Bible Study on Samson Part 3

This will be the final installment on my reflections regarding Samson and Jesus.  As I had re-read through chapter 16, I had realized that Delilah, whom Samson loved dearly, had asked Samson 3 different times to tell him the secret behind his great strength.  Finally he gives in and tells her.  Can you imagine how hurt he may have been?  Someone who he so greatly loves is trying to give him over.  I instantly think of when Peter denied Jesus 3 times during the Passion.  Jesus and Samson both had experienced the betrayal of loved ones.

Finally, Samson does tell Delilah the secret to his strength.  At this point, don't you think that he was on to her plan?  Do you think he knew that she was going to give him over to the Philistines?  In giving her the secret to his strength, I think that he was then actively taking a chance that he could wind up being taken over by the Philistines.  This reminds me of Jesus, who allowed Judas to kiss him in the Garden, to be handed over to his captors.  Jesus, being God himself, could've stopped all efforts to arrest him, but instead he surrendered to God the Father's plan.  Recall Judges 14:4 "Now his (Samson's) father and mother did not know this had been brought about by the Lord, who was providing an opportunity against the Philistines; for at that time they had dominion over Israel".  In this situation between Samson and Delilah, God is providing an opportunity for Samson to defeat the Philistines and save Israel from their dominion.

As the Philistines capture Samson, Delilah and the men "mistreat" Samson, they gauge out his eyes, then they continue to mock him and laugh at him.  Sound familiar?  The soldiers beat Jesus, they crowned him with thorns so as to mock him, they spit on him and laugh at him as he is prepared for the Crucifixion.  Samson is stationed between two columns in the temple, just as Jesus is "stationed" on two wooden beams, forming a cross.  Samson cries out to God, then gives his life in an act of sacrifice, as he pulls the columns of the temple down upon everyone there.  Jesus cries out to God and gives himself over as a sacrifice for His People.  Samson physically rips chains and destroys the temple of his captors, the Philistines.  Christ destroys the chains of death as He allowed the temple of His body to be torn and given to all.  Recall John 2:13-21.  Jesus is speaking to the Jews in the temple and he prophesied that he would, "destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."  John adds, "But he was speaking about the temple of his body".  Jesus allowed the temple of his body to be destroyed as a sacrifice.  Now this is where the story differs from that of Samson's: Jesus DOES rebuild the temple of his body in the Resurrection. 

How does this have to do with Advent and Christmas?  Well, just as Samson was born and was consecrated for the Lord, God had a purpose for his life - to free the Israelites from the Philistines through Samson's sacrifice of himself.  Jesus was born and was consecrated to God in the Presentation of the Temple.  Later, his whole life was given for us in the mysteries of His Death and Resurrection.  Jesus' birth looks forward to His Death, when he would defeat death for our sake so that he could be with us not only here on earth, but in Heaven, in perfect communion with Him forever. 

Come Lord Jesus - maranatha!

Bible Study of Samson Part 2

Ok, so there are some similarities to the story of Samson's conception to Jesus' conception.  The obvious is that an angel of the Lord appears to both mothers to announce the conception of a son.  Both of these sons are to be "set apart", Samson being "consecrated to God" and Jesus being "the son of the Most High".  It is clear from this first announcement that both of these sons are destined to be a big part of God's plan for salvation.  Both of these conceptions are miraculous, as God makes lifeless wombs full of life. 

These two stories are different, too.  Manoah's wife (who is not named) does not seem to fully believe what the angel tells her.  She goes to tell her husband about it, and he seems to want further explanation.  Mary, though, accepts the angel's words in faith and whole heartedly commits to the Will of the Father. 

Another thing to take note of is, in Samson's story, how the angel tells his soon to be mother to "not eat of anything that comes from the vine, nor take wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean".  By doing this, the angel wants Manoah's wife to make herself pure by fasting from these things. This purity is needed as she will be carrying a child in her womb who will be consecrated to God.  Mary, though, did not have to make herself pure in order to carry Jesus in her womb.  By way of her Immaculate Conception, Mary was already free from all sin, thus making her a pure vessel to carry "the son of the Most High", Jesus who is God-made-man. 

Later on, we see that Samson wishes to marry a Philistine.  During the wedding feast, his wife betrays him and tells the Philistinian men the answer to the riddle.  He is betrayed by someone whom he loves deeply (much like Jesus is betrayed by Judas).  So this is what incites his anger, and his anger is toward all Philistines.  After the ensuing conflict that takes place in chapter 15, the Philistines capture Samson and bound him up.  We read that "the spirit of the Lord came upon him" and he is unbound.  Then, by his mere physical strength, Samson kills a thousand men with the "jawbone of an ass".  An ass is a donkey, which is a rather small animal, and Samson is able to kill many men with it.  Quite ironic if you think about it.  This unusual physical strength of Samson to defeat his captors points toward the spiritual strength of Christ, which we will see foreshadowed even more clearly in chapter 16 of Judges.  Then we read that Samson became a judge for Israel, which at that time, meant that he was a leader in Israel, a man of authority. 

What we read next in chapter 16 is really quite amazing.  Samson's strength is illustrated further.  So as you read chapter 16 today, answer these questions:

1.  Poor Samson once again is hurt by the woman he loves. What parallels do you see between this account of Samson's capture and death and Jesus' passion and death? (For an account of Jesus' passion and death, read Matthew 26:47 through 27:51)
2. Read John 2:13-21.  How does this relate to what you read about Samson in Judges chapter 16?

Come Holy Spirit!  More to come tomorrow...

A Bible Study on Samson

I just have to say that I love the Old Testament, and I fall even more in love with it during Advent.  Back when I was in college, I found a Scripture Study to follow during Advent that pointed out all the messianic prophesies in the Old Testament (prophesies that pointed to the coming of Jesus).  It's exciting because all these prophesies come true in Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death and Resurrection.  It's also exciting to study all the different "types" of Jesus or Mary, as we studied this past semester at Women of the Word how Esther and Judith are "types" of Mary (a "type" is a biblical person, event, or thing that has it's own identity yet at the same time points forward to another person, event or thing in the Bible).  I have shared this many times at WOW, but it is awe-inspiring how the Old Testament was written thousands of years before the coming of Jesus.  The authors of the Old Testament had no way of knowing the intricate details that would surround the life of the Messiah, yet, somehow, their writings point toward and foreshadow Jesus' life.  It is proof that while the Bible was written by human authors, the Holy Spirit was indeed inspiring them as He knew of God's wonderful plan of Salvation. 

Now, I wanted to write this wonderful theological post about one of these "types" but I think, in the spirit of Women of the Word, I will allow you to read the story yourself and answer these questions first.  Tomorrow (or the day after, since some days time just ruuunnnsss away from me, can you relate?!  Hehe!) I will go through the story and make some observations.

Today I would like to focus on one of my favorite Bible stories.  It is the story of Samson. Samson's story is found in Judges chapter 13 through chapter 16.  Today we will just focus on chapters 13 through 15.  So, grab your Bible, find some place quiet, and give yourself half an hour to an hour to dive into this story!  And don't forget to invoke the Holy Spirit!  Then answer these questions:

Read Judges chapters 13 through 15
1. In what ways are Samson's conception and Jesus' similar? (Jesus' account is found in Luke 1:26-56).  In what ways are they different?
2. Take note of Judges 14:4.  The Philistines had taken "dominion" over Israel, meaning they "ruled" over Israel at this time.  Israel was not "their own" nation. 
3. At the end of chapter 14, verse 19 is says, "Then he went off to his own family in anger."  Why was Samson angry?
4. In chapter 15, Samson is angry that his wife was given to another man, so he sets out to ruin the Philistines vineyards among other things.  He incites conflict between the Philistines and the tribe of Judah (a tribe of Israel).  The Philistines finally capture Samson and bind him up.  What is so striking about verses 14 through 16?  Can you think of a way that this might point to Jesus? 

Ok, look forward to more questions on chapter 16 tomorrow!

The Faithful and Loving Daughter in Law

The story of Naomi and Ruth comes to us as a refreshing breeze after having encounter a more complex and difficult interaction between two other Biblical women, Rachel and Leah from whom we learned a great deal couple weeks ago. No story in the Bible is useless or just
there to fill in a gap, but to show universal human weakness and God’s even greater love and mercy for humanity.

How many times in our own lives we have faced situations where we are so focus on the here and now, that we are unable to look at the bigger picture. Then after some time or maybe after many years, when we looked back at the events, we understand that God who always has the bigger picture in mind, was at work all along and that indeed “...all things work together for
good for those who love God” as Romans 8:28 says. So we have the advantage to have this powerful story in the book of Ruth of the beautiful relationship between Naomi and her daughter in-law, recorded with such detail so that we can learn and be inspired by it. Our all
powerful and mighty God, is also a very personal loving Father who desires to show us his love even in the smallest details of our lives as we will see in this story. Last week we looked at a specific jewish family whose circumstances (famine) prompted their departure from
Bethlehem to the country of Moab. Lilian introduced us to their story and beautifully portrayed to us the character of Naomi; the kind of mother in-law she was, and the extraordinary relationship she had with Ruth.

Today, we will focused on Ruth. There are indeed so many things we can learn from her, but I will like to focus on couple of them: true friendship-mentor relationship and obedience and how it applies to us.

Her very name, Ruth, means in Hebrew FRIENDSHIP. In the book of Sirach ch 6:14-17 we find a beautiful description of a True Friendship and reads: “Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter whoever finds one finds a treasure.Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can
balance their worth. Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; those who fear God will find them. Those who fear the Lord enjoy stable friendship, for as they are, so will their neighbors
be.”
The relationship that Ruth had with Naomi began through association. She had married one of Naomi’s
sons. By then, Naomi was already a widow as we see on ch 1:3, her husband Elimelech had died, v.4-5 tells us that then, her sons married Moabite wives and “when they had lived there about 10 years”, both sons die as well. So Ruth becomes a widow herself. As we continue to read the story on v.6-14 to the point where Naomi decides to go back to Bethlehem and tries to persuade both daughters in-law to return to their families, you can just feel the emotions they are dealing with: sorrow, agony, turmoil, but also love, deep love for one another. However, we see a difference in the way each daughter in-law responded. Orpah, who also loved Naomi, decides to “go back to her people and to her gods..” v15. But Ruth goes on to declare her final decision to go with Naomi back to Bethlehem. She will be now, the one to leave not only
her people and country, but her gods. I will like to stop here and ponder for a moment on
those 10 years that Ruth spent been part of Naomi’s family. At that time, families lived together sharing the same roof, and been foreigners in a new land, they probably sticked together even more. So those must have been some good years that helped Ruth to find in Naomi, that kind of friend the book of Sirach mentions and viceversa. I will suggest that Naomi probably became a mentor to Ruth teaching her about the jewish traditions and expectations of being a wife etc,
in spite of her own sorrow of seen her son marrying a foreigner which was not the custom.
During those years, Ruth not only began to feel part of the family, but she might have also experienced a deep conversion of heart towards Yahweh, the jewish God. How did this happen? Well, we can only speculate, for we don’t have details of those 10 years, but we do
have Ruth’s powerful words and behavior that testifies to that conversion that allowed her to leave behind her family, people and gods:* v. 16-17“Do not press me to go back and abandon you! Wherever you go I will go,wherever you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Where you die I will die,and there be buried. May the LORD do thus to me, and more, if even death separates me from you!” These strong words, are not just a poetic phrase or loving wishes, but express a deep conviction of a conversion that might had been going on for a while and now was confirmed through her decision. Ruth’s words echo God’s own words and desire for us as Jeremiah says in ch 31:33b “I will be their God, and
they shall be my people”. In 1 Peter 2:10 says: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people…”
I’ll like to reaffirm what Lilian mentioned last week that Naomi was the bridge that helped Ruth to come to know God by her own personal daily witness. I will add, that her own husband’s love for her might have had something to do with it as well. The way he must have treated her on a daily basis could have gaving her the confidence later on to go with her mother in-law
back to Bethlehem and not fear other jewish men. As Ruth’s husband dies, she now had something else in common with Naomi as well, widowhood. Their mutual
grief must have drawn them even closer to one another.
I can relate to some extent to Ruth’s situation of been married to a foreigner. I’m Mexican, and my husband is American. When you get married, there are enoughchallenges you go through by just trying to adapt to living with someone of the opposite sex, so if you add to that been of different race and culture, things can get very interesting. In my case, I had lived in the
States for some years, before I got married, that helped me get adapted to the culture. However, what made the biggest difference were the Christian relationships I had with other godly women who mentored me while I was away from home, before I got married, and my own mother’s influence and formation in my early years. Even now, I rely a lot on
the support, help, prayers and friendship of my dear Christian friends from whom I continue to learn every day.
We all have a window of opportunity each day to make a profound impact in those we meet or know, to affect their lives for the good. God wants EVERYONE to come to know him personally and we are his voice, his hands and feet. The call of the New Evangelization by our soon to be St. John Paul II, is precisely that, that we become Christ wherever we are so that we can draw all men to him. Naomi’s life did precisely that, and bore tremendous fruit in the life of Ruth.

Now, we know that obedience means following someone’s commands or directions of; or behaving in accordance with. St. Francis of Sales in his book, “The Introduction to the Devout Life”, makes some good distinctions about obedience that will help us to appreciate even more Ruth’s example, and will shine some light into our own lives and how are we doing in regards to obedience. He begins by saying: “Charity alone places us in perfection. But the three great means of attaining to it are obedience, chastity and poverty. Obedience consecrates our heart, chastity our body, and poverty our worldly means to the love and service of God. These are
the three branches of spiritual cross, and all have their foundation in the fourth, which is humility… Obedience may be either necessary or voluntary; by the former we obey our ecclesiastical superiors, i.e. the Pope, our bishop, parish priest and their delegates: the
civil authorities, officials, magistrates and so on: also those over us in the home, i.e.father, mother, or in the case of servants, a master or mistress. We call such obedience necessary because no one is exempt from the duty of obeying those whom God has placed in authority
over us, to direct and rule us in their own particular sphere. We must, then, of necessity, obey their commands; but to be perfect, we must also take their advice, and even fall in with their wishes, so far as charity and prudence allow. We should obey orders which are pleasing, for example, to eat or take recreation, for though obedience seems no great virtue in such circumstances, it would be wrong to disobey; we should also obey in indifferent matters,
for example with regard to what we wear, in taking one road rather than another, in singing or being silent, such obedience being very praiseworthy; but our obedience will be perfect when exercised in difficult, unpleasing and hard matters. Obey meekly without answering back; readily and without delay; cheerfully without grumbling; but above all lovingly, for Him who for our sakes became obedient even unto the death of the Cross, and who, says St. Bernard, preferred losing His life to being disobedient…. Voluntary obedience, is that to which we bind ourselves by our own choice and will…” St. Francis ends this section by saying: “Happy are those who are obedient, for God will not suffer them to go astray. In my own personal experience, specially as a teenager, obedience to my mom was hard. I had to understand the “why of everything”. At that time, I was very involved in my Parish youth group where I was one of the leaders. I loved the Lord and wanted to serve him, but I had my struggles obeying at home. So one summer, my mom decided to work with me in that area. She warned me that there will be times when I will ask her permission to do something or go out with my friends, and that she
will say NO for no reason. At first, I thought that was going to be easy, but I found out pretty soon that it was not the case. It became easier as I recognized my proudfull attitude and I began to ask the Lord to help me be content with my mom’s decision. That experience has helped me many times over throughout the years, even now in my marriage. There has been times when my husband has decided to not let me do certain things, even when they were good things, and I have had to submit and trust his judgement. As we continue with the story of Ruth, lets keep in mind what I just read about the two types of obedience and we will see that she is a good example of one who practiced both: necessary and voluntary. Lets go back to chapter 2 when they are already in Bethlehem during harvest time. We already see Ruth’s character been generous, loyal, and loving. She is also strong and serene, able to take unusual risks and
dealing actively with the consequences of their situation: they needed to eat to survive.
Naomi knew the Mosaic laws and urge Ruth to follow the harvesters and “glean”, or gather, what they left behind. So she tells Naomi: v.2 “I would like to go and glean grain in
the field of anyone who will allow me.” Naomi said to her, “Go
ahead, my daughter.” The laws of Moses directed landowners to leave some of
the harvest behind for the “poor and alien”. Ruth, as a Moabite with no one to support her, fit both categories. Harvesters were not to reap to the very edges of their fields, nor were they to go over a field a second time to pick up what was missed the first time. This grain was to
be left for the poor (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22).This “welfare system,” set up by Moses, took care of the needy by encouraging the richer landowners to share their bounty with those less fortunate. However, it was not a handout. the poor still had to work for their food. Imagine the kind of questions, concerns and insecurities Ruth must have had in her mind as she approach the fields. Would they really let me gather some grain? Could the law of Moses be true? Would they put her down for been a Moabite? Whatever her concerns, we can see in Ruth’s response complete trust and there she went following the instructions given to
her. In this chapter we also see God’s loving intervention by leading Ruth to the field of Boaz who was from the clan of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. This was no coincidence, but God at work, divinely preparing for Ruth and Naomi’s sustenance. Let us never assume that what happens in our lives is merely a matter of chance or coincidence. Remember: God is at work, divinely orchestrating events to bring about his purposes in our lives. Whatever concerns Ruth had, she put them aside and did what was told to do. She had no idea that people had already been talking about her to the extent that Boaz had been informed of what she had done for
Naomi and was very impressed by her actions, prompting him to give orders to his workers on v.15-16 “Let her glean among the sheaves themselves without scolding her,and even drop some handfuls and leave them for her to glean; do not rebuke her.” God’s provision was marvelous, providing Ruth with protection and abundance, that when she shared the news with Naomi v.19, she responded by saying: “May he be blessed by the LORD, who never fails to show kindness to the living and to the dead,” Ruth was now, beginning to experience first hand what Yahweh could do for her, and he was not done yet. On chapter 3, we see how Naomi’s desire to seek some security for her young and faithful daughter in-law, gives her specific instructions as to what to do next. In v.3-4 we read “This very night he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now, go bathe and anoint yourself; then put on your best attire and go down to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man before he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, take note of the place where he lies; then go uncover a place at his feet* and you lie down. He will then tell you what to do.” Once again we see in Ruth’s response a complete and sincere obedience v.5 “I will do whatever you say,” This reminds me of the same attitude our Blessed Mother had at the Annunciation: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word”, Lk 1:38. Ruth, also identifies herself as a “maidservant” to Boaz on ch 3:9. It is worth noting, Boaz’s character and honesty as well, all throughout the story. His actions in following the Mosaic law and later acknowledging the fact that he was not the closest relative to Elimelech, but that he will see to it that things were done right v13, gives us a glimpse into his heart and emotions. He wanted the best for this young Moabite he was starting to care for very much.
By the time we get to the end of the story on chapter 4, you must have felt relief, joy and thanksgiving to see God’s will been done in a perfect timely manner. What a happy ending, with everyone blessed beyond their own expectations. The good-hearted Boaz felt strong and young again as he married Ruth, who blessed him with a son. Was he ever grateful that Naomi and Ruth did not go their separate ways, but had such a beautiful relationship. None of them could have ever imagine how God was going to bless them and all of us as well. For their son
Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father Of David. In addition to being King David’s great-grandparents, both Boaz and Ruth are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth, who is after all, our own great Kinsman-Redeemer, uniting us to himself, healing our sorrows, and giving us, as well, a future full of hope.

Ruth’s obedience was a fertile ground for all the other beautiful virtues we saw in her throughout the story. She never tried to manipulate the circumstances or act
ahead relaying on her own wisdom, but she patiently waited and followed Naomi’s and Boaz’s directions. May God grants us a heart like Ruth’s and our Blessed Mother, full of loving trust and obedience.

Empty and Full

This talk was given by our team member, Lilian V.:

It is in the book of Ruth that we find Naomi.  This first chapter begins with a mystical , spiritual  tone.           Ruth 1:1-2

Long ago, in the days before Israel had a king, there was a famine in the land. So a man named Elimelech,   who belonged to the clan of Ephrath and who lived in Bethlehem in Judah went with his wife Naomi and their two sons Marlon and Chillion to live for a while in the country of Moab.

This reads like a beautiful bedtime story "long ago, in the days before Israel had a King".   The story of Naomi is a story of  love, loyalty, and redemption. It is a story of a mother-in-law Naomi and a daughter-in-law Ruth. The relationship between both of them. Naomi teaching by example about God and Ruth learning about the living God.  The book of Ruth underscores the theme of the Bible:  God desires all to believe in Him, even non-Israelites.

Elimelech was from the tribe of Judah.  Naomi was a pleasant and capable Jewish girl.  With their two sons they went to the land of Moab. They left behind their home of Bethlehem. The people in Bethlehem had turned away from their God. Everything was in chaos. The Mosaic Covenant( the 10 Commandments) were not followed. The people started the practice of worshipping pagan gods.  It was a time of lawless and a great famine. It was a dark time in Israel's history. Moab is located east of the Dead Sea. The Moabites were descends from Lot. We all remember Lot's forbidden relationship with his older daughter. Naomi and her husband were not planning to stay too long  in Moab. They were going into a pagan land far away from family and friends and leaving everything behind. I can only imagine how bad things were in Bethlehem. Deuteronomy 28:22-24 gives  a description of the famine.

The Lord will strike you with infectious diseases, with swelling and fever; he will send drought and scorching winds to destroy your crops.  These disasters will be with you until you die. No rain will fall and your ground will become as hard as iron. Instead of rain, the Lord will send down dust storms and sandstorms until you are destroyed.  (pause)

God is a good God but as we see many times, God's people disobeyed him.  Now,   in Moab, Naomi and her husband began to make a life  for themselves. Their two sons married Moabites women, Orpah and Ruth.   We can only  wonder how Naomi felt when her sons married pagan women? Did she try to tell them not to do it? did she question God?  Was she charitable toward her two daughters-in-law?  as we get to know Naomi,   we find out that she was a kind and loving mother-in-law. She had an unusual love and loyalty for her daughters-in-law.

Soon afterwards, Elimelech dies,  Naomi's sorrow was great. Some years later Naomi two sons die. She lost her sons but she also felt the pain of sorrow for Orpah and Ruth. Her two daughters-in-law were the only family she had in this land of Moab. Together they cried and comforted each other. We can almost feel the great pain all three wives were feeling. We as women have had times of sorrow. When times like this come into my life  I Pray, Psalm 22

Leave your troubles with the Lord, and he will defend you: He never lets honest people be defeated;

God wants us to enjoy the life He has blessed us with. God also steers us in the direction He wants us to move,   through His Blessings. By shutting one door he will open another door of opportunity. Naomi made ready to go back to Bethlehem since she heard that the famine there had diminished.  Orpah and Ruth  decided to take a course of action and go with Naomi back to Bethlehem.  The love Naomi had for her daughters-in-law was a very caring one. Naomi explained to them that it wasn't right  for young women to forsake their families and friends  for an uncertain  future in Bethlehem.  She expresses the hope that the Lord's loyal love would extend to her daughters-in-laws, who were outside the land of Israel and were not Jewish.  Ruth 1:8

They started out together to go back to Judah, but on the way she said to them, "Go back home and stay with your mothers.  Orpah followed Naomi's advice cried  and kissed her  mother-in-law said good-bye and went back home.  Ruth insisted on staying with her mother-in-law. The loyalty and support she offered Naomi proved to be the turning point in her own life. 

The book of Ruth is a rich source of insights into healthy personal relationships.  It reminds us that even during the dark days of the era of Judges, godly men and women could and did live blessed and happy lives.

Ruth's relationship with God began the way most relationships with Our Lord do.  Ruth began to know and value someone who knew God well. For Ruth, that person was Naomi. This is a lesson for us all. We must become an example of God's love with everyone we meet. It is those "little ways" that others see God in us. Maybe a hello to someone, a smile to another,even a hug to someone that might need one. We go through life  not knowing who we might touch. Naomi lived her God every day . She spoke easily about God because He was real to her. We see this in the blessing she gave her two daughters-in-law after Naomi had decided to return to Judah.   Ruth 1:9

May the Lord be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died. And may the Lord make it possible for each of you to marry again and have a home.                Naomi clearly loved her daughters-in-law and loved God.  In loving she became the bridge over which Ruth passed into faith. We all have a bridge that we cross over and it is then we began to love God with all our heart, and all our soul.  With me it has been a very long bridge . I didn't have any religion growing up. I don't have any memory of ever going to church with my parents. I didn't have a big celebration when I made my first communion . It wasn't until I was 14 that I drove myself to church and then I started attended mass. My bridge was my grandmother. She was from Mexico and only spoke Spanish and my prayers were in Spanish. She talked about God , told me stories about the bible. She spoke with love and humility. That was when I started crossing the bridge. I am sure that each one of us have our own story to tell. It would be a good subject to meditate on and find your bridge and then praise Our heavily  Father  for showing us the way.

Ruth refused to return home. She truly loved her mother-in-law and would not desert her. She realized that this decision called for a faith commitment to Naomi's God. When Naomi continued to urge Ruth to return home, Ruth  expressed her commitment to Naomi.  Ruth's answer is found in   Ruth 1:16-17          "Don't ask me to leave you! Let me go with you.  Wherever you go, I will go: wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. May the Lord's worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me form you!"

Ruth expressed commitment was significant.  The people of Israel had a covenant relationship with God. Ruth, aware of this relationship, pledged that "your people shall be my people'

She was also committing herself to Israel's God. Ruth had chosen "the Lord God of Israel, "  Ruth was given a blessing. Ruth 2:12

May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May you have a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you have come for Protection!"

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. So Naomi and Ruth                       

continued on to Bethlehem.  Naomi had been gone for a long time and everyone was excited to see her. She was still suffering from her lost that she told the people "Don't call me Naomi," but call me "Mara" which meant "Bitter". The concepts of fullness and emptiness appear here. Naomi left with a husband and two sons.  But now she returned to Bethlehem empty. She was so immerse in her sorrow that she might have felt that her tragedies were punishment for her sins.  Maybe if she had trusted God more she would not have felt so hopeless. Some of us have been in a situation where we lose trust in  God and feel hopeless.

My great hopeless came to me when I lost my father. I loved him so much that to this day I call him  "Daddy". I remember wondering to myself "  will I ever  laugh again".  Like Naomi, I didn't know the blessings I would  receive  afterwards.  It was a time of redemption for me. It was a time of saving my soul through forgiveness toward my mother and having a relationship with her before she died.  With Daddy's death I saw and understood my Mother's sorrow.  The book of Luke gave me great comfort.  Luke 6:21

Happy are you who are hungry now, you will be filled!

Happy are you who weep now: you will laugh. 

Ruth and Naomi arrived at the beginning of barley harvest. Barley was the first crop to ripen, and this period would be the beginning of the harvest season. The law of Moses allowed the poor to gather the grain left  by the people doing the main harvest in the farmers' fields. Even though Ruth did not intentionally go to the field of Boaz, the Lord directed her steps. Boaz was related to Naomi's husband and as a relative,  He  could stand up for the rights of these two women.  He was described as a man of great wealth, a person of noble character and of high standing in the community. Ruth was not presumptuous but asked for a favor that she might  enter the field. Gleaning was hard work, but for the poor each kernel of grain was precious.  And Ruth continued from morning until late in the day gathering food for Naomi and herself. Boaz demonstrated extraordinary concern for Ruth.

In every way Ruth showed herself to be loyal, hard-working, sensible, and responsive to Naomi's advice.  Clearly Ruth had a deep respect for Naomi, as well as a real love for her mother-in-law. Well aware of  her good qualities, Boaz related toward her with great pleasure and approval.  He invited her to eat with his harvesters, told her to harvest with his own servants, and instructed the young men not to molest her.  Ruth returned home to Naomi and told her what good fortune it was to have found  a field belonging to a man named Boaz. Naomi exclaimed. "The Lord bless Boaz!"  Naomi   explain to Ruth that Boaz was a close relative of theirs.  Ruth 2:22-23

Naomi said to Ruth, "Yes, daughter, it will be better for you to work with the women in Boaz field.  You might be molested if you went to someone else' field. So Ruth worked with them and gathered grain until all the barley and wheat had been harvested.  And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.

Naomi is a wonderful example of how to evangelize.  She  didn't try to talk Ruth into faith.  Instead it was through love and living a life that Ruth recognized as Godly.  Naomi shows us how to be a gracious in our relationships toward others.  She loved Ruth enough to put Ruth's welfare above her own.  Many parents hesitate to offer advice to adult children.  We all know that we cannot force our will on them, but we can share our thoughts and our wisdom with those willing to listen.  When advice is given lovingly and with respect, it will often be welcomed.

Naomi is a glorious reminder of how God can make one of the least likely to be remembered into someone who will never be forgotten.       When we feel insignificant we can remember how God used a starving widow to win a woman to faith who became an ancestress of Jesus Christ.

Next week we are going to learn more about Ruth,  and Naomi becoming a wonderful grandmother. It continues  being a love story of relationships and God's goodness. When I began reading about Naomi I wondered :     how God was going to make something good and beautiful with a Moab woman, a pagan woman.  After studying Naomi I knew the answer .     From Moab comes Ruth, and from Ruth comes her son Obed, from Obed comes Jesse, from Jesse comes David    Ruth 4:18-22 and though David comes Jesus Christ       Matt.1,5,6

In Closing I would like to read from Deuteronomy 7:9

Remember that the Lord your   God is the only God   and that he is faithful.  He will keep his covenant and show his constant love to a thousand generations   for those who love him and obey his commands.

 The message I would like to leave you with is --------sometimes we have trouble recognizing God's goodness and His faithfulness but He is still with us no matter the circumstance.  

 

 

  

Unloved yet Loved by God

This week we continue the story---or soap opera---of Rachel and Leah.  When Alycia asked us to choose one of the women of the Bible, she said to pray about it and to let her know which our choice was.  Well, I had already chosen Esther and Judith, two strong women from the Bible, but Alycia told us she would be doing those two.  OK.  So back to the list I went!  That very night, I sat with the list in front of me.  The name Leah kept “popping” up at me.  I had no idea who she was even though I’ve been through Jeff Cavins study of the Bible twice.  So, I said OK, Lord, if that’s who You want me to do, so be it.  I Googled Leah immediately and realized why He had picked her for me.  I learned three important things about Leah:

1)        She was unloved and rejected by her husband Jacob.  She

was his second-rate wife.

2)        She had , as one description called her, “tender eyes”.  My    

Bible says she had “lovely eyes”. (Gen. 29:17)

3)        She was a major matriarch of the Jewish Nation.

 

This is the sad story of Leah who proved to be an important link in the lineage of the Messiah.

 

Leah was the older daughter of Laban and Rachel his younger daughter.  Scripture describes Rachel as “well formed and beautiful”. (Gen 29:17)  The only description we have of Leah is that she had “lovely eyes”.  (Gen 29:17)  In other translations, however, her eyes are described as “tender” or even as “weak”.  I conclude that she had beautiful eyes but had poor vision and maybe had to squint in order to see.  (Unfortunately, there were no contacts or glasses back then.)  Laban was the brother of Rebekah and the uncle of Jacob and Esau.  Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, was sent by his parents to find a wife from among his uncle’s daughters. (Gen 28:1-2)  Jacob first met Rachel at the well where the shepherds watered their flocks.  Rachel’s beauty was so stunning that we know Jacob fell in love with her at first sight.  He, in fact, kissed her and burst into tears that very first meeting at the well. (Gen 29:11)  Rachel was Jacob’s first and only love all of his life.  Poor Leah seemed to be destined to marry Esau, the older son of Isaac and Rebekah.  Esau, which means hairy, was coarse and ill-mannered.  It is said that Leah’s eyes were tender because she wept constantly in prayer that she not have to marry Esau.  Rachel, on the other hand, was expected to marry the smooth-skinned and presumably better-looking and well- mannered Jacob, the younger brother.  According to Leah Kohn, a Jewish author, Leah was a prophetess and saw prophetically that the two couples were to establish the Jewish Nation by each woman giving birth to six tribes of the Jewish people.  She saw this as God’s plan and was totally committed to it although not too happy about it.  She worried, however, that Esau may not be interested and that she may not have a share in the building of the Jewish Nation.

 

The contrast in the two sisters is obvious.  The beautiful Rachel was charismatic and appealing.  Leah, on the other hand, was introspective and quiet.  She was probably a master in meditation.  Rachel Holzkenner, another Jewish author, states that Leah’s prayers “like a perfectly poised arrow, reach straight to Heaven…”.  And because she did not have the beauty and charm of her younger sister, she was humble, unassuming, and obedient.  Her obedience to the demands of her authoritative father is a key factor in the development of her story.

 

Eventually, Leah becomes the first wife of Jacob, not Esau’s as she had feared.  Unfortunately, she became Jacob’s wife, not because he loved her and chose her, but because of the conniving of her father Laban.  After Jacob had stayed with Laban for a month and served him, Laban asked Jacob what he thought his wages should be.   Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel he answered, “I will serve you for seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”  Laban replied, “I prefer to give her to you rather than an outsider.  Stay with me.”  So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. (Gen 29:18-19)  When the time came for the wedding feast, which in ancient times actually lasted an entire week, Laban pulled his deception.  He took Leah to Jacob instead of his beloved Rachel.  It was the custom for the bride to be veiled when brought to the bridegroom.  Laban presented the veiled Leah to Jacob at nightfall, and the marriage was consummated that night.  In the morning, Jacob was amazed that he had not recognized that it was not Rachel beside him.  He angrily confronted Laban as to how he could deceive him in such a way.  “It is not the custom in our country,” Laban replied, “to marry off a younger daughter before an older one.  Finish the bridal week for this one, and then, I will give you the other too, in return for another seven years of service with me.” (Gen 29:26-27)  Jacob agreed, and he then “consummated his marriage with Rachel also, and he loved her more than Leah.  Thus he remained in Laban’s service another seven years.” (Gen 29:30)

 

The tragic results of Laban’s deception is that Leah becomes the rejected, unloved wife of Jacob.  Did she realize this would happen to her?  What were her feelings when she became a part of the deception?  First of all, she must have been afraid.  She was in fear of her father who would literally kill her if she did not do as he demanded.  He was an authoritative parent and a bully in his treatment of others.  She must have also feared that Jacob would discover she was not Rachel.  What would he do to her then?  There must have also been hope in her heart that once Jacob did consummate the marriage, he would grow to love her.  She always had that hope.  She states after the birth of her second son, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me…” (Gen29:34)  Tragically, that was never the case.  I believe Leah loved Jacob in the same passionate way he loved Rachel.  In the seven years of service by Jacob to her father, Leah fell madly in love with Jacob.  So when she went along with the deception, I imagine she went with some degree of anticipation to Jacob’s tent.  On the dark side, Leah was jealous of Rachel and envied her beauty.  She had to resent that she was treated with contempt all of her life no matter how many children she bore for Jacob.  In contrast, Rachel was always the favored one who was treated with love and affection.  For example, after several years into the marriage, Jacob wanted to reconcile with his estranged brother Esau.  When Esau agreed to meet with him, Esau set out to the meeting “accompanied by four hundred men”. (Gen32:7)  This frightened Jacob because he didn’t know Esau’s intent.  So in his caravan, he placed Leah and her children at the front while Rachel and her children were at the back so they could escape in case Esau attacked them. The rejection and contempt shown to her by Jacob caused Leah humiliation in front of all of the family, especially her children.  Nevertheless, she continued to be a loyal wife to Jacob.

 

“When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he made her fruitful, while Rachel remained barren.” (Gen 29:31)  In another translation, the Bible states that God saw that Leah was hated.  God was aware of Leah’s misery and was moved to compassion and pity for her so He gave her the gift of many children.  Leah became the mother of the greatest number of the Tribes of Israel---six in all.  Rueben and Simeon were her first and second sons.  After their births, Leah said, “It means God saw my misery, and now my husband will love me.” (Gen 29:31-32)  Sadly, that did not happen.  Her third son was named Levi from which descended the Levites, the priests of the Jewish Nation.  Moses, Aaron, and John the Baptist are descendents from Levi.  Her fourth son was Judah.  He was a special gift from God because it was from him that the Jews descended.  It is from Judah that King David, King Solomon, and Jesus Christ Himself descended.  Leah was given by God the gift that from her son Judah’s lineage would come the promised Messiah.  Leah bore two more sons and the one and only daughter of Jacob, the tragic Dinah.  With the birth of each child, Leah’s hope for her husband’s love rose, but to her bitter disappointment, his love was only for Rachel.  Not only did Leah feel Jacob’s contempt, but also her children felt it.  They, too, were regarded as second rate to Rachel’s first-born son Joseph, who was the favorite son of Jacob.  Leah’s sons resented Joseph so much that they almost killed him.  Instead, they then sold him into slavery to the Egyptians.

 

Whether Jacob ever loved Leah is unknown.  Since Rachel died fairly early in the marriage, I like to think that as the years passed by, and they grew old together that perhaps Jacob may have found it in his heart to love her, not in the passionate way he loved Rachel, but in a gentler, quieter way.  It was Leah who was with him as he suffered the loss of his parents.  When Leah died, Jacob buried her in the family tomb in Hebron.  When Jacob was on his deathbed in Egypt, he asked to be buried in his homeland.  So today Leah and Jacob are buried together along with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah in what is now known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

 

Leah’s sad story reminds us that much of the suffering and sorrow in life are caused by sin.  The rivalry between Rachel and Leah is a result of the trickery and conniving of their father Laban.  Jacob had to serve Laban for 14 years because of Laban’s lies and deception.  Rachel’s suffering and death at childbirth are a result of Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden.  Leah’s participation in the deception of her marriage to Jacob, leads to a life of rejection by a husband who never loved her or her children.  The jealousy and rivalry between Rachel and Leah continued with their children to the point that it almost cost Joseph his life and his freedom.  Our sins also cause us misery and suffering, but thanks to our Redeemer Jesus, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Through this sacrament, we can be healed and cleansed of our sins.  We can find peace in our hearts and souls.  The people in this tragic story never had the opportunity to find that peace.

 

There are two reasons why I can relate to Leah, and why I think God chose her for me.  First, I have issues with my eyes.  When I was in high school in my senior year, I was chosen as the one with the most beautiful eyes in my class.  Well, these so-called beautiful eyes now have glaucoma which can lead to blindness.  I’ve had five eye surgeries so far and have come that close to losing my vision first in one eye then the other.  I thank God that I have been blessed with a wonderful ophthalmologist who has taken good care of my eyes for many years.  Because of God’s infinite mercy, many prayers, and my doctor, I still have the gift of my vision.

 

The second reason is that Leah was regarded as second rate by her husband.  With me it was not my husband, but my mother who made me feel second rate.  Now I know in most families siblings feel that their mother lover the other child more than she loved him/her.  But with me, my mother herself let me know that she considered me second rate because of my looks.  All of my life, she lamented the fact that I was dark skinned with dark curly (too curly) hair.  When I was in high school, she decided I was also too skinny.  I had to drink daily a tablespoon of some awful-tasting tonic that was supposed to fatten me up.  No telling what was in that horrible tonic, but, fortunately, it didn’t work!  Even as a mature adult when I let the natural curl of my hair show, she told me that my hair was too curly.  Now I don’t want to leave the impression that I was treated like Cinderella.  On the contrary, I had a happy childhood.  My parents were not wealthy, but we lived comfortably so I always had everything I needed or wanted as far as material things were concerned.  It was just that I knew my mother loved my brother more because he looked like her.  Even my friends would comment on how much my mother loved my brother.  It was that obvious.  By the way, my brother and I got along beautifully and loved each other very much.  I never resented him because he was always so good to me.  I was always his “baby sister” no matter how old we got.

 

As I have mentioned, my mother pointed out my shortcomings all of my life.  My healing from her hurtful remarks came about when God began to speak to me through Holy Scripture.  He led me to realize that He was my Creator and I was his creature.  “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.” (Gen 1:31)  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” (Jer 1:5)  Then I discovered Psalm 139:  “You knit me in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works!” (Ps 139:13-14)  I am one of His works.  One day He told me, through Scripture, “You are precious in my eyes and glorious, and because I love you.” (Is43:4)  With God’s love through His Word, I have come to realize that my skin, my hair, and everything else about my appearance are all from Him.  He made me just as I am.  I also have a Heavenly Mother who loves me unconditionally.  Mother Mary loves me just as I am because it is her Son who created me.  How can I complain or critisize His work?

 

My mother lived to be 97 years old.  God gave me the privilege of taking care of her those last years of her life.  Taking care of her in her illness and weakness gave me the opportunity to heal some of the hurt and resentment that I had felt because of her harmful remarks.  It was a blessing for me.  Nevertheless, it took a long time for me to forgive her.  After she died, I really thought I had forgiven her, but God spoke to me and made me realize that in my heart the resentment was still there.  It was through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and speaking to a priest that I was finally able to find the forgiveness in my heart.  Writing this talk has also helped.

 

Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face, St. Therese’s older sister Celine Martin, states, “I look upon my imperfections as treasures, and I summon them to appear at my judgment, for all my faults are my strength.  Since I regret them, I think that they will draw God’s pity down upon me; and when he has pity, he also has mercy.”  Because I was told by my mother how imperfect I was, it served to keep me humble.  I see now that it was, in a way, a gift.

 

I hope that you will look for the positive in yourself and others because we are all precious creatures made by our Creator.    Too often, we women can find our faults and the faults of others too easily.  We are quick to point them out.  But when it comes to finding the positive, it seems more difficult.  Your homework for this week is to daily pay yourself a compliment and thank God for making you the woman that you are.  Call to mind everything you like about yourself:  your smile, you hair, your love of reading, your green thumb, you kindness to others, your honesty, etc.  Then thank the Good Lord for that gift.  I close with this prayer:

 

Lord, I don’t want to be critical of how you’ve put me together, relying on what others think of me for my sense of well-being.  Make me a woman who is confident that I am lovable, not because of my outward beauty but because you have loved me from the moment you called me into being.  In Jesus’ name I pray.             

Envy Games

This week's teaching comes from Rebecca:

 

We are introduced to Rachel, as her cousin Jacob arrives in Haran after leaving his homeland.  While traveling to Haran Jacob comes upon a sacred site, dating back to Abraham, at this shrine he rested and  had a dream; of a stairway to the heavens and God’s messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the Lord standing beside him.  Then, God made Jacob the same promise he made to his forefathers: To be with him and make of him a great nation. Jacob in turn, promised with a vow, that if God was able to help him on this journey, “the Lord would be his God”

 Continuing his journey, Jacob finally arrives in Haran, where Jacob meets his uncle Laban and falls in love with Rachel, his cousin. The dream and promises deeply imbedded in his memory must have caused his exultation! Psalm84:6 Happy are those who find refuge in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrim roads. I wonder if Jacob gave any thought to Laban response, Ah “You are indeed, my flesh and blood.”  Family resemblances are not always physical, they can be observed in behavior as well.  It won’t take long to see Laban’s true character was divided, one of duplicity, not to be trusted.

 As  Jacob settles into everyday life, working for Laban and all the while falling deeply in love with Rachel, Laban, is prompted to ask him, how he would be able to pay Jacob  for his work. Jacob responds by asking to marry Rachel. He offers to work seven years for Laban, in lieu of the customary bridal price. Laban agreed to the arrangement. As time progressed, I am sure he was very pleased with the work Jacob provided him. For Jacob, the years flew by and with each one that passed Jacob’s love for Rachel grew. Imagine the excitement Rachel and Jacob must have felt after the seven years were completed.

 The promises God had made to give Jacob were on the horizon. Jacob had won Rachel’s hand in marriage and their new life together as husband and wife would soon begin. Now remember, over the past seven years Laban enjoyed the benefits of free labor and the skills of the best guy in town, and that was all going away. He also had the problem of his older daughter, one can only speculate how pleased he was with himself when he came up with a great idea! Yes, he could to solve two problems with one wonderful idea. How smart he was!  The night of the wedding feast Genesis 29:23 tells us, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob and Jacob consummated the marriage with her instead of Rachel. Verse 25 continues, In the morning Jacob, expecting to see Rachel upon awakening was amazed it was Leah!

Poor Leah, to be left alone as Jacob rushed from the tent to find  Laban, shouting:” How could you do this to me!” Laban hiding, as he defended his action by saying, “it was the custom to marry the older first”, but then slyly conceding, allowing Rachel to marry Jacob, when the marriage week was completed for Leah. There was a catch though, Jacob had to give Laban seven more years of work to secure the bridal price again for Rachel. Jacob, then consummated his union with Rachel. What was the conversation between this couple during their wedding week together?  We do know that  chapter 29:30 says “he loved  her( Rachel) more than Leah.” Everyone knew this.  Think of the heartache these women had to be experiencing, it is also clear that Jacob was caught between these two sister-wives.  

 The additional seven years in the service of Laban  must had devastated Jacob, as much as it thrilled Laban.  Jacob, Leah and Rachel had to now adjust to this new situation and a choice had to be made.  Rachel,  no doubt had been injured, she also knew of the intensity of Jacobs love for her, yet it was clouded by her  pain, and  anger, caused by Laban’s decision to use his daughters for personal  gain.  As the months progressed Jacob must have left Leah by herself, night after night because  Genesis 29:31 states “When God saw that Leah, was unloved he made her fruitful,”  Until then it is unknown if Rachel was begrudging towards her sister or not, but we do know that seeds of envy grew as Leah began to bear Jacob sons, and Rachel remained barren. Leah also had an agenda, for she certainly loved Jacob. Unfortunately, Leah made this agenda known by how she to name each  son she bore Jacob.  

They were named  according to her status with her husband. With each son the animosity between the sisters grew and even if they were cordial to one another, under the surface simmered the resentment which tears families apart, as we see in Genesis 30:1-2  when

Rachel saw that she failed to bear children to Jacob, she became envious of her older sister. Who was able to give Jacob sons. She screamed at  Jacob, “Give me children or I shall die”, and in anger  Jacob answered her, “can I take the place of God, who has denied you the fruit of the womb?” We see resentment festering in a relationship which previously had been filled with love.

 We can only speculate how many arguments Rachel had with Jacob, and missed opportunities with Leah.  Rachel in desperation, gave Jacob her handmaid to produce a child, two sons, separately, were born this way. Both were named by Rachel to describe her struggle with Leah.  Envy, spite, discontentment, lack of compassion, marred the relationship between the sisters. 

Ponder, 1John 2:10  Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. What  would have happened if Rachel chose to show mercy to her sister and accepted that Leah was just as much a pawn of Laban as she was.

 The Catechism of the Catholic Church  wisely speaks into  Envy (CCC.2540) Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity.  Rachel’s envy came from her sadness over not being Jacob’s first wife, a sadness of a loss of the hopes and dreams she had for her and Jacob, then her envy came from her sisters fertility and her infertility, this sadness, when allowed to settle within a heart will turn to depression which can cause serious injury, not only to the  person, but to those around them as well.

 St John Chrysostom in a homily wrote a sure way to avoid the pains of sadness,"Would you like to see God glorified by you? Then rejoice in your brother’s progress and you will immediately give glory to God. Because his servants could conquer envy by rejoicing in the merits of others, God will be praised. 

 Genesis 30:22   God remembers  Rachel;  he heard her prayer and made her fruitful and Rachel conceives a son. (Joseph)  Rachel’s heart is relieved of the bitterness. In hopes of another child, she names him Joseph which means “May the Lord add another son to this one for me.”

 Psalm 32: 1&2  Happy the sinner whose fault is removed, whose sin is forgiven. Happy those to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit. Could this apply to Jacob and his wives, especially  Rachel. I would hope she would seek only the help of the God of Jacob and reconcile with her sister. Unfortunately there is no indication that they did. Rachel’s journey would soon end here, near what would be Bethlehem.  She was to bring forth Jacob’s last son and in the process her life would end in childbirth, as God had spoken of to Eve. Rachel, in her travail would name this son Ben-Oni, the son of my trouble, which captured her anguish his birth. Jacob would later change his name to Benjamin which means “Son of My right hand”.  At her death, Rachel would leave both her husband and her children to her sister Leah.

 This journey we just took with Rachel is heart breaking, so much unnecessary strife and unhappiness. How wonderful it would be if we were able to say women no longer acted this way towards one another.  Why do we still find judgment, jealousy, and gossip so much a part of our actions. Just recently I was at lunch with some friends and this question came up.

 We don’t know what Rachel had experienced being the younger sister, but we do know that we all have the propensity  to act  as Rachel did.  Knowing ourselves and our family dynamics helps us to understand just how easily we can be caught in these trappings. We must ask ourselves the question, do we defer to others or is my opinion what is most important. Do we deal well with disappointment or become upset when we don’t get what we like. Are we moody? Do we gossip, looking for an available ear to listen to us complain? These are pretty easy questions to start with and pretty easy to identify within ourselves. Sometimes, you can go through your whole life  interacting with your  family and not even realize there is a problem.

The wonderful thing is as a  person enters into a relationship with God, he meets you right were you are, as he did with all the people in the bible He let’s you know not to hide as Eve, to wait on him as with Sarah and to trust in  him as he desired Rachel to do, because never for a moment will he forget us, He is present and attentive, aware of the desires of our hearts even when we are certain he has lost track of us. He forgives us when we slide into resenting others and begin to compete with them. He knows that relationships are not easy, he never intended us to be struggling with one another.

 Coming from a family of five, my siblings mostly being teens, I went pretty much unnoticed by my dad. Now, I had an older sister, by six years. she was witty and beautiful, the pride and joy of my father and she knew it. It was okay with  me that she had many  abilities, I loved my sister.  Then two separate events  happened which sealed my heart, planted seeds of distrust and resentment, In both the common thread was betrayal and for the longest time I questioned if she really meant to hurt me as she did. As I began to distrust her, I noticed that it was important to her that she shined before everyone else.

 I pray for my sister every day, I have opened the door for communication and she has chosen not to respond, which is okay. All  in God’s time. None of the hurt or feelings of inadequacy remain within me, just sweet healing from above, and I still do love her. O my God, Fill my soul with holy joy, courage, and strength to serve you. Enkindle your love in me, and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me, and I shall meet with peace. Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross ( Edith Stein)  

I believe my healing began as I reflected In  back on my teen years.  My  female friends would tell me that they loved me. I would begin to feel uncomfortable, uneasy, then I would simply give less of myself in the relationship. Clearly I feared being hurt. As I acknowledged this truth I was able to pinpoint when this began and my first step was in validating my feelings in regards to how my sister had hurt me. I was right, I had been injured, with this acknowledgement I could freely forgive her. As an adult I  began to meet women and I grew to trust, them.  They had one thing in common, their complete love of God and the desire to listen to whatever he told them. I thank God for those who showed me I was safe in their care, and ultimately I would see that meant I was safe in God’s loving  arms.

 My hearts desire was not to be thwarted by pettiness or competition. I grew comfortable allowing other women to minister to my heart and to find my voice within a loving community of holy women. I  recently shared with a friend how I felt when I was with these women. I said it is the “face of love.” She responded, “may you repeat this truth many times to those you meet” So now I say to you, seek those who wear the face of love, and be the face of love to those you meet.    

And when you find your heart heavy in the struggle, when others try to steal your joy, as will happen on this journey we are on, remember the words of St Ignatius of Loyola.

Take, O Lord and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess; I surrender it all to thee that thou mayest dispose of it according to they will. Give me only thy love and thy grace; with these I will be content and will have no more to desire.

For your love and grace is enough for me.

Then pour it back out to those around you!

God Bless you all!