Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Scripture which we have received today, we are all reminded of the great grace and blessings which God has given to us all, for all that He has done for us in each and every moments of our lives and in ensuring that we can attain true happiness and satisfaction through Him just as we have heard with the amazing story of reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. God has also called upon each and every one of us to be His faithful and holy disciples, sending us out on missions to reach out to many more people out there, in order to bring to them the Good News of God, Good News and truth that bring about transformation in the lives of those to whom we have brought them to, just as the Lord’s disciples had carried them out to the people to whom He was sending them at that time.

In our first reading today, as we have heard earlier on yesterday, it is the continuation of what we heard about the encounter between Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was then the powerful Regent of Egypt, the second most powerful person in all of Egypt after the Pharaoh himself, with his brothers who came from the land of Canaan. And at that time, the brothers of Joseph had not realised yet that the Regent of Egypt they were speaking to was in fact their own younger brother whom they had plotted against many years previously and sold off to slavery to a Midianite slaver who brought Joseph to Egypt. As I had elaborated and explained in yesterday’s homily and reflections, this was in fact part of God’s grand plan, putting into motion what seemed to be a tragedy, and turning it all into great things for everyone.

For as I mentioned yesterday, Joseph being sent to Egypt in fact became the catalyst for the events that would unfold for his whole family. Joseph would be the one to prepare for all of them to move over to the land of Egypt where they would prosper for some time before the eventual slavery their descendants would experience there, and all these were parts of God’s plan. God turned the humiliation and harm that was supposed to strike at Joseph into greatness, as he was rescued from his troubles and trials after many years, to be the one entrusted by the Pharaoh himself, the ruler of Egypt as his right hand man. That was how Joseph came to be the powerful Regent of Egypt, the one entrusted by the Pharaoh with the governance of the whole kingdom and the administration of its many rich resources.

And not only that, as I mentioned yesterday, through the shrewd administration that Joseph carried out, the wisdom that he had been given by God, he managed to save lots of grains and food in stockpile during the years of plentiful harvest that happened, in preparation for the seven years of famine that followed, which affected the whole entire world. Had Joseph not taken the precautionary steps and preparations earlier on, it would have led to countless people suffering from the famine and perishing, not just in Egypt but also in many other parts of the known world then. As it happened, Egypt had lots of food and resources, more than enough for themselves, and they could even sell to the other neighbouring countries and people, which set the stage for the reunion between Joseph and his brothers.

In what we heard in our first reading today was the moment, after Joseph first tested his brothers and discreetly showed that he knew them well even after all the years that passed, even when they all did not recognise him, eventually, after having asked them to bring Benjamin, his beloved younger brother to Egypt with them, and with Judah pleading on behalf of all his brothers to let Benjamin go as if he was to be kept in Egypt that would have doomed their father, Joseph eventually broke down and revealed to all of his brothers who he truly was. In a truly heartfelt moment of reconciliation and reunion, we saw the long awaited fulfilment of God’s grand plan, in turning evil and wickedness, darkness and jealousy into hope and light, love and reconciliation.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the instructions which the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples that He sent out ahead of Him, two by two to the different places and communities that He Himself would visit later on. This was so that they could do so many more works and impact the lives of so many more people, and the Lord told them all to carry no excessive items and goods with them, but just with their sandals and staffs. This was meant to let them to depend on the Lord for His Providence, through those people and communities that they were to encounter, rather than to depend on their own power and designs.

The Lord also reminded them that their paths and works might not be always smooth and good, as they would likely encounter rejection and opposition just as they would encounter successes and good results. But they must not let those to deter them from doing their works and missions, and instead, they should keep on going, doing whatever they could to glorify the Lord by their every works, efforts and endeavours. And this is therefore a reminder for all of us that we should also trust in the Lord in every missions, works and challenges that He has presented to us in our respective vocations and areas of responsibility in life. We should strive to do our best and be good role models and inspirations of faith for one another, at all times.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and reassure us all in our faith and in our journey through life, so that as He has shown and reminded us all through the story of the reconciliation and reunion of Joseph and his brothers, and what He Himself had told His disciples, all of us will be further strengthened and reassured, knowing that God has always been with us, and will always provide us all with everything that we need to move forward in life. May God bless us always in our every good endeavours, and help us in our every efforts and works, now and always. Amen.