Saturday 15 July
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor Saturday of week 14 in Ordinary Time First reading Genesis 49:29-33,50:15-26 “The evil you planned to do me has by God’s design been turned to good, that he might bring about, as indeed he has, the deliverance of a numerous people. So you need not be afraid; I myself will provide for you and your dependants.’ In this way he reassured them with words that touched their hearts”. Here we can see two important messages. First is that we should not be worried about the evil others plan against us. Because the design of God can turn the evil plans of others into good. This is the Lord in whom we trust. We are not afraid of the evil plans of others but we are confident of the design of God. Then the second message: we see the decision of Joseph to do the same. Against the evil done by his brothers he decides to do go good. Here we can see how the plan of God which changes the evil plan into good and the decision of Joseph to do the good instead of evil what they did to him are correlated or parallel. The plan of God coincides with ours. Let’s reflect: Are our plans correlated to the plan of God which turns evil into good?
Friday 14 July
Friday of week 14 in Ordinary Time Saint Camillus of Lellis, Priest First reading - Genesis 46:1-7,28-30 Jacob reached Beersheba. He must make a big decision. He is living the land which was given to him by the Lord. He offered sacrifices and waiting for the confirmation from the Lord that his decision to go to Egypt is right. God appears in a vision and confirms, “Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I myself will go down to Egypt with you. I myself will bring you back again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.’” The confirmation of the Lord is the strength of Jacob to go to Egypt. He goes to Egypt with this affirmation from the Lord. This interaction with the Lord is the real relationship which we must develop in our life. The communication between us and the Lord. The relationship of what happening in our life and this communication. Not that the communication with the Lord is one direction and the life events in other direction. Jacob was going to see his son whom he thought is dead. But his desire to see that son did not overtake his desire to get the confirmation from the Lord. Life events are directly connected to the relationship with God. Let’s reflect: how much my life events are connected to my communication with the Lord?
Thursday 13 July
Thursday of week 14 in Ordinary Time Saint Henry First reading - Genesis 44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5 “I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives.’”. Joseph forgave without conditions. And he says something also very important. Do not reproach yourselves for having sold me. The main challenge of forgiving is to forgive yourselves. We make mistakes. But we must learn how to live with our mistakes. We must learn how to forgive yourselves. How not to remain in the moment of mistake in our life. But to go forward with our life. Let’s reflect: Am I stuck with my mistakes or Am I moving forward?
Wednesday 12 July
Wednesday of week 14 in Ordinary Time First reading - Genesis 41:55-57,42:5-7,17-24 The Pharaoh of Egypt tells, “‘Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.’”. The entire famine is managed by Joseph. He is selling grain for all those coming from all over the world. Everyone must do what Joseph tells. Because Joseph did what God wants. He was faithful to God and did not keep anything against the ones who did hate him. He trusted in the Lord. He was not afraid of the malice of his brothers. He saw that the Lord is more powerful than the malice of his brothers. He kept moving in the direction the Lord wanted. He did not succumb to the temptations. He trusted again in the Lord. He saw that the Lord is more trustworthy than powerful persons. Let’s reflect: am I afraid to trust in the Lord before powerful persons?