These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
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. (Gen 46:1-7, 28-30)
A long hoped-for reunion between a parent and a child, more than 10 years in some cases—well, it doesn’t get much better than that!
“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.” (Gen 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5)
The story of the Patriarch Joseph continues today with the great reveal . . . “I am your brother Joseph.” Wow! God always has surprises for us, because God always has a plan.
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. (Gen 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a)
The Joseph cycle within the patriarchal history is like reading a short story of sorts. It’s concise, to the point, with an exotic setting (Egypt), loaded with sibling rivalry conflict, and with the fascinating character of Joseph, the Jewish kid who does great, (a rags to riches story), rising to the top of Egyptian society and power. It’s a fascinating story that sets up the Exodus.
The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” (Gen 32:23-33)
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd. (Mt 9:32-38)
Sometimes when we have struggled and yet perservered, we should not let the angel go until we have asked for a blessing. And the Lord will give us a blessing because he is the Good Shepherd, and we always have a place in his heart.
He called the site Bethel,
Jacob then made this vow:
“This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God’s abode.” (Gen 28:10-22a)
Bethel means “house of God.” My grandmother’s family members are buried at Bethel Cemetery in the Mount Olivet Community of Leavenworth County, Kansas. Today’s picture is of my grandmother and her brother visiting their graves in the Bethel Cemetery, "the house of God."
