Homily: July 10, 2023, Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Generations)

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 “Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God's messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying: "I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac.”

Dreams are fascinating. I am usually aware of many of my dreams, both wonderful and scary ones. Sometimes, I get woken up by the sound of my alarm in the middle of a nice dream. I would stop the alarm and try to sleep again to continue that dream. Do you do that too?

Sometimes the dreams are so terrible, I would wake up middle of the night in shock. Someone once told me that we dream in the languages we know. I have had good conversations in different languages in my dreams.

But I have never experienced a dream as beautiful as Jacob's. Seeing a stairway from heaven to earth with angels going up and down and hearing the voice of God, that is so wonderful. We all need dreams like this.

At that point in Jacob’s life, he needed such a vision because he was running away from his family after cheating his brother of his birthright. He was probably feeling guilty and fearful.

In Jacob’s dream, God told him that He is the God of Abraham and Isaac, thus assuring him that He will protect and bless Jacob in the same way He had protected and blessed his forefathers.

In later chapters, God also reassured Joseph that He is the Lord of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Every generation received God’s protection and blessing. Many generations therefore will praise God for His providence, protection, and care.

When I look back and think of my own parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, I can say with confidence that my God is the God of my great-grandfather, my grandfather, and my father. He had provided for them, protected them, and loved them. He will surely do the same for me.

Dear brothers and sisters, we are not alone in our faith. Many, many generations before us who lived in faith, have been blessed, our God is trustworthy and reliable.

Please close your eyes and take a moment to thank God for His faithfulness to our forefathers, faithful to us and I am sure He will continue to be faithful in blessing our next generations.

Let us repeat the response we declared in our responsorial psalm: In you, my God, I place my trust. Amen.


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