Thursday, July 07, 2011 (Weekday)

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29, 45:1-5
Genesis 44:
18 Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, allow me to speak with you freely. Don't be angry with me; you are like the king himself.
19 Sir, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or another brother?’
20 We answered, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother, born to him in his old age. The boy's brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's children still alive; his father loves him very much.’
21 Sir, you told us to bring him here, so that you could see him,

23 Then you said, ‘You will not be admitted to my presence again unless your youngest brother comes with you.’
24 “When we went back to our father, we told him what you had said.
25 Then he told us to return and buy a little food.
26 We answered, ‘We cannot go; we will not be admitted to the man's presence unless our youngest brother is with us. We can go only if our youngest brother goes also.’
27 Our father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel bore me only two sons.
28 One of them has already left me. He must have been torn to pieces by wild animals, because I have not seen him since he left.
29 If you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, as old as I am.’
(45:1-5)
1 Joseph was no longer able to control his feelings in front of his servants, so he ordered them all to leave the room. No one else was with him when Joseph told his brothers who he was.
2 He cried with such loud sobs that the Egyptians heard it, and the news was taken to the king's palace.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But when his brothers heard this, they were so terrified that they could not answer.
4 Then Joseph said to them, “Please come closer.” They did, and he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
5 Now do not be upset or blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was really God who sent me ahead of you to save people's lives.

Psalms: Psalm 105:16-21
16 When he summoned a famine on the land, and broke every staff of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass the word of the LORD tested him.
20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions,

Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.
9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts,
10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food.
11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart.
12 As you enter the house, salute it.
13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.
15 Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomor'rah than for that town.

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
It was His Will that after His death the Church should give us His image in the crucifix, that he might appear to us in a condition of utmost ignominy. And why? He did it because He knew the worth of humility and the danger of the sin which opposes it.

-- St. Vincent de Paul