One Walk

Dear Lord God, I know what I lack, I know where I stumble, I know where I am weak, I know when I am being selfish and prideful, I know when I am being judgmental; but I do not know how to avoid putting myself in situations or with people that bring the worst out, rather than the best. I mean I know I must meet the needs and serve others and stay connected to You to be filled with what I need to give, but I keep failing the test in real time. I mean I know I must always be gentle and kind, delivering all I say and do with love, even if it is a convicting message. I know when I fail to do this because the Spirit immediately convicts me, even if the situation and conversation does not turn into an ugly shouting match, which is what seems to happen far too often. All this not only takes away from my walk with You, but also fails to do what I seek. O Lord feel my cry! Show me the way; give me the knowledge and wisdom to be helpful and insightful in my words and an example in my actions, even if the action is to persevere in seeking Your will and trying to live by Your word, always in prayer and in thanks giving, always ready to Shake the dust from my feet. O Lord that You would bless me indeed, enlarge my territory and keep me from evil and from causing pain. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

If we should be saved and become saints, we ought always to stand at the gates of the Divine mercy to beg and pray for, as an alms, all that we need.

— St. Alphonsus Liguori

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

18 Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, `Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, `We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children; and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, `Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’ 24 When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, `Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, `We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, `You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I have never seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.’

1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, "Make every one go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, I pray you." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Psalm 105:16-21

16 When he summoned a famine on the land, and broke every staff of bread, 17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19 until what he had said came to pass the word of the LORD tested him. 20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of the peoples set him free; 21 he made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions,

Bible Study: [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people. Cf Psalm 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Psalm 105:1-6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Psalm 105:7-11). In every phase of the national story–the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Psalm 105:12-15), Joseph in Egypt (Psalm 105:16-22), Israel in Egypt (Psalm 105:23-38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Psalm 105:39-45)–God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants.

Matthew 10:7-15

7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay. 9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, salute it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomor’rah than for that town.

Bible Study: [10:1-11:1] After an introductory narrative (Matthew 10:1-4), the second of the discourses of the gospel. It deals with the mission now to be undertaken by the disciples (Matthew 10:5-15), but the perspective broadens and includes the missionary activity of the church between the time of the resurrection and the parousia. 2 His twelve disciples: although, unlike Mark (Mark 3:13-14) and Luke (Luke 6:12-16), Matthew has no story of Jesus’ choosing the Twelve, he assumes that the group is known to the reader. The earliest New Testament text to speak of it is 1 Cor 15:5. The number probably is meant to recall the twelve tribes of Israel and implies Jesus’ authority to call all Israel into the kingdom. While Luke (Luke 6:13) and probably Mark (Mark 4:10, 34) distinguish between the Twelve and a larger group also termed disciples, Matthew tends to identify the disciples and the Twelve. Authority . . . every illness: activities the same as those of Jesus; see Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35; 10:8. The Twelve also share in his proclamation of the kingdom (Matthew 10:7). But although he teaches (Matthew 4:23; 7:28; 9:35), they do not. Their commission to teach comes only after Jesus’ resurrection, after they have been fully instructed by him (Matthew 28:20). [8-11] The Twelve have received their own call and mission through God’s gift, and the benefits they confer are likewise to be given freely. They are not to take with them money, provisions, or unnecessary clothing; their lodging and food will be provided by those who receive them. [13] The greeting of peace is conceived of not merely as a salutation but as an effective word. If it finds no worthy recipient, it will return to the speaker. [14] Shake the dust from your feet: this gesture indicates a complete disassociation from such unbelievers.