20250710 HEALING OF MEMORIES
10 July 2025, Thursday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Genesis 44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5 |
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers
Judah went up to Joseph and said, ‘May it please my lord, let your servant have a word privately with my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord questioned his servants, “Have you father or brother?” And we said to my lord, “We have an old father, and a younger brother born of his old age. His brother is dead, so he is the only one left of his mother, and his father loves him.” Then you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.” But you said to your servants, “If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not be admitted to my presence again.” When we went back to your servant my father, we repeated to him what my lord had said. So when our father said, “Go back and buy us a little food,” we said, “We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down, for we cannot be admitted to the man’s presence unless our youngest brother is with us.” So your servant our father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two children. When one left me, I said that he must have been torn to pieces. And I have not seen him to this day. If you take this one from me too and any harm comes to him, you will send me down to Sheol with my white head bowed in misery.” If I go to your servant my father now, and we have not the boy with us, he will die as soon as he sees the boy is not with us, for his heart is bound up with him. Then your servants will have sent your servant our father down to Sheol with his white head bowed in grief.’
Then Joseph could not control his feelings in front of all his retainers, and he exclaimed, ‘Let everyone leave me.’ No one therefore was present with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers, but he wept so loudly that all the Egyptians heard, and the news reached Pharaoh’s palace.
Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?’ His brothers could not answer him, they were so dismayed at the sight of him. Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ When they had come closer to him he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):16-21 |
Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord called down a famine on the land;
he broke the staff that supported them.
He had sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
or
Alleluia!
His feet were put in chains,
his neck was bound with iron,
until what he said came to pass
and the word of the Lord proved him true.
Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
or
Alleluia!
Then the king sent and released him
the ruler of the people set him free,
making him master of his house
and ruler of all he possessed.
Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mk1:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent and believe the Good News.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 10:7-15 |
You received without charge: give without charge
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.
‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.’
HEALING OF MEMORIES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Gn 44:18-21,23-29, 45:1-5, Ps 105:16-21; Mt 10:7-15]
In the gospel, the apostles were asked to “proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.” Proclaiming the reign of God cannot be merely a matter of words but a real demonstration that God reigns in our midst through the works of healing and victory over the evil one. This is why the Lord reminds the apostles that “As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. ” As apostles of the Lord, we are called to bring peace to humanity.
This peace comes about through reconciliation with God and with our fellowmen. In the first reading, we read about the reconciliation of Joseph with his brothers. He had been deeply hurt by them for their betrayal – not only did they sell him into slavery, but they also attempted to kill him. We can imagine how hurt Joseph must have felt. He endured many years of torment and suffering, especially in prison, not knowing whether he would ever be freed. In a far-away land with a different culture and language, away from his loved ones, he was left to fend for himself. He had no one to turn to for consolation. The pain that his brothers caused him to suffer was unimaginable. We can also be sure that he felt anguish for his father, who must have been so worried for him, not knowing where he was, whether he was alive or dead. So, we cannot fault Joseph for being angry with his brothers or for wanting to seek revenge on them.
Even in his vindictiveness, he showed compassion. He could not deny that they were, after all, his brothers. He thought of his aging father as well. So, he wanted to give them a taste of their medicine and make them experience some of the anxiety and fear he had endured – though nothing comparable to the suffering they had caused him. One might think he should have been more forgiving. While it is true that a good Christian is called to forgive, we must also recognise that forgiveness is part of a healing process. Forgiveness is more than a single act or decision; it is a journey. As human beings, we are not robots. The heart needs time to heal, and the mind needs time to understand, to make the connection between the injury and the plan of God. So, healing takes time and cannot be rushed; otherwise, we will only repress the wounds further.
Hence, it was necessary for Joseph to walk through the process of coming to terms with the hurts he suffered. He asked that the youngest brother be brought the next time they come to seek his help. The brothers were reluctant and recounted what their father said: “You know that my wife bore me two children. When one left me, I said that he must have been torn to pieces. And I have not seen him to this day. If you take this one from me too and any harm comes to him, you will send me down to Sheol with my white head bowed in misery.” When he heard this, Joseph realized how much his father had continued to love him and miss him all these years. And he broke down and wept. Until then, he was focused on his own hurts, but when he realized how much his father suffered for him – wondering where he was and whether he was alive – he could no longer hold on to his hurts.
By shifting his focus away from his own wounds, Joseph began to understand why God permitted these events to unfold through the twists and turns of history. He came to see that God had a plan for him and his family. All of them, along with their actions, were part of God’s plan for the fulfilment of His promise to Abraham. As St Paul reminds us, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28) Indeed, God works out His plans while considering all our human inadequacies and shortcomings. His grace is greater than our sins.
Because of Joseph’s faith, he was able to see the hand of God at work in his life. He said to them, “I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?’ His brothers could not answer him – they were so dismayed at the sight of him. Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ When they had come closer to him he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives.” After his grief, he was able to see the bigger picture of God’s plan for him and his brothers. This freed him from the anger and resentment he once held against them.
Indeed, for healing to take place, we must always see our sin and pain within the context of God’s greater plan. We must recognise that we are all sinners – hurting people hurt people. When we see that our suffering is not in vain but can ultimately lead to a greater good, that suffering becomes meaningful. It is meaningless suffering that holds us back from offering forgiveness and being freed from vindictiveness. But if we see that our suffering has led to repentance, conversion, and healing in others, then all suffering is meaningful. This was the case with Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who were downcast because their Master – who was their hope and Saviour – had suffered a tragic death. But Jesus enlightened them along the way: “‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” (Lk 24:25-27)
Secondly, we must see our suffering in the context of Christ’s suffering. St Peter also offered similar reasons for those of us who suffer innocently. “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.” (1 Pt 3:16-18) This was how the Lord Himself suffered, as St Peter wrote – giving us the motivation to suffer with Him. He said, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pt 2:21-24)
So, for healing of memories to take place, we must first allow ourselves to express and ventilate our pain. This was the case for both Joseph and the disciples at Emmaus. The disciples opened their hearts to the Lord, saying: “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Lk 24:19-21)
Secondly, we need someone to listen to us and feel with us. Just as Joseph experienced healing when he realized that his father never stopped loving him, and as the disciples at Emmaus found comfort when Jesus listened to them, we too need others who can feel with us in our pain. Having someone who truly hears and identifies with us in our pain, helps us to feel understood and be reminded that we are not alone in our pain. We also need to bring our pain before God in prayer, trusting that He listens with compassion.
Finally, healing and peace are realized when we depend totally on God’s grace and trust in His divine providence. For this reason, Jesus instructed the Twelve saying “Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.” We need to rely on His grace and divine wisdom. God works all things for our good.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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