Homily – Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time (Cycle II)

📖 Readings: Genesis 32:23–33 | Psalm 17:1b, 2–3, 6–7ab, 8b, 15 | Matthew 9:32–38
Theme: “Wrestling with God, Working for the Kingdom”

👋🏽 Introduction – What Are You Wrestling With?

Life often brings moments of inner struggle—when we wrestle with fear, guilt, decisions, or even with God Himself.
Today’s readings show us that God is not afraid of our wrestling. In fact, sometimes He meets us in the struggle to bless us.

💢 1. First Reading – Genesis 32:23–33: Jacob Wrestles with God

Jacob is on the brink of meeting his brother Esau—whom he had wronged years before.
Alone at night, he wrestles with a mysterious man until daybreak.
This struggle is physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Jacob holds on and says:

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

At dawn, he receives a new name—Israel, meaning “one who wrestles with God.”
He limps away, but he is transformed.

Sometimes, we carry wounds from our spiritual struggles—but like Jacob, those wounds can lead us to blessing.

🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏽 2. Gospel – Matthew 9:32–38: Jesus' Compassion and Call to Workers

Jesus heals a mute man possessed by a demon. The crowd is amazed, but the Pharisees accuse Him.

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, says:

“The harvest is abundant, but the labourers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers.”

Here, we see the heart of Christ:

• He heals those who are bound and voiceless.

• He sends those willing to serve, even when they feel weak or unworthy.

🔗 Bringing the Readings Together

Jacob wrestled and walked away changed and named.
Jesus sees a hurting world and calls for more workers.

Both readings teach:

• God meets us in the struggle.

• And then He sends us to be part of the healing.

If you've been wrestling with life, faith, or your calling—God may be preparing you for something deeper.

💬 Quote for Reflection

“Our greatest battles often become the doorway to our greatest blessings.”
– Anonymous

✅ Life Application

• What am I wrestling with today—and have I brought it before God?

• Am I open to being used by God, even if I feel wounded or unqualified?

• Will I say: “Here I am, Lord—send me to the harvest”?

🔚 Conclusion – From Wrestling to Witness

Dear brothers and sisters,
God allows the wrestling—but never wastes the struggle.
Like Jacob, we may limp away, but we also walk away blessed and renamed.
Let your struggles become sacred. Let them lead you to compassion for others.

The world is waiting for labourers—wounded healers who know what it means to wrestle, and still believe.

🙏 Prayer for the Day

“Lord, I Won’t Let Go Until You Bless Me”

Lord God,
I come before You today with the weight of things I don’t fully understand.
Like Jacob, I have wrestled with fear, doubt, and my past.
But I do not want to let go of You—not in the night, not in the pain, not in the silence.

Bless me in the struggle.
Rename me if You must.
Shape me through what I do not yet see.

Give me courage to walk with a limp—
not in shame, but as one who has been changed by grace.

And Lord, the harvest around me is great.
Send me today, even with my wounds,
to be a labourer in Your field,
to bring hope to the voiceless,
and to reflect Your compassion in a hurting world.

I am Yours. Use me.

Amen.