Genesis 32:23-33 / Matthew 32-38
We hear the word "blessing" often. Just what is a blessing?
A blessing is primarily God's favour and protection over His people. It can also be a prayer asking for divine favour and protection as is usually done by a priest. It can also be like the grace said before and after a meal.
The source of blessing is from God and a person, whether a priest or a lay person, can be the instrument to invoke the blessing from God.
In the 1st reading, we heard of this rather rather strange wrestling between Jacob and a mysterious person, and from what is described, is understood as a spiritual being, which is revealed later as God Himself.
As the wrestling went on towards daybreak, Jacob's hip got dislocated, but he held on to that spiritual being, and he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
And Jacob indeed got a blessing, actually two blessings. His name was changed to Israel, meaning that he was strong against God, and that he will prevail against men. His other blessing is that he had seen God face to face and lived to be blessed by God.
So the pain of the dislocated hip was nothing compared to the great blessing he received.
We all want blessings from God; in fact we need it to live out our faith and trust in God.
Yet, let us also remember that great blessings come after great tribulations, just like how Jacob got his hip dislocated but he got his blessings.
We had our share of troubles in life and tribulations. But God will rain down His blessings on us. And with God's blessings, let us also go forth and be labourers in God's harvest.