Wednesday July, 8, 2009

July 8, 2009 of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Genesis:41; 55-57; 42: 1-7, 17-22A Psalm 33: 1-3, 10-11, 18-19 Matthew 10: 1-7
Response: “Lord, let Your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in You!”

The story of Joseph and 10 of his brothers is familiar to us. Joseph had been haughty and flaunted his father’s favoritism to him. So they conspired to kill him. However, Reuben, Leah’s oldest son by Jacob warned of the consequences if they murdered their father’s favorite. So, they sold him as a slave to a caravan passing by on their way to Egypt. Joseph was about 16 at the time.
Later, Rachael bore Benjamin and died in childbirth. Therefore, Israel tended to favor him thinking Joseph had been killed by animals.
As the story unwinds, because of his prowess as an interpreter of dreams and his prediction of 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine, the Pharaoh made him his Vizier;
In other words his Prime Minister and placed him in charge of the abundant storage of grain. Egypt became the world’s larder and even Israel and his sons suffered from famine.
Israel sent his sons, save Benjamin, to Egypt to get grain so his family could eat.
When they arrived to beg for grain, Joseph, unbeknownst to them, recognized them and had them imprisoned for three days. When he released them, as though through an interpreter, he listened to their imprecations for aid. However, in private, he understood them and wept when he saw them, his brothers. He provided them with a modicum of grain and sent them away with the proviso they must return with their youngest brother, otherwise they would receive no more provisions.
Joseph seemed vindicated but they weren’t too happy about the prospect of taking their y father’s youngest to get more grain.
The lesson we get from this incident in the history of Israel is we never know who. Who when or what will be the answer to our prayers. God moves in His own way and time to right the wrongs we perceive. If we trust in His providence, He will make available the necessary provisions to feed, clothe and house us and our families.

The response reminds us Who’s in charge. We are guided by the Spirit even when we don’t acknowledge it. Since He knows what has transpired and what’s up ahead, His view is paramount and not skewed by the blinders of Society.

Since Jesus was sent by His Father to instruct the Jews in their place in salvation, He selected 12 men to go to the 12 tribes. He granted them the Grace to heal the sick and infirm and to drive out demons in His name, He told them to stay away from the pagans and take His message to the tribes of Israel. He named twelve to correspond to the number of tribes and instructed them in their demeanor as they went from town to town.
They were to perform the same signs as He in His name so as to lend credence to His message.
His Church is the deposit of His teachings. When we recognize It is the dispenser of Grace and forgiveness, we become His messengers in turn!