Mediatrix of All graces.
(Is Rebecca a type and shadow of the Blessed Virgin Mary in our First Reading today? St Louis Marie de Monfort thinks so).
The story of how Jacob "duped" Isaac of his birth right makes an interesting reading anytime. Charactererizing this event as duping is not to understand the role of the powerful, merciful and mysterious Divine Providence in creation and in human history and in incident.
Jacob has been chosen before the world began as part of the chronology of Jesus Christ.
There are no Accidents in history. Everything is Divine Providence.
God says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55: 8 - 9).
July is the Month the Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
For Devotion, Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and other prayers, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/04/devotion-to-most-precious-blood-of.html?m=1
No comments:
Post a Comment
23-Psalm1to2