Saint Benedict, Abbot
Friday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 46:1-7,28-30
The story of Jacob’s journey to Egypt, guided by God’s reassurance and culminating in his emotional reunion with Joseph, is a powerful reminder of how life’s changes, often unexpected or difficult, can become the very ground where God fulfills His promises. When God tells Jacob not to be afraid of going down to Egypt, He is not only comforting him in the face of an uncertain future but also inviting him to trust that even this displacement will become a path of blessing. Jacob, once fearful, embraces the change and, in doing so, finds deep joy and peace. His words, “Now I can die, now that I have seen you again,” speak of a heart that has surrendered to the unfolding of God’s plan, even when it took him far from the familiar. On this feast of Saint Benedict, a man who embraced radical change to seek God more deeply, we are called to reflect on how we respond to the changes in our own lives. Let’s reflect: Do we resist and fear changes, or do we open ourselves to the possibility that they may be the very places where God is working to bring life, healing, and fulfillment?
Don Giorgio