PRAYER PAUSE
Tuesday,11 July 2017, Benedict
HE WRESTLED
WITH HIM
Pause. Enter into the stillness of God
within.
Reading: “And there was one who wrestled with
him until daybreak.” (Genesis 32:23-33)
Reflection. Jacob wrestled with God and we wrestle
with this story. It may be based on an ancient story of a spirit guarding a
river crossing but it is used by the author as an image of Jacob, on behalf of
Israel, cementing the bond with God. Benedict “wrestled” with God in the cave
at Subiaco before he became the “Father of Western Monasticism” and “Patron of
Europe.” Anyone seeking God soon discovers they cannot lay down the terms. That
is God’s business. We wrestle to let go of
our dearly held notions of ourselves and our plans. Mysteriously, Jacob
won the bout. We too can “win” in the sense of so emptying ourselves that God’s
life can freely flow into us and on to others.
Prayer. Lord, help us to wrestle with ourselves
so that we open the door for you coming into our lives. Amen.
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