A Call To Be True To The Self

 

Living a double identity is counterproductive. 

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, July 8th, 2023
Texts: Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Psalm 135:1b-6; Matthew 9:14-17 

Today’s message is a call to be true to the self. Having the first and the gospel readings together in a liturgical celebration gives special enlightenment. We see in the first reading life that was built on double Identity: the voice of Jacob but the hands of Esau. Jacob put his brother’s clothe and skin of animal to steal his brother’s blessing. We read, “So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, ‘The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.’” 

Jesus disapproved, in today’s gospel reading, the double identity that Jacob practised. He says, “And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” However, Jesus said it in response to the question why His disciples did not fast. He is ,therefore, teaching us that we have to stripe ourselves of our old selves to have enduring relationship with Him.  

Syncretism has no place in Jesus Christ

There is no room for double identity in Christ. The only identity we have comes from Him. Syncretism has no place in Jesus Christ. Some of us are Catholics in religion but fetish in living; we have double mentality. Our voices are that of Jacob while our hands are that of Esau. Today we are called to be pure in our devotion. Our devotion and life should be in harmony. We are to be Catholic, nothing else. We need to purify our mentality. This is a call to be true to the self. Living a double identity is counterproductive.  

Prayer

God our Father, give us peace and joy, strengthen our will to live according to your will. Amen

 
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke