The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the spreading of peace that is in a spirit of reconciliation.
In the reading from the Book of Genesis, Judah pleads for Benjamin’s release and Joseph
reveals himself to his brothers.
* [44:1–34] Joseph’s pressure on his brothers and Judah’s great speech. Judah has the longest speech in the Book of Genesis; it summarizes the recent past (vv. 18–29), shows the pain Joseph’s actions have imposed on their aged father (vv. 30–32), and ends with the offer to take the place of Benjamin as servant of Joseph (vv. 33–34). The role of Judah in the entire story is exceedingly important and is easily underrated: he tries to rescue Joseph (37:26–27), his “going down away from the brothers” is parallel to Joseph’s (chap. 38) and prepares him (as it prepares Joseph) for the reconciliation, his speech in chap. 44 persuades Joseph to reveal himself and be reconciled to his brothers. Here, Judah effectively replaces Reuben as a spokesman for the brothers. Jacob in his testament (chap. 49) devotes the most attention to Judah and Joseph. In one sense, the story can be called the story of Joseph and Judah. (Genesis, CHAPTER 44, n.d.)
Psalm 105 praises God’s Faithfulness to Israel.
* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew continues the Commissioning of the Twelve.
* [10:8–11] The Twelve have received their own call and mission through God’s gift, and the benefits they confer are likewise to be given freely. They are not to take with them money, provisions, or unnecessary clothing; their lodging and food will be provided by those who receive them.
* [10:13] The greeting of peace is conceived of not merely as a salutation but as an effective word. If it finds no worthy recipient, it will return to the speaker.
* [10:14] Shake the dust from your feet: this gesture indicates a complete disassociation from such unbelievers. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)
Vivian Amu comments that the Gospel simply prompts us to take nothing along on our journey; God's grace and love are sufficient for us. The Gospel doesn't just tell us to leave our baggage and attachments behind but also prompts us to resist picking up any along the way. Even the dust from our feet should be shaken off as if we were never in that place of rejection or hurt. We are to hold no grudges and bear no malice…. all these are dust… unnecessary baggage. We are to live, minister, and proclaim the word of God in our nakedness…our vulnerability.
Merciful God, help me with the dust I find difficult to shake off…the grudges, the betrayals, the rejections. Please help me to let go of what does not matter. Teach me to see beyond the obvious and anticipate your purposeful response. Teach me to travel lightly through life, so I may feel peace, experience true freedom, and practice discipleship free of measurement. All these I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. (Amu, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The gift of power to reign with the Lord,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"All the power possessed by the Lord is bestowed upon the apostles! Those who were prefigured in the image and likeness of God in Adam have now received the perfect image and likeness of Christ. They have been given powers in no way different from those of the Lord. Those once earthbound now become heaven-centered. They will proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, that the image and likeness of God are now appropriated in the company of truth, so that all the holy ones who have been made heirs of heaven may reign with the Lord. Let them cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils. Whatever impairment Adam's body had incurred from being goaded on by Satan, let the apostles wipe away through their sharing in the Lord's power. And that they may fully obtain the likeness of God according to the prophecy in Genesis, they are ordered to give freely what they freely have received (Matthew 10:8). Thus a gift freely bestowed should be freely dispensed." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 10.4) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5 comments that God had been using some painful moment to bring about an even greater good? Such “Aha!” moments don’t necessarily lessen our pain, but they do help us to see how faithful God is. We realize that he always had a good plan for our lives, even if we couldn’t see it at the time. And that leads us to trust him in a deeper way in all the events of our lives.
Jesus promises that when we finally see him face-to-face, we will all have our own “Aha!” moments. Then we will understand just how good and faithful our God is, and we will rejoice for all eternity!
“Father, help me to trust in your saving power, even in the midst of hardship.” (Meditation on Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler was not available at publication time.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that by following the examples of Jesus and Francis of Assisi (1182–1226), he encourages us to have inclusive compassion.
Franciscan spirituality puts a big exclamation point behind Jesus’ words, “The last will be first and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16; Luke 13:30) and Paul’s words, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Upside-downness is at the heart of our message, always prompting us to look more deeply and broadly at things. This opens our eyes to recognize God’s self-giving at the far edges where most of us cannot or will not see God, such as in other religions, in any we define as outsiders or sinners, and even to the farthest edge of our seeing, toward those who fight us and oppose us—our so-called enemies.
We must grow up to our full stature to find the full stature of God (Ephesians 4:13). Small souls are incapable of knowing a great God, and great souls are never satisfied with a small or stingy God. Once we become fully conscious ourselves, all things will be beautiful. [3] (Rohr, 2022)
We are challenged by the Spirit to encounter all people as children of God and seek peace that conquers the divisions that keep us apart.
References
Amu, V. (2023, July 13). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/071323.html
Genesis, CHAPTER 44. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/44?18
Matthew, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?
Meditation on Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/07/13/732823/
Psalms, PSALM 105. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?16
Rohr, R. (2022, March 31). Nothing is Excluded. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/nothing-is-excluded-2023-07-13/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Freely Have You Received - Freely Give. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jul13
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