Day 22: Go to Joseph

Genesis 41:1-32 Joseph’s ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dream with God’s assistance stands in strong contrast to the failure of the pagan magicians and wise men of Egypt to do so. The wonders that God can work are INFINITELY GREATER than any human wisdom or clever deception can accomplish. Moreover, the practice of the occult or black arts is a serious violation of moral law. (CCC 2115-2117)

Ch 41:33-57 Joseph followed up his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams by suggesting that he store up grain during the years of plenty in anticipation of the famine. Pharaoh was so impressed that he appointed Joseph to oversee the storage and distribution of grain and made him second in authority over all of Egypt. The signet that Pharaoh gave to Joseph (cf. Gn 38:18) was a sign of great authority to act as his deputy. (CCC 1295)

Ch 42:1-7 Joseph’s earlier dreams of his brothers bowing down to him came true when they came to him, now a governor in Egypt to ask for food.

Ch 42:8-24 Joseph’s actions in accusing his brothers of espionage, imprisoning them for three days, keeping Simeon in custody, and withholding his true identity had a salutary (beneficial) effect: Joseph succeeded in awakening the consciences of those who sought to kill him. In effect, Joseph's ruse brought his brothers to repentance. (CCC 1435, 1439, 1451-1454, 1490, 1492)

Job 33:23-24 Angels are personal spiritual beings created by God to serve him in a variety of ways, one of which is to be messengers to people. (CCC 336)

Ch 34:4 The quest for spiritual and moral perfection will be CHALLENGED ALWAYS by the presence of evil and suffering. (CCC 1732)

Proverbs 4:1-9 Throughout this book we are reminded frequently of the need to heed wisdom derived from fatherly experience. Wisdom ought to be handed down from one generation to the next within the family…(CCC 1666)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)

• The days of famine come, and its effects reach all the way to Jacob’s family in the land of Canaan. 

• Jacob sends ten of his sons down to Egypt to buy grain, keeping Rachel’s remaining son, Benjamin, safely at home. 

• When they arrive in Egypt, they encounter Joseph, but they do not recognize their brother, who is now several years older, wearing Egyptian dress, and speaking Egyptian. 

• When they see Joseph, adorned and robed as the prime minister of Egypt, “they bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground” (Gn 42:6), unwittingly fulfilling the very dreams they had sought to prevent by selling him as a slave. 

• Joseph, however, recognizes them, has them arrested and accuses them of being spies. 

• To verify the truth of their words that his younger brother, Benjamin, is still alive, Joseph binds Simeon and demands that the remaining brothers bring Benjamin to prove they are not spies. 

• Once again, the brothers must return to their father, Jacob, without one of their brethren. 

• Joseph sends the brothers, minus Simeon, back to their father Jacob. 

• However, he takes the money they had paid for the grain and conceals it in the sacks of grain. 

• This detail is crucial to the story’s plot: Joseph is reminding his brothers of their earlier sin. 

• When the brothers arrive home, they will have wealth, but one of their brothers will be gone! 

• Joseph re-creates the very scene the brothers maliciously had created in selling Joseph so many years earlier. 

• When the brothers arrive home enriched but without a brother, Jacob concludes they are clearly guilty of selling their brother Simeon as a slave to the Egyptians. 

• Jacob cries, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin; all this has come upon me” (Gn 42:36). 

• Note that Jacob blames them for the loss of Joseph and of Simeon. Jacob has seen a doubling of events—the returns of his sons enriched with silver and short a brother—and in the doubling he sees intentionality.

(*Walking with God: A Journey Through the Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)

• Go to Joseph….it becomes a marker for many of us who have a devotion to St. Joseph

• When we go to The Blessed Mother Mary, she points us to JESUS

• “Mary, bring me to your son”

• There are so many ways in which God has given us this foster father of Jesus as well

• St. Joseph is the one that we can go to, the one who took care of the BREAD FROM HEAVEN

• St. Joseph GUARDED the BREAD FROM HEAVEN to be able to be distributed to people who are dying of hunger (Do you see the parallel with Old Testament Joseph, or is it just me?)

• That’s US who are dying for Jesus in the Eucharist

• Consecration to St. Joseph done by Fr. Calloway 

• 30 or so days to get to know St. Joseph better and have a heart like his, like God’s

• St. Joseph is mostly SILENT in the Bible

• Old Testament Joseph also had a heart like God’s because he was faithful

• God was with Joseph, but also Joseph fought for God to be with him

• Joseph had opportunities to rebel and sin, but he CHOSE to remain faithful to the Lord (When we sin, what do WE choose?)

• No matter what we are going through today, we are also invited to do the same as Joseph

• FIGHT TO BE FAITHFUL

• Go to St. Joseph and let him take us through his intercession to his foster child and Lord, our God Jesus Christ

• Keep praying for each other

• Keep it up, you’re doing great

Prayer by Fr. Mike: "Father in Heaven, we thank you for your Word. We thank you for your gift. We thank you for revealing your heart to us as you reveal yourself to us always, constantly, through this journey of this Catholic Bible in a Year. We ask that you continue to lift up our minds and hearts to you as you reveal your mind and your heart to us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen."