Friday, March 8 : Saint Jacob of Sarug

The sight of Rachel’s beauty made Jacob stronger, to a certain extent. He was able to lift the great stone off the top of the well and water the flock (Gn 29:10) (…). He saw in Rachel, whom he married, a symbol of the Church. That is why, when he embraced her, he was moved to weep and become distressed (v. 11) so that in his marriage he might prefigure the sufferings of the Son (…). How much lovelier is the wedding of the royal Bridegroom than that of his ambassadors! Jacob wept for Rachel when he wed her; our Lord covered the Church with his blood when he saved her. Tears are a symbol of blood since it is not without pain that they flow from one’s eyes. The tears of righteous Jacob are a symbol of the Son’s great suffering through which the Church of the Gentiles has been saved. Come, then, behold our Lord: he has come into the world from his Father’s side, he has emptied himself so as to complete his course in humility (Phil 2:7) (…). He saw the Gentiles like a parched flock whose spring of life was closed by sin as by a stone. He saw the Church like Rachel and so he ran towards her and removed the heavy sin as though it were a rock. He has opened up the baptistery for his bride to bathe in; he has drawn water and refreshed the nations of earth as if they were his sheep. With his almighty power he has removed the heavy burden of sin; he has uncovered the spring of sweet water for the whole world. (…) Yes, our Lord has gone to great trouble for the Church’s sake. Out of love, God’s Son has sold his suffering so that he might wed the forsaken Church at the price of his wounds. For her sake, who worshipped idols, he has suffered on the cross. For her sake he willed to be delivered up that she might belong to him, wholly immaculate (Eph 5:25-27). He consented to lead the entire flock of humankind to pasture with the great staff of the cross; he did not turn away from suffering. He submitted to leading all – races, nations, tribes, multitudes and peoples – that in return the Church, his only one, might belong to him.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team