Blessed Virgin Mary / St. Henry 

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊   Gen 49:29–32; 50:15–26a

（…….）    When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was dead they said, “What if Joseph turns against us in hate because of the evil we did him?

So they sent word to Joseph saying, “Before he died your father told us to say this to you: Please forgive the crime and the sin of your brothers in doing evil to you. Forgive the crime of the servants of your father’s God.” When he was given the message, Joseph wept. His brothers went and threw themselves down before him. 

  “We are your slaves, they said. But Joseph reassured them, “Don’t be afraid! Am I in the place of God? You intended to do me harm,   but God intended to turn it to good in order to bring about what is happening today－ the survival of many people. So have no fear! I will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he touched their hearts and consoled them. (……)

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

  Mt 10:24–33

“A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. A student should be content to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more, those of his household! So do not be afraid of them!

“There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, there is nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body,  but have no power to kill the soul.   Rather be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.      For a few cents you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father Knowing.  As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.

Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.    Whoever rejects me before others I will reject before my Father in heaven.

 

Reflection gospel：

“NO SPARROW FALL TO THE GROUND WITHOUT GOD’S NOTICE.”

Jesus continues to instruct the disciples to overcome their fear of foreseen suffering, persecution and strife. Using the imagery of God taking notice of the sparrow’s fall on the ground, Jesus reassures the disciples of God’s provident care. Jesus’ usage of this imagery is worth considering. Here and in other instances in the gospels, particularly in the parables about nature,

Jesus shows His profound understanding of the natural world as being loved by God, as a place of God. and as revelatory of God. Jesus finds God in the natural world as well as the world of human affairs (Denis Edwards). Both enjoy God’s loving embrace. If such is the case, the disciples need not worry, need not fear. Jesus’ statement “[Y]ou are worth more than many sparrows?” might be interpreted as humans being more important and enjoying privileged status before God. Rather, it is to be taken simply to stress the point that the disciples need not worry and need not fear.