＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

Genesis 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5*

Judah then went forward and said,

“My lord, allow your servant to speak.(…..) You then told us that if our youngest brother did not come with us, we would not be admitted to your presence. All this we said to our father on returning there. So when he toldus to come back and buy a little food,   we said: ‘We cannot go down again unless our youngest brother is with us.

We shall not be admitted to the lord’s presence unless our brother is with us.’  Then my father said: ‘You know that my wife had two children.   One went away from me and has surely been torn to pieces since I have not seen him anymore.   If you take this one from me and something happens to him you will bring my gray hair in sorrow to the grave.’ (………)

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” And his brothers could not answer because they were terrified at seeing him.   Joseph said, “Come closer,” and they drew nearer. “I am Joseph your brother, yes, it’s me, the one you sold to the Egyptians.  Now don’t grieve and reproach yourselves for selling me, because God has sent me before you to save your lives.

 

Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21

Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 10:7-15

 Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.   Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received, freely give.

  Do not carry any gold, silver or money in your purses.   Do not take a traveling bag,or anextra  shirt, or sandals, or walking-stick: workers deserve to be compensated.

 When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave.

 As you enter the house, wish it peace.   If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you.

When you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people are worthy people,your peace will rest on them;if they are notworthy people,your blessing will come back to you.

And if you are not welcomed and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and shake the dust off your feet.  I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for the people of that town.

 

Gospel Reflection：

The mission that Jesus commands his disciples to do has structure and process. That is why it is easy to follow, although how it is done may be the hard part. But the mission is clear and easy to understand. The first part is the content of the good news and what they must do to reinforce it.

The good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. The manifestation is healing and restoration to good health, liberation from the bondage of evil and the return to life. The second part is how the missionary has to prepare. Bring only the barest minimum, avoid skipping from one house to the next and conserve one's energy by not spending a long time to convince those who would not believe. Because of its clarity, the first mission endeavor of the group is a resounding success.