Forgiveness and Persecution

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek forgiveness for our shortcomings even as we pursue our mission to share the mercy and love of Christ in an environment that may reject our efforts.

Forgive our Persecution

In the reading from the Book of Genesis, Joseph’s Brothers plea for forgiveness after the death of Joseph.

* [50:15–26] The final reconciliation of the brothers. Fearful of what may happen after the death of their father, the brothers engage in a final deception, inventing the dying wish of Jacob. Again, Joseph weeps, and, again, his brothers fall down before him, offering to be his slaves (44:16, 33). Joseph’s assurance is also a summation of the story: “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people” (v. 20). Joseph’s adoption of the children of Manasseh’s son Machir recalls Jacob’s adoption of his grandchildren (48:5, 13–20); the adoptions reflect tribal history (cf. Jgs 5:14). (Genesis, CHAPTER 50 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 105 is a hymn to God recalling God’s promises.

* [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 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus implores us to have Courage Under Persecution.

* [10:25] Beelzebul: see Mt 9:34 for the charge linking Jesus with “the prince of demons,” who is named Beelzebul in Mt 12:24. The meaning of the name is uncertain; possibly, “lord of the house.”

* [10:26] The concealed and secret coming of the kingdom is to be proclaimed by them, and no fear must be allowed to deter them from that proclamation.

* [10:32–33] In the Q parallel (Lk 12:8–9), the Son of Man will acknowledge those who have acknowledged Jesus, and those who deny him will be denied (by the Son of Man) before the angels of God at the judgment. Here Jesus and the Son of Man are identified, and the acknowledgment or denial will be before his heavenly Father. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kathy Kemler comments that in Christian life we are busy caring for others…children, parents, our ministries, being women and men for others, but we are called to more.

We are called to receive God’s love.  It’s one reason why I love to go outside during the day. I look at the sky, the trees, a flower and my thoughts immediately turn to God and I am reminded of God’s love and how God is speaking to me through nature.  That in turn reminds me to think about how God has given me something that day and to take a moment to look back and see what it was.  It’s like a micro-Examen as it only takes a moment and I can reflect about that in walking from one building to the next. Then I can whisper a word of thanks. (Kemler, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Do not bewail death - but sin,” by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD).

"The gospel is life. Impiety and infidelity are the death of the soul. So then, if the soul can die, how then is it yet immortal? Because there is always a dimension of life in the soul that can never be extinguished. And how does it die? Not in ceasing to be life but by losing its proper life. For the soul is both life to something else, and it has it own proper life. Consider the order of the creatures. The soul is the life of the body. God is the life of the soul. As the life that is the soul is present with the body, that the body may not die, so the life of the soul (God) ought to be with the soul that it may not die."

"How does the body die? By the departure of the soul. I say, by the departure of the soul the body dies, and it lies there as a mere carcass, what was a little before a lively, not a contemptible, object. There are in it still its several members, the eyes and ears. But these are merely the windows of the house; its inhabitant is gone. Those who bewail the dead cry in vain at the windows of the house. There is no one there within it to hear... Why is the body dead? Because the soul, its life, is gone. But at what point is the soul itself dead? When God, its life, has forsaken it... This then we can know and hold for certain: the body is dead without the soul, and the soul is dead without God. Every one without God has a dead soul. You who bewail the dead rather should bewail sin. Bewail ungodliness. Bewail disbelief." (excerpt from SERMON 65.5-7) (Schwager, n.d.)

In the Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26 Jesus tells his disciples—three times—“Do not be afraid” (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31). They are about to head out on their first missionary journey, so he reassures them that his Father will protect them and care for their needs. Even though they are weak and sinful disciples, just like the rest of us, God loves them deeply and will not turn his back on them. Even if they were to fail in their mission, he will continue to love them.

Don’t be afraid! Let Jesus reassure you that nothing you can do or say could ever cause him to reject you. No matter what you are concerned about, he is always ready to run out and embrace you with his overflowing love and mercy.

“Thank you, Jesus, for loving me so completely!”(Meditation on Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that in the Genesis passage Jacob has come down to Egypt and asks to be buried in the tomb of Isaac and Sarah. When he dies the brothers fear Joseph will punish the, but he leaves punishment to God and seeks similar burial. Jesus said the apostles will suffer but God will protect them. Trust in Providence to provide the needs of their mission. In persecution, trust in the help of God. Friar Jude reminds us of the “martyrdom of pinpricks” through which God sees this as an opportunity for grace transformed by love. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces theologian Megan McKenna who reflects on the tale of Jonah as a modern-day parable of repentance. Jonah was so angry at YHWH’s mercy that he wanted to die, knowing that the turn of events would ruin his credibility at home!… YHWH rebuked him, expressing [God’s] concern for the people of Nineveh.

What if [Christians in the United States were sent] a Buddhist prophet who lamented our insistence on the right to manufacture and keep on “ready-alert status” millions of nuclear weapons, defense missile systems, radioactive and depleted uranium bullets, and land mines? What if the prophet declared that our weapons and our covert low-intensity war policies at home and around the world were destroying any possibility of world harmony and that within forty days we would all be destroyed? Suddenly Jonah’s position isn’t so laughable but is, rather, worthy of a serious call to examine our national conscience. (Rohr, n.d.) 

 

We are in a time where persecution and forgiveness are very present in our society and we need to invoke the Spirit as our guide to action as sheep among wolves.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 50 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/50 

Kemler, K. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-12-2025 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?24 

Meditation on Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/07/12/1330043/ 

Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jonah-and-gods-scandalous-mercy-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul12 

 

Persecution and Migration

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to attend to our responsibility in the face of persecution of people who migrate to protect the safety, health, and survival of their families.

Migrants and Mercy

The reading from the Book of Genesis describes the migration of Jacob and family to Egypt.

* [46:1–47:26] Jacob and his family settle in Egypt. Joseph’s economic policies.

* [46:3] I am God: more precisely according to the Hebrew text, “I am El.” “El” is here a divine name, not the common noun “god.” (Genesis, CHAPTER 46 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 37 responds to the problem of evil.

* [Psalm 37] The Psalm responds to the problem of evil, which the Old Testament often expresses as a question: why do the wicked prosper and the good suffer? The Psalm answers that the situation is only temporary. God will reverse things, rewarding the good and punishing the wicked here on earth. The perspective is concrete and earthbound: people’s very actions place them among the ranks of the good or wicked. Each group or “way” has its own inherent dynamism—eventual frustration for the wicked, eventual reward for the just. The Psalm is an acrostic, i.e., each section begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has its own imagery and logic. (Psalms, PSALM 37 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns of coming persecutions for followers of the Way.

* [10:21] See Mi 7:6 which is cited in Mt 10:35, 36.

* [10:22] To the end: the original meaning was probably “until the parousia.” But it is not likely that Matthew expected no missionary disciples to suffer death before then, since he envisages the martyrdom of other Christians (Mt 10:21). For him, the end is probably that of the individual’s life (see Mt 10:28).

* [10:23] Before the Son of Man comes: since the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age had not taken place when this gospel was written, much less during the mission of the Twelve during Jesus’ ministry, Matthew cannot have meant the coming to refer to the parousia. It is difficult to know what he understood it to be: perhaps the “proleptic parousia” of Mt 28:16–20, or the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, viewed as a coming of Jesus in judgment on unbelieving Israel. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Sara Schulte-Bukowinski was recently present as a prayerful witness to an ICE raid in Omaha. The desperation of family members trying to reach their loved ones was palpable. Those detained that day were not violent criminals, but people who had worked hard, some for decades, in her own city. They are people who raised families, paid taxes and were trying to create a better life for their children.

Looking at our gospel for today one could make the argument that their persecution was not because of their faith in the Lord. However, what stirs in my heart as I read today’s readings (especially the psalm) is that the pursuit of freedom, justice, and the dignity that comes from one’s labor are indeed Kingdom values. In any case, our gospel today is clear that the political authority of the world will sometimes be in conflict with the exercise of faith. This does not mean I can have a flagrant disregard for laws in general, but it does mean that I must never confuse the law of the land with the Law of the Lord. I must strive to follow the latter and trust in the Lord, even when it brings painful division, even should it bring persecution.

Lord grant us wisdom to hear your call, and the courage to respond. (Schulte-Bukowinski, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Spirit of your heavenly Father speaks through you in every age,” by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD).

"To be sure, we heard in that reading, 'But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you are to speak... for it is not you who are speaking but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you.' And he says in another place: 'Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world' (Matthew 28:20). Does this mean that the people who heard those words of the Lord would be here until the end of the world? The Lord was referring, rather, not only to those about to depart from this life but also to the others, including us and those who would come after us in this life. He saw everyone in his single body, and the words he spoke, 'I am with you even to the end of the world,' were heard by them and by us too. And if we did not hear them then in our knowledge, we heard them in his foreknowledge. Therefore, safe as sheep among the wolves, let us keep the commandments of him who directs us. And let us be 'innocent as doves but cautious as snakes' (Matthew 10:16). Innocent as doves that we may not harm anyone; cautious as snakes that we may be careful of letting anyone harm us." (excerpt from the Sermon 44a.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 comments that moving is always stressful, and pulling up roots to move to a foreign country is ten times as challenging! So imagine, in today’s reading, Jacob assembling his caravan—his growing family, their possessions, and all the flocks and herds they tended.

You may find yourself today in new circumstances or unfamiliar territory. You may be facing opposition from someone close to you. You may even end up wrestling with old patterns of thinking or habitual sin. Yet these are the times when God’s promises mean the most. So whatever you are facing, you can also expect the Lord to stay close to you. Even if you have to “go down to Egypt” today, know that you won’t be going alone!

“Lord, help me to stand on your promises and take refuge in your presence!” (Meditation on Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the Genesis passage where the brothers of Joseph invite Jacob to Egypt, who is always thinking of self even as God tells him to be a great nation. As Jacob is welcomed into the Nile delta, the author calls the man Israel, the name associated with wrestling with God as a man of integrity struggling to find the Will of God. Matthew’s Gospel declares the Apostles will suffer and will need to be shrewd and clever to survive. Friar Jude notes they were handed to death, even by family. Near 85 CE Jewish rabbis decided to kick Christians out of the synagogue as heretics to burn in hell forever, Friar Jude notes that what Jesus came true in Matthew’s time.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares how the story of Jonah became so important to him and his framework of transformation.

I’ve always made a great deal of the passage where Jesus says, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah” (Luke 11:29). He is saying that his message is simple and clear: You’ve got to die before you die. In rites of initiation we teach people that they have to go down before they can possibly go up. In modern psychological language, we call it the death of the ego or the separate self. What has to die is our sense of separateness, because what goes with separateness is superiority. Once we define ourselves according to our nationality, culture, religion, or identity, then we feel we have to defend each one of those. What a waste of energy! We sink to scolding and blaming; not just are we “number one,” but everybody else is a second-class citizen.  

That’s how dualistic our thoughts become. When the private ego didn’t die, Christianity even made salvation into a victory trip, thinking we knew who “won.” To undergo the sign of Jonah feels like losing, and by worldly standards, it looks like it, too. The sign of Jonah is a symbol of surrender, of letting go, of giving up. Most of us wouldn’t describe those as the stages of the journey of enlightenment, but they’re much closer to the real truth and the real journey. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder our spiritual heritage of migration to living as disciples of Christ and implore the Spirit to activate our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader in our actions to support brothers and sisters seeking to migrate for the sake of their family well being.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 46 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/46?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?16 

Meditation on Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/07/11/1329579/ 

Psalms, PSALM 37 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/37?3 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-story-of-transformation/ 

Schulte-Bukowinski, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-11-2025 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Sheep in the Midst of Wolves - Wise and Innocent. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul11