names of the Twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the
son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax
collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas
Iscariot, the man who would betray him.
Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instructions: “Do not visit pagan territory and
do not enter a Samaritan town. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go,
and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.
Reflect
The story of Joseph and his brothers is a story of family trauma, betrayal, and ultimately
reconciliation. Joseph’s older brothers hate him. The roots of their hatred were found in
Jacob’s unequal treatment of his children and his clear preference for Joseph. Joseph’s
arrogance and tale-telling clearly didn’t help matters, but nothing could justify his brothers’
actions, selling him into slavery. Humbled by his experience of slavery and jail, Joseph is
able to reach out to his brothers with forgiveness when they reach out to him in need.
Many of our families are suffering as well. People nurse hurts and are estranged. Some
suffer from trauma. Others struggle with petty grudges that disrupt family unity. What
healing does your family need? How can you help to heal the hurts of the past? For what
do you need to request or offer forgiveness? How can you be reconciled? Only in God
can our families be strong. Let us pray to grow in love and unity.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023