Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Recognition of Joseph by his Brothers”
by Peter Cornelius, 1816-17

Readings for Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5
 
Judah approached Joseph and said: "I beg you, my lord,
let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,
and do not become angry with your servant,
for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'
So we said to my lord, 'We have an aged father,
and a young brother, the child of his old age.
This one's full brother is dead,
and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,
his father dotes on him.'
Then you told your servants,
'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.
Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,
you shall not come into my presence again.'
When we returned to your servant our father,
we reported to him the words of my lord.
 
"Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
So we reminded him, 'We cannot go down there;
only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,
for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.'
Then your servant our father said to us,
'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude
that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;
I have not seen him since.
If you now take this one away from me, too,
and some disaster befalls him,
you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.'"
 
Joseph could no longer control himself
in the presence of all his attendants,
so he cried out, "Have everyone withdraw from me!"
Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.
But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,
and so the news reached Pharaoh's palace.
"I am Joseph," he said to his brothers.
"Is my father still in good health?"
But his brothers could give him no answer,
so dumbfounded were they at him.
 
"Come closer to me," he told his brothers.
When they had done so, he said:
"I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.
But now do not be distressed,
and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you."
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Commentary on Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5
 
Joseph punishes his bothers for having sold him into slavery by tricking them into bringing Benjamin their youngest brother, who had taken Joseph’s place as the apple of his father’s eye. When he confronts them and sees their willingness to protect and save Benjamin, he reveals himself to them. Joseph tells his brothers that, in selling him to Egypt, they did God’s will since through him many lives were saved.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
 
R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
 
Psalm 105 is a historical hymn that recalls, in this selection, the Genesis story (Genesis 37:3ff), speaking of the fate of Joseph in Egypt and how God rescued and supported him in his slavery. It also recounts the actions of Joseph’s brothers, selling him into slavery in Egypt and speaks of the rise of Joseph in the house of pharaoh.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town."
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Commentary on Mt 10:7-15
 
Jesus instructs the Apostles, as he sends them on their mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. They are to go into the world without any provisions, and will depend upon the generosity of others. The Lord gives them authority over all manner of diseases and afflictions, but reminds them that they are not to request payment for these gifts of healing.
The Lord's instructions end with a warning to those who reject the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus tells the Apostles that those who reject the peace they offer will suffer, like those cut off from God's grace by the judgment upon those who perished in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah  (see Genesis 19:1-26).
 
CCC: Mt 10:5-7 543; Mt 10:8 1509, 2121, 2443; Mt 10:10 2122
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Reflection:
 
"What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). St. Paul paraphrases the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 64:3, 65:16) with these words and summarizes the lesson we take from Sacred Scripture at numerous points.  We see evidence of how this comes to pass in the story that continues to unfold in Genesis.
 
We are all familiar with the story of the sons of Jacob, how they sold their brother Joseph into slavery, and then told their father he had been killed.  In the first reading, we hear how their actions, as ignoble as they were, were used by God for the salvation of many, including those envious and mean-spirited brothers. 
 
The scenario has a familiar ring to it, does it not?  Even in our own lives, don’t we have a saying that “God never closes a door but that he opens a window?”  In this case God has set Joseph in a place where he can dispense food to those who might otherwise starve due to famine.  (If we really want to get twisted around we could ask: “Did God cause the famine so the brothers of Joseph would be forced to ask him for food, thereby exposing their evil deed and bringing salvation to Jacob at the same time?")  It is frequently the case that when we attempt to understand God’s plan, we find ourselves questioning his motives (look at the passion of Christ for example).  At some point, it is better to look at the end results and see how it all fits together.
 
The lesson of faith we learn is again summarized in St. Paul’s statement: we cannot conceive of what God has planned for us.  We are called to accept the following:  First, we accept that God loves us and has given us what we need to accomplish his will.  Second, he created us for a reason; he gives our lives purpose.
 
One of those “purposes” is implied in the Gospel from St. Matthew.  We are called by Christ and we are sent, armed with the Holy Spirit, into the world to proclaim the Good News.  It may be by word spoken or example lived, but it goes hand in hand with the call we received with our baptism, confirmed in the Holy Spirit, and reaffirmed in the Eucharist we share.
 
There may be those among us who say: “But I cannot do this.  I am shy or I am too old or too young or weak.”  We come back once more to St. Paul’s use of Isaiah’s prophecy. We cannot know God’s ultimate purpose, any more than Joseph did when he was sold into slavery, or the Apostles did when they were called away from their fishing nets. We do not know what God has prepared for those who love him.  In that love, we can only accept his call and marvel at the wondrous deeds he brings to pass.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Recognition of Joseph by his Brothers” by Peter Cornelius, 1816-17.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[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 republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.