The question of whether Esau was offered salvation, like Jacob, is tied to the Catholic understanding of God's universal salvific will and the complexities of divine election.

God's Universal Salvific Will

Catholic theology affirms that God desires the salvation of all people ^{1 3 4 5 6 7 8}. As St. Paul writes, God "wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth" ³. This universal salvific will means that God offers the possibility of salvation to every human being, including Esau ^{1 3 4 5 6 7 8}.

Divine Election and Individual Choice

The story of Jacob and Esau involves the concept of divine election, where God chose Jacob for a particular role in salvation history ^{9 10 11 12 13 14}. However, divine election does not negate human free will or God's desire for all to be saved ^2 15. Each person, including Esau, has the freedom to accept or reject God's grace ^2 15.

Esau's Opportunities

While Jacob was chosen to continue the lineage of the covenant, Esau was not excluded from the possibility of salvation ^{910 11 12 13 14}. God's offer of salvation is extended to all, and Esau, like any other individual, had the opportunity to respond to God's grace and live a life pleasing to Him ^{1 3 4 5 6 7 8}.

The Role of Free Will

Ultimately, salvation requires a free response to God's invitation ^2 15. As the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church states, the salvation offered by God requires a free response and acceptance ². This acceptance is demonstrated through faith, love for others, and steadfast hope ².

Implications for Esau

Whether Esau ultimately accepted God's offer of salvation is not explicitly stated in Scripture ^{9 10 11 12 13 14}. However, the Catholic Church teaches that God's grace is available to all, and each individual is responsible for how they respond to that grace ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 15}.

In summary, while Jacob was chosen for a specific role, Esau, like all people, was offered the possibility of salvation through God's universal salvific will.

[1] General Audience of 29 November 2000 2

[2] Catholic Encyclopedia St. Paul

[3] Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior: 1700th Anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325-2025) (2025) 38

[4] The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible (May 24, 2001) 59

[5] The Holy Bible Genesis

[6] Evangelii Gaudium 113

[7] 1997 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification 16

[8] Compendium of the Social Doctrine 39

[9] General Audience of 23 November 2005: Letter to the Ephesians - He chose us in him 2

[10] Evangelii Gaudium 112

[11] 1 June 1982, Mass in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow 6

[12] CCC 1

[13] Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 744

[14] Against Heresies - Book I Chapter 27. 3

[15] Catholic Encyclopedia Epistle to the Romans

Here's a breakdown of key aspects of salvation doctrine:

• God's Universal Call to Salvation: God calls all people to salvation through Christ  .
• Justification Through Faith: Justification is received through faith in Christ and is a gift from God through the Holy Spirit  . This faith involves trust in God's promise and love for Him .
• Faith and Works: Faith must be active in love, which means that good works are a necessary expression of true faith  . As the Apostle James wrote, "faith apart from works is dead" .
• Free Response and Acceptance: Salvation requires a free response and acceptance on the part of the individual  . Humans are not consigned to passivity in the process of salvation  .
• Grace and Free Will: God's grace heals the will, allowing it to follow His guidance and cooperate with Him .
• The Church's Teaching: The Church teaches that justification comes through faith, which is the foundation of salvation . However, faith is not the only requirement, as other acts, such as hope, charity, and penance, are necessary for justification .
• Necessity of Faith: Faith is necessary for salvation .

The question of whether God loves some people more than others is complex. Here's a Catholic understanding:

God's Universal Love

1. God's Love for All:

   • God loves all people without distinction ¹.
   • God's love is unconditional and everlasting ¹.
   • God's love extends to every human being, even enemies ^3 4.
   • God's love is a reality that surpasses human understanding ⁵.

2. Love Embodied in Christ:

   • God's love is concretely embodied in Jesus Christ and in His Body, the Church ¹.
   • The greatest proof of God’s love is shown in the fact that he loves us in our human condition, with our weaknesses and our needs ¹.
   • Christ's sacrifice on the Cross demonstrates God's love for all of humanity ⁸.

Nuances in God's Love

1. Different Manifestations:

   • While God loves everyone, the manifestations of His love can differ ⁷.
   • God's love is like that of a parent, who loves all children but may show different expressions of love based on individual needs and circumstances ⁹.

2. Special Relationships:

   • God may have special relationships with certain individuals or groups, as seen in the Old Testament with Israel ⁵.
   • However, this does not negate His love for all other people ⁸.

3. Love and Salvation:

   • God desires the salvation of all people ⁶.
   • He provides the means for everyone to come to know Him and receive His love ².

In conclusion, God's love is universal, extending to all people. While there may be different manifestations or special relationships, the core of God's love remains constant for every individual.

[1] To the faithful gathered in the Mission Dolores Basilica of San Francisco (September 17, 1987) - Speech 

[2] 3 June 1989: Holy Mass for the faithful of the Prelature in Tromsø, Norway - Homily 6

[3] 3 June 1989, Holy Mass for the faithful of the Prelature in Tromsø, Norway 6

[4] Apostolic Journey to Poland: Gliwice (15 June 1999) 2

[5] Letter to the Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Interreligious Meeting of Prayer for Peace (September 2, 2006) 

[6] 26 November 1986, Sydney 9

[7] General Audience of 21 September 2016: 30. Merciful like the Father (cf Lk 6:36-38) 

[8] 4 November 2010: Mass for the repose of the souls of Cardinals and Bishops who have died in the past year 

[9] To the bishops of the Philippines on their "ad Limina" visit, 12 October 1985 - Speech 

The phrases "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated" and "I give mercy to whom I wish" are rooted in Scripture and have been the subject of theological reflection. Here's a Catholic understanding of these concepts:

Jacob I Loved, Esau I Hated

1. Biblical Context:

   • The quote "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" comes from Malachi 1:2-3 and is also referenced in Romans 9:13 ³.
   • This statement is made in the context of God's choosing of Jacob (and his descendants, the Israelites) over Esau (and his descendants, the Edomites) ^3 5 7.
   • The preference shown to Jacob was not based on any merit of his own, but on God's sovereign will ⁵.

2. Interpretations:

   • Typological Significance: Some Church Fathers saw Jacob and Esau as types or figures representing different groups of people. For example, Jacob could represent Christians, while Esau represents the Jewish people or the ungodly ^1 4 7.
   • God's Sovereignty: The story underscores God's freedom to choose whom He wills for His purposes. As St. Paul says, "that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calls" ^3 6.
   • Not Literal Hatred: The "hatred" should not be taken to mean that God had animosity towards Esau. Rather, it indicates a lesser degree of love or preference compared to Jacob ³.
   • Fulfillment in Christ: The Church sees the promise to Jacob fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who reigns over the house of Jacob forever ⁸.

I Give Mercy to Whom I Wish

1. God's Mercy:

   • Mercy is a key attribute of God, revealed throughout the Old and New Testaments ¹⁶.
   • God's mercy is his loving concern for each person, desiring their well-being, happiness, joy, and peace ¹³.
   • Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy, making God's mercy visible and tangible ¹⁶.

2. Divine Freedom:

   • God's mercy is not something that can be earned or demanded; it is a free gift ¹⁷.
   • God extends mercy to those He chooses, and this is an expression of His divine freedom and sovereignty ⁶.
   • As Romans 9:15 states, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

3. Our Response:

   • We are called to be merciful as God is merciful ^13 14 15.
   • Practicing mercy towards others is an essential aspect of Christian life ¹⁸.
   • Forgiving others is a clear expression of merciful love and a condition for receiving God's forgiveness ^13 19.

In summary, while God has shown preference to some and extends mercy as He wills, this does not negate the call for all people to be instruments of His mercy in their interactions with others.

[1] Against Heresies - Book IV Chapter 21. 2

[2] Catholic Encyclopedia Esau

[3] The City of God - Book 16 Chapter 42

[4] Expositions on the Psalms - Psalm 47 5

[5] Fragments from the Scriptural Commentaries of Hippolytus From St. Jerome's Epistle 36

[6] Homily 16 on Romans Chap. ix. Ver. 11-13

[7] Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 26

[8] Misericordiae Vultus - Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (11 April 2015) 1

[9] Misericordiae Vultus - Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (11 April 2015) 9

[10] Misericordia et misera 2

[11] General Audience of 21 September 2016: 30. Merciful like the Father (cf Lk 6:36-38) 

[12] General Audience of 18 March 2020 

[13] 30 April 2000, Canonization of Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska 4

[14] General Audience of 7 July 1999 5

One

False Alarm 

Five times in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us not to worry. He tells us, “Do not be anxious, have no anxiety.” But we do. We need to understand anxiety, and we need a practical strategy that offers a way out.

Everyone has experienced the feeling we get before a really big, important event, pre-game jitters, or performance anxiety. Our brain is putting our body on high alert so we will perform at our best. Your brain and your body are doing what they were designed to do. Anxiety is just our brain sending a message to mobilize all our resources for a big challenge. This is a very good thing. But sometimes the brain sends a false alarm. Sometimes it sends the message to be on high alert at the wrong time and for no good reason. And sometimes that message of high alert can get stuck in the “on” position, when it should turn off. It’s like the brain pulling the fire alarm when there is no fire. It’s a false alarm that won’t turn off. 

Two

There are some bad habits that lead to anxiety, ways of pulling the fire alarm when there is no fire. The first is worry. Worry is not an act of love or responsibility. Worry is a vice, it’s destructive. We worry about the past we can’t change. We worry about future things that almost never happen? Mark Twain expressed it well, “I’ve suffered a great many misfortunes, most of which never happened.” We worry about things over which we have no control.  

God has given each one of us a very limited scope of authority or responsibility. We are responsible for our own behavior, our family and kids, our workplace, and voting. We spend a lot of emotional energy worrying about things beyond our responsibility. That is God’s responsibility. Take care of your responsibility and surrender to God what is his responsibility.  

We worry about things we are procrastinating. Instead, think, make decisions, and take action. Procrastination is self-destructive 

So what do you worry about?

Three

Unrealistic Pressure 

Another bad habit is putting unrealistic pressure and expectations on ourselves. We suffer from worry when we make the stakes way higher than they really are. We are wired to be alert to danger, especially danger that could kill us. So, in a sense, we are wired to assume we will die if we mess up. We need to lower the stakes to match reality. Most likely, the thing we are worried about won’t kill us or anyone else. What is the worst-case scenario? If you can live with that, then you can live with anything else. It lowers the pressure.  

Another bad habit is thinking we have to be perfect to be accepted, loved, and valuable. And if we fail, we will die. We have the false idea that failure is bad, even deadly, and this becomes a cause of anxiety. But we must fail to grow. The only way we grow is to try things we haven’t mastered. This entails risk. If we play it safe all the time, with a caution that avoids all mistakes and failures, it will be impossible for us to grow. There is no failure, there is only learning. 

Finally, self-criticism leads to anxiety. We use self-critical and self-defeating phrases that lead to anxiety, such as: I can’t, I am no good, I am unworthy.

Four

Fear is the fuel for anxiety. Take away the fuel, take away the fear, and the anxiety will fade. We’ve all seen this: a rambunctious child runs and falls. Immediately, there is that fraction of a second when the child looks up to see how you are going to respond. If you run over to him, worried, frantically asking if he’s okay, he’ll start crying...convinced that he is near death. If instead, you calmly laugh and say, “That was awesome, isn’t running great!” He’s right back up and running before you even finish your sentence. Because you have just reassured him, he is safe.

It's the same with us. If you tell yourself there is danger, you will react with fear. If you tell yourself everything is safe, you respond with peace. The way you react to the feeling of worry and anxiety will either reinforce a sense of danger or a sense of safety. Remember, fear is the fuel for anxiety. Take away the fuel, and the anxiety or worry will fade. We overcome the worry with a message of safety, and then we gain evidence that there is no real danger, which reinforces the truth that we are safe. 

Five

So, how do we remove the fear so the anxiety will fade?

When we feel anxious, when the alarm bell is sounding, we must give our brain a message of safety. Let’s go back to the false fire alarm. If a smoke alarm in my house goes off at 3 am, my brain sends a message to my body of high alert. If I discover it just needs a new battery, I can tell myself, “There is no real danger. This is a false alarm.” I might be annoyed, but not afraid, and my state of high alert subsides. If we remove the fear by grounding ourselves in reality and telling ourselves we are safe, then the anxiety fades.

The ultimate reason we are safe is this: God is my Father. No matter what happens, with Him I will be okay because God works all things for good for those who love Him. 

We worry: What if I fail this test or this job? What if my health does not improve? What if my child does not get better? What if this relationship doesn’t work out? Change this question to this: Even if I fail this test or job, even if my health does not improve, even if my child is not healed or this relationship falls apart…No matter what happens, with God as my Father, everything will be okay I am safe!

Resources:

The Way Out by Alan Gordon

Unwinding Anxiety by Jud Brewer

When Panic Attacks by David Burns

The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal 

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you. 

• Try to crack down on procrastination this week. Take action, even when you don’t feel like doing it.

• When anxiety starts to overwhelm you, remind yourself, “God is my Father. No matter what happens, with Him I will be okay because God works all things for good for those who love Him.”

Lectio Divina: read, reflect, respond, rejoice!

My Lectio Divina: James 4:11-12

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

{I am not to speak evil against anyone. If I judge my neighbor as a lawbreaker then I am not doing the law, which is to love my neighbor (even evil neighbor). If I try to judge a neighbor, then I am trying to act like God. This is PRIDE. I can admit they did a wrong, and pray for their soul to be convicted and saved. But I cannot judge them, my job is to pray and do good to them, the best good is to pray for them. God is the only judge and lawgiver. He sees all things and is working it out. He is able to save and destroy. I can only pray for their soul and His Will to be done. I am not to judge things that I cannot possibly know. Life is in the inner man and only God sees that. 

Thank you Jesus for making things so simple for us. You see everything. You know everything. I do not need to know because I am not to judge. I am to pray for all to come to you. I can admit there is a wrong but I leave it in your hands, you are the perfect judge. You will reward or punish based on your knowledge which is infinite. I am to let go and let you be God! The problem is I want revenge or punishment which is not mine to give. I am then trying to be God. Save me from my pride which is then making me come under judgement. Help me let go!}

Lectio Divina: read, reflect, respond, rejoice!

My Lectio Divina: James 4:13-15

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

{I love to make my plans! I am a planner! But you oh Lord want me to see my life in, with, and through you. I have no idea what or how long my life is. I am a vapor for a time then gone. I must ask for your direction and guidance, you see all, know all, and want the best for me. Help me remember how fleeting and fragile I really am and seek to stay close and give you glory for every step! Thank you Jesus for wanting to take care of me!}

Lectio Divina: read, reflect, respond, rejoice!

My Lectio Divina: James 4:17

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

{I thought that the closer I came to you the better I would get. I see now that the closer I come the brighter you shine your light into me. I am broken! It seems I sin all day long. I fail to do right all day. A thought here, a grimace there…my love is so shallow. I want my way a lot and want others to do right. The more that conflicts the more I am grieved. I am to love my neighbor but really I am angry because they are weak and don’t do right. And now that I am angry I am in sin. 

Please deliver me from this body of death. Help me stop looking at others and look at you (or even my own sin!) I am sorry my Lord for my rebellion. Help me let more of you in and less of me! Save me from my own self!}