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Friday, July 9, 2021

-- Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

-- St. Augustine Zhao Rong, , and Companions, Martyrs

-- Fr. Sherdel’s Morning Mass Intention: MaryJo Glasser

First Reading: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30

Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at Beer- sheba, he offered sacrifices to the of his father . There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called, “! Jacob!” He answered, “Here I am.” Then he said: “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to , for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after has closed your eyes.”

So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that had sent for his transport. They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of . Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt. His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters all his descendants — he took with him to Egypt.

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. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Trust in the Lord and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart’s requests. R/.

The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever. They are not put to shame in an evil time; in days of famine they have plenty. R/.

Turn from evil and do good, that you may abide forever; For the Lord loves what is right, and forsakes not his faithful ones. R/.

The salvation of the just is from the Lord; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. R/.

Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their , and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Reflection

I am God. . . . Do not be afraid. (Genesis 46:3) It must not have been easy for Jacob. Long before he had any children, he had heard God promise, “In you and your descendants all the families of the earth will find blessing” (Genesis 28:14). But Jacob’s children didn’t always live up to the promise embedded in these words. Read their story, and you’ll find instances of deceit, incest, murder, and violence (34–46). There must have been times when Jacob worried that his children would never become the source of blessing for “all the families of the earth” (28:14). But finally, after thirty years of waiting, Jacob saw his sons repent and reconcile with their brother Joseph, whom they had kidnapped and sold into slavery. Now, it seemed, God’s promise could be fulfilled. If you have waited and waited — seemingly for your whole life — for God to answer a prayer, remember this: the facts of our faith are not augmented or diminished, enlightened or dimmed by our experience. And these are the facts: God is good. God is almighty. God is faithful. He hears our cries and fulfills the desires of all who fear him (Psalm 145:19). And God cares about you. It’s natural to focus on loss, or want, or what you believe is the answer to your prayer. It’s also natural, especially after you have waited for a long time, to be resigned to more of the same: silence from God. But just as God foresaw the famine coming to Israel when Jacob did not, he always sees a bigger picture. God had a plan to provide for Jacob’s family and to heal them. God sees the bigger picture for your life too, and he will fulfill it, regardless of how things look today. Are you waiting for an answer to a prayer? Start by affirming who God is. Name as many of his attributes as you can. When you read Scripture, look for his attributes, and make a running list of them. Praise and thank him for them. Ask the to plant faith deep in your heart. Ask him to open your eyes to see for yourself how the Lord is watching over your life and doing good for you. God, you know my heart and my needs. Today I ask that you help me see your goodness and your care for my life.

An Act of Spiritual Communion

My , I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Prayer to St. the

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the . May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into , and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.