Women's Prayer Group In Christ

Jacob serveth Laban seven years for Rachel: but is deceived with Lia: he afterwards marrieth Rachel. Lia bears him four sons.

Father Mike Schmitz comments on Laban’s deception as a reminder of Jacob’s sin in deceiving Esau:

Laban deceives Jacob, says ‘it is not right in our land to give the younger before the older.’ This alludes to the wrong Jacob did in deceiving Esau and the younger, taking what was for the older.

“And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice, wept.” (Genesis 29:11)

Jacob prefigured Christ and Rachel the Church, with the meeting at the well, signifying the graces received through baptism.

“We have frequently mentioned to your charity, dearly beloved, that blessed Jacob was a type and figure of our Lord and Savior. Moreover, how Christ was to come into the world to be joined to the church was prefigured also in blessed Jacob when he traveled into a distant country to choose a wife. Therefore blessed Jacob, as you have heard, went into Mesopotamia to take a wife. When he had come to a certain well, he saw Rachel coming with her father’s sheep—after he recognized her as his cousin, he kissed her as soon as the flock was supplied with water. If you notice carefully, brothers, you can recognize that it was not without reason that the holy patriarchs found their wives at wells or fountains. If this had happened only once, someone might say it was accidental and not for some definite reason. Blessed Rebekah who was to be united to blessed Isaac was found at the well; Rachel whom blessed Jacob was to marry was recognized at the well; and Zipporah who was joined to Moses was found at the well. Doubtless then we ought to understand some mysteries in these facts. Since all three of those patriarchs typified our Lord and Savior, for this reason they found their wives at fountains or wells, because Christ was to find his church at the waters of baptism. Moreover, when Jacob came to the well, Rachel first watered the flock, and then he kissed her. It is true, dearly beloved, unless the Christian people are first washed from all evil by the waters of baptism, they do not deserve to possess the peace of Christ. Could not blessed Jacob have kissed his cousin upon seeing her, before the flock was watered? Doubtless he could have, but a mystery was involved: for it was necessary for the church to be freed from all iniquity and dissension by the grace of baptism and thus to merit peace with God.” (4) – St. Caesarius 

Recall scripture in John chapter 4, when Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well, telling her that those who drink from his living water, shall not thirst.

CCC How is Christ the living water?

2652 The Holy Spirit is the living water “welling up to eternal life” in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit

2662 The Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity are sources of prayer.

“He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have.” (Genesis 29:15)

The Lord looks with favor upon his faithful.

“Notice, I ask you, how when someone is helped by the hand from on high, everything goes favorably for him. ‘You shall not serve me for nothing,’ Laban says. ‘Tell me what your wages should be.’ In fact, this blessed man was acting out of love and was content simply to receive board and lodging and return him sincere thanks for it. But, since Jacob demonstrated great humility, Laban took the initiative in promising to pay him whatever wage he named.” (4) -St. John Chrysostom

God’s favor in scripture:

“May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

“And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.” (Romans 8:28)

“Show me the sign of your favor, that my foes may see to their shame that you, O Lord, give me comfort and help” (Psalm 86:17)

Discussion: Was there a time in your life where you felt God’s favor?

“He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married Rachel.” (Genesis 29:28)

Polygamy was not favored, but allowed during those times for the propagation of the race. Christ’s coming rooted out what was evil, confirming marriage as two persons, becoming one flesh.

“You observe once again that the nuptials were conducted with all seemliness. Don’t be disturbed, however, to hear that he married the elder girl and then the younger or judge happenings in those times by present conditions. In those times, you see, since it was the very beginning, people were allowed to live with two or three wives or more so as to increase the race; now, on the contrary, because through God’s grace the human race has expanded into a vast number, the practice of virtue has also increased. I mean, Christ by his coming has sown the seeds of virtue among human beings and turned them into angels, so to say, thus rooting out all that former practice. Do you see how we should not be proposing that practice but rather seek out everywhere what is useful? Take note. Since the practice itself was evil, see how it has been rooted out, and no one is free now to propose it. Consequently I beseech you, far from seeking to adopt it in any way, search rather for what is useful, not what is spiritually harmful. If something good comes our way, even if it is not general practice, let us adopt it; but if it is harmful, even if general practice, let us avoid and turn away from it.” (4) – St. John Chrysostom

“And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me.”(Genesis 29:32)

Justice, holiness and love confirm our nearness of life to Christ.

“Reuben was the firstborn of those born after him, and their resemblance to him bore witness to their relationship to him, so that their brotherhood was not unrecognized, being testified to by the similarity of appearance. Therefore, if through the same rebirth ‘by water and the spirit,’ we also have become brothers of the Lord, he having become for us ‘the firstborn among the many brothers,’ it follows that our nearness to him will show in the character of our life, because ‘the firstborn of every creature’ has informed our life. But what have we learned from the Scripture about the character of his life? What we have said many times: that ‘he committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.’ Therefore, if we are going to act as brothers of the One who gave us birth, the sinlessness of our life will be a pledge of our relationship to him, and no filth will nullify our union with his purity. But the firstborn is also justice and holiness and love and redemption and such things. So if our life is characterized by such qualities, we furnish clear tokens of our noble birth, and anyone, seeing these qualities in our life, will bear witness to our brotherhood with Christ.” (4) -St. Gregory of Nyssa

“Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.” -St. Teresa of Calcutta

“Sanctity consists in struggling, in knowing that we have defects and in heroically trying to overcome them. Sanctity, I insist, consists in overcoming those defects – although we will still have defects when we die; for if not, as I have told you, we would become proud.” -St. Josemaria Escriva

Discussion: Holiness has much to do with our intention and desire. How can we make sure our hearts are right with God?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2013 states:

“All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” All are called to holiness: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.