Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: #42 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians )

“Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”
by Abel Penn, c. 1920’s

 
Readings for Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary [4]
 
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 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
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"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. 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.
 
"The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his lord.  How well Jesus knows the human passion to surpass, to overtake, to win, to be-greater-than! How difficult it is for us as disciples to realize the truth that real growth and movement consist in staying where we are, that is, in our condition as disciples and servants! We naturally associate advancing and growing with ‘going up in the world,’ with ‘becoming someone.’ But the Lord reveals in his person that the way that truly leads up to God must first lead downward. The eternal, divine Word ‘humbled himself, and in obedience accepted even death. [...] Therefore God raised him  to the heights [...] so that [...] every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Philippians 2:8-11). [5]
 
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. Like the friends of Jesus (his disciples), we are 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 perish.
 
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
 

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by ‘BVM.’ The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” by Abel Penn, c. 1920’s.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 573.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Benedict
 
Biographical information about St. Benedict

“Saint Benedict”
by Fra Angelico,1387

 
Readings for Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
 
Israel set out with all that was his.
When he arrived at Beer-sheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called,
"Jacob! Jacob!"
He answered, "Here I am."
Then he said: "I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you;
I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes."
 
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba,
and the sons of Israel
put their father and their wives and children
on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.
They took with them their livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt.
His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters
all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
 
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph,
so that he might meet him in Goshen.
On his arrival in the region of Goshen,
Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.
And Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 46:1-7, 28-30
 
"Jacob goes down to Egypt forced by the famine which is ravaging the land of Canaan (cf. Genesis 47:4). The Lord has prepared the way for him by means of a series of painful events and a series of tests whose meaning is now plain to see." [4]
 
“Jacob's status is not reduced by his going into Egypt; on the contrary, it is enhanced and underlined: 'For, what does he need if God goes with him? [...] Who is as powerful in his homeland as Jacob was in a strange country? Who had such abundance of wealth, as he had in a time of famine? Who was as strong in his youth, as this man was in his old age? [...] Who was as rich in his kingdom, as this man on his pilgrimage? He even blessed kings [...], and who will call him poor whom the world was not worthy to know? for his company was in heaven, (St. Ambrose, ‘De Iacob Et Vita Beata', 2, 9. 38)." [5]

After being told years earlier that his son Joseph had been killed and been shown the bloodied coat he had given Joseph (Genesis 37:20-36), Jacob (Israel) and his son are reunited and the promise of God is fulfilled. Jacob travels to Egypt on God’s reassurance that he will not only be returned to the land he had been given, but that Joseph would “close his eyes,” a burial ritual.
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
 
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
 
This didactic selection from Psalm 37 promises the salvation of those who hear God’s voice and trust in him.  Central to this passage is the fidelity of God to those who are faithful.  Salvation for them is assured if they trust in him and take refuge in their faith. The author responds to the question: why do the wicked prosper? In these strophes, it continues the plea to be faithful to God, and remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist adds that those who turn away should return and God will give them salvation.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
 
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 10:16-23
 
“So long as we continue to behave as sheep, we are victorious. Even if ten thousand wolves surround us, we conquer and are victorious.  But the moment we become wolves, we are conquered, for we lose the help of the shepherd.  He is the shepherd of sheep, not of wolves.  If he leaves you and goes away, it is because you do not allow him to show his power.” (St. John Chrysostom, Homilie in Mattheum, 33.)
 
Jesus concludes his instruction to the apostles in this selection from Matthew’s Gospel. We begin to hear about the persecutions that attend the spreading of the Gospel. Those who spread that Good News are encouraged not to worry about an apologia (defense), but rather to trust in the Holy Spirit, the Father “speaking through you.”
 
Matthew’s final statement, referring to the coming of the Son of Man, has a couple of possible explanations. First it could be referring to the return of Christ after his crucifixion. It could also mean the punishment of the unbelieving Jewish people by the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD.
 
CCC: Mt 10:16 764; Mt 10:19-20 728; Mt 10:22 161, 1821
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Reflection:
 
“See how they love one another.” (While this sounds biblical it is actually popularized form of a quote from Tertullian’s noted Apologia [39.6] written in the third century.)  The implication is that non-Christians would be able to identify us by the way we behave toward one another (and others as well, since the injunction to love one’s neighbor does not simply mean other Christians).  This action of “loving one another” is an outward sign of an interior faith.  There are a number of factors that must be present before we demonstrate to the world that we are Christian through our actions.
 
In the story unfolding in Genesis, we see Jacob (Israel) challenged to give up his belief in God’s love and mercy by the events taking place in his life.  He was led to believe by his sons that his favored son, Joseph, had been killed.  In spite of this evidence of his eyes, God promised Jacob he would see Joseph again before he died.  What elevates Jacob to the status of patriarch of the faith is that, even though he had been convinced that Joseph was dead, he believed God’s promise.  His faith was strong in the face of overwhelming physical evidence to the contrary.
 
In St. Matthew’s Gospel Jesus warns the disciples that they will have their faith tested as well.  He tells them “I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves.”  Indeed, all but one of the Twelve will be killed by those to whom they are sent.  In all cases, the apostles are elevated to that same holy status as Jacob, all save one – Judas.  Judas’ failure was not that he turned Jesus over to be executed.  His failure was that he negotiated on a key point of faith.  He could not accept that Jesus was meant to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah in the way he ultimately did, through humble service.
 
As in these two examples (Jacob and the disciples), each of us also faces challenges to our faith.  Like Judas, we are offered the option of negotiating the core values that make us Christian.  We can choose an easier path, ignoring the poor and marginalized, choosing our own comfort over the greater good of our neighbors, selfishness over generosity.  These choices face us each day. We pray for the intercession of those who have gone before us in faith. May we be steadfast in our love of God and neighbor, thereby maintaining our friendship with Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is the Darmstadt Altarpiece: “Saint Benedict” by Fra Angelico,1387.
[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.
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 212.
[5] Ibid. pp. 213-14.

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."
-------------------------------------------
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.
 
"The episode begins and ends with Jacob or Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. It is he who suggests at the beginning a trip to Egypt to “buy a little food”; it is he who finally agrees to go down himself “to see my son Joseph before I die” (43:2; 45:28). He is still the patriarchal head of his extended family, who takes the initiative and makes the ultimate decision to send Benjamin and later to move to Egypt, but in other respects he is very much yesterday’s man. He is still living in the past, now lavishing all his love on Benjamin as formerly he did on Joseph, still regarding Rachel as his only wife, still mourning the death of Joseph (44:27–30), and still mistrustful of his other sons (43:6; 45:26). Yet eventually he concedes what they request, permission for Benjamin to accompany them to Egypt. Though this concession is wrung out of him reluctantly, he then takes charge, trusting as he did with Esau that a large present and divine grace will make 'the man' merciful (43:11–14)." [4]
 
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
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.
 
-------------------------------------------
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."
-------------------------------------------
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).
 
"Is Jesus not sending his disciples to men, just as he had himself come to pitch his own tent among us, a man among men? Toward the end of this passage, indeed, he refers to himself as ‘the Son of Man’ (v. 23), source of the disciples’ hope and spiritual power, for whose sake they were undertaking this difficult mission." [5]
 
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.
[4] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 430–31.
[5] Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo. Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Meditations on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition, p. 685.

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Chinese Martyrs
 
Proper readings for St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions
 
Additional information about St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions

“Joseph in the Pharaoh's Palace”
by Jacopo Amigoni, c. 1730’s

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a
 
When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world.
 
The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations.
 
It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them.
 
With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.
 
On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
"Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die."
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
"Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us."
Reuben broke in,
"Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood."
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept.
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Commentary on Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a
 
We take up the story of Joseph, the youngest son of Jacob, in midstream. Joseph’s brothers are in Egypt asking Joseph for rations though they do not recognize him. At this point in the story, they had already sold Joseph into slavery out of jealousy and told his father he was dead. Now they are forced to deal with their guilt as they must decide their own fate, unknowingly at the feet of the brother they had wronged. For the first time, Joseph understands their motives and weeps. For their part, the brothers begin to sense divine retribution for the wrong they had done to Joseph.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
 
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
 
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
 
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
 
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
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Commentary on Ps 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
 
Psalm 33 is a song of thanksgiving and praise.  In this passage, we hear praise for God’s mercy to his people.  The psalmist reflects upon the futility of the plans of humanity and the wonder of God’s plan.  The concluding strophe recalls the salvation God has planned for his faithful.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7
 
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.
 
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"
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Commentary on Mt 10:1-7
 
Following the instructions to the Twelve on how they are to evangelize given in the preceding chapter, Jesus now sends them out. St. Matthew’s Gospel does not tell the stories of how they were called but provides the names and mission of the disciples. It is only in Matthew that the Twelve are designated as apostles reflecting the mission and role they fulfill. They are then sent, but only to the “chosen people.” This focus on the Jewish audience tells us that St. Matthew’s Gospel was originally directed principally at Hebrew Christians.
 
CCC: Mt 10:5-7 543
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Reflection:
 
What would we think if a person we did not know came up to us and said: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”?  Even if we look at the next verses of St. Matthew’s Gospel, that phrase is not explained.  He sends his disciples into the world to bring healing to the sick and hope to the poor but what does he mean: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”?
 
If this phrase were spoken to us in the context of someone attempting to evangelize us, would we not immediately think that person was telling us: “The world is coming to an end” or “It’s the end of the world”?  The disciples Jesus was sending must certainly have had a clear understanding of what the idea of the kingdom of heaven was about.  For our own purposes, since we are also to follow these apostles in their mission, we must also have a clear understanding of what is meant or implied by the “kingdom of heaven.”
 
The whole concept of a “kingdom” is the first term we must define.  Kingdom is defined by an unabridged dictionary as:
 
5. the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ.
6. the domain over which the spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ extends, whether in heaven or on earth. [4]
 
So, when the disciples proclaim the kingdom of heaven, they are announcing that God’s power or authority will be extended over those to whom this event is announced.  In the terms and tradition in which this message was proclaimed, the idea of a temporal kingdom had a more profound understanding.  The people who were to receive this message, “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” would have been under Roman authority, part of the Roman Empire, dominated by the emperor of Rome who ruled through Pontius Pilate with King Herod as regional monarch.
 
The whole notion that power and authority would be given over to God, the one true God known to the house of Israel as Yahweh, could mean only one thing: the promised Messiah was at hand.  It would mean that the secular rule and values would no longer be the measure by which their actions were governed, but the law of God would be the standard by which judgment would be passed.
 
In a very spiritual sense, they announced the end of the world as it was known (we are back to that idea).  God’s kingdom, his heavenly kingdom on earth, must be a different kind of world.  It is a place of love and understanding, a place where God’s will is recognized and the commandments are obeyed.
 
When we come to understand the vision of Jesus for the world both now and in God’s kingdom of heaven, our eternal home, it becomes easier to place into context the message we are to convey through our words and actions.  We must be cautious to use language that will be understood correctly.  We cannot, in the context of our society, use the exact words Jesus sent the Twelve to announce.  Most people would not understand the message.  Rather we are called to find ways to make that announcement in ways easily understood by the “lost sheep” we encounter.
 
Today we pray for the grace and strength to proclaim that message.  We also hope for the faith to understand that it is the message given to us as well.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Joseph in the Pharaoh's Palace” by Jacopo Amigoni, c. 1730’s.
[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.
[4] "kingdom." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 07 Jul. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kingdom>.