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| “Saint Benedict” by Fra Angelico,1387 |
Reading
1: Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
"Since I am about to be
taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the
cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the
Hittite,
the cave in the field of
Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of
Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought
from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah
are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife
Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the
Hittites."
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers became fearful
and thought,
"Suppose Joseph has been
nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in
full for all the wrong we did him!"
So they approached Joseph and
said:
"Before your father died, he
gave us these instructions:
'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob
begs you
to forgive the criminal
wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the
crime that we,
the servants of your father's
God, committed."
When they spoke these words to
him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to
fling themselves down before him
and said, "Let us be your
slaves!"
But Joseph replied to them:
"Have no fear. Can I take
the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me,
God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the
survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for
your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them,
he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt,
together with his father's family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim's children to the
third generation,
and the children of Manasseh's
son Machir
were also born on Joseph's knees.
Joseph said to his brothers:
"I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you
and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Then, putting the sons of Israel
under oath, he continued,
"When God thus takes care of
you,
you must bring my bones up with
you from this place."
Joseph died at the age of a
hundred and ten.
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Commentary on Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
In
the passage from Genesis today we hear the final chapters of the life of, first
Jacob, and then Joseph. We see, following the death of Jacob, the fidelity of
Joseph to God’s rule as he forgoes any thoughts of retribution against those
brothers of his who had sold him into slavery. God’s plan was clearly revealed
and the actions of Joseph’s brothers were forgiven. The line of Abraham
continues as Joseph, on his death bed, predicts the Exodus from the land of
Egypt to come (“God will surely take care of you and lead you out
of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.")
CCC:
Gn 50:20 312
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Responsorial
Psalm:
Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
R.
(see Psalm 69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke
his name;
make known among the nations his
deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R.
Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the
LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R.
Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
You descendants of Abraham, his
servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his
judgments prevail.
R.
Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
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Commentary
on Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
Psalm
105 is a song of thanksgiving. In this section the singer gives thanks to God
for the tradition of Abraham’s descendants and the salvation that is shown
through their story.
CCC:
Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel:
Matthew 10:24-33
"No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like
his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house
Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
"Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the
light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but
cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without
your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."
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Commentary
on Mt 10:24-33
Jesus
concludes his instructions to the Apostles as he sends them out. Here he tells
them that they go with his authority and his purpose which may be hidden from
others but which they will proclaim from “the housetops.” He tells them not to
fear the persecution he has told them they will face. This lack of fear should
be absent because, while the body may be killed, their souls are safe with him.
He concludes this passage telling them that the Father is watching over them
and they have nothing to fear.
CCC:
Mt 10:25 765; Mt
10:25 765;
Mt 10:28 363,
1034; Mt 10:29-31 305;
Mt 10:32-33 1816;
Mt 10:32 14,
2145
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Reflection:
Today
in St. Matthew’s Gospel we find the paradox of our faith clearly exemplified.
We are, like the friends of Jesus (his disciples), called to him and sent into
the world. Like the twelve, we are uncertain and feel unworthy to accept this
great task. On top of our feelings of inadequacy, we are afraid. What if we
fail to speak the right words? What if we are rebuffed and rejected? What if
our very mission brings us into a situation where we can be physically harmed?
These
feelings were all present in the disciples. To calm those fears, Jesus explains
to them that, going in His Name, they go with his authority. In addition the
Lord points out that they should not fear physical harm. First, they should not
fear it because the important part of who they are is safe from any harm. They
(we) belong to him and our spirits are thus guarded from eternal death which
should be their (and our) greatest fear. They are also told that since they go
in the Lord’s Name, the Father watches over them and will keep them from harm.
As
we see in Genesis as God’s plan for Jacob and Joseph comes to a close, God will
watch over us as he did our brothers and sisters gone before us in faith. The
great covenant made with Abraham has been overshadowed by Christ’s covenant
with us – the New Covenant. Through that Covenant a promise was made, that we
who love God and our neighbors as Christ taught us would not parish.
We
are called and sent like the first Disciples of Christ. We go into the world
now to carry the good news especially to those who live in darkness. May we
never fear in this effort, confident that God is with us; watching over us. In
Him is our strength and hope.
Pax
[1]
ALTRE
[2]
The Icon is “Saint Benedict” by Fra Angelico,1387
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
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