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Daily Gospel - Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Matthew 10:24-33 - Catholic Bible
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Jul 12, 2025
Welcome to our daily encounter with the Word of God! Today, we reflect on the readings from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 49:29–32; 50:15–26a) and the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (Matthew 10:24–33). These passages speak to us about trust in God's providence and the courage to be faithful in times of trial. First Reading (Genesis 49:29–32; 50:15–26a): In this reading, we witness the final words of Jacob and the fear of Joseph’s brothers after their father’s death. They worry Joseph will take revenge, but instead, he responds with mercy, saying, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Joseph exemplifies forgiveness, trust, and belief in God's greater plan. This passage reminds us that even in painful situations, God is at work. He can transform harm into blessings, and we are called to be agents of reconciliation and instruments of His will. Gospel (Matthew 10:24–33): In today’s Gospel, Jesus encourages His disciples in the face of persecution. He reminds them that the disciple is not above the master and tells them not to fear those who can kill the body but not the soul. Jesus assures them of the Father’s care—every hair on their heads is counted. This passage challenges us to live our faith with courage and trust. Though the path of discipleship may involve suffering, we are never abandoned. We are precious in God's eyes, and He calls us to witness boldly to the truth of the Gospel. Reflection and Call to Trust Today’s readings invite us to trust in divine providence and remain courageous in our witness to Christ. May the example of Joseph and the words of Jesus strengthen your heart and inspire you to remain faithful in every circumstance. Share in the comments how this message touched your heart today! 📖 Daily Readings: First Reading: Genesis 49:29–32; 50:15–26a Gospel: Matthew 10:24–33
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Reading from the book of Genesis. In
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those days, Jacob gave his instructions
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to his sons, saying, "I am going to be
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gathered to my people. Bury me with my
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ancestors in the cave of Mpella, which
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is in the field of Ephine the Hitittite,
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opposite Mamra, in the land of Canaan."
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This is the cave that Abraham bought
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from Ephine the Hitittite along with the
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field as a burial place. There Abraham
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and Sarah his wife were buried and there
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Isaac and Rebecca his wife were buried.
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And there I buried Leah. When Jacob had
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finished giving his instructions to his
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sons, he drew his feet up onto the bed
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and died and was gathered to his family.
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When Joseph's brothers saw that their
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father had died, they said to one
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another, "Lest Joseph remember the wrong
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he suffered and make us pay back for all
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the evil we did to him." So they sent
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word to Joseph, "Before your father
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died, he commanded us to say these words
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to you. Please forget the iniquity of
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your brothers and the sin and wickedness
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they committed against you. We ask you,
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therefore, to forgive the iniquity of
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the servants of your father's God." When
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Joseph heard this, he wept. His brothers
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came and bowed down before him, saying,
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"We are your servants." He answered, "Do
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not be afraid. Am I God? You intended to
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harm me. But God meant it for good to
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give birth to a great people as you see
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now. Do not be afraid. I will provide
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for you and your children." So he
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comforted them, speaking to them gently
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and kindly. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt
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with all his father's family and lived
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110 years. Joseph saw the children of
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Ephraim to the third generation. And the
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children of Makir son of Manasseh whom
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Joseph also received on his knees.
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Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about
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to die. God will visit you and bring you
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up out of this land to the land he swore
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to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." After
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making them swear and saying, "When God
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visits you, carry up my bones from here
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with you." Joseph died, having lived 110
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years. The word of the Lord. Thanks be
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to God.
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Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St. Matthew. Glory
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to you, Lord. At that time Jesus said to
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his disciples, "A disciple is not above
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his teacher, nor a servant above his
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master. It is enough for a disciple to
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be like his teacher, and for a servant
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to be like his master. If they have
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called the master of the house be
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elible, how much more those of his
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household? Do not be afraid of them. For
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nothing is covered up that will not be
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revealed, and nothing secret that will
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not be known. What I tell you in the
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dark, speak in the light. What you hear
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whispered, proclaim on the housetops. Do
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not be afraid of those who kill the body
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but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be
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afraid of him who can destroy both soul
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and body in hell. Are not two sparrows
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sold for a few coins? Yet not one of
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them falls to the ground without your
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father's consent, but even the hairs of
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your head are all numbered. Do not be
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afraid. You are of more value than many
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sparrows. Therefore, whoever confesses
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me before others, I also confess me for
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him before my father in heaven. But
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whoever denies me before men, I will
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also deny him before my father in
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heaven. Word of salvation. Glory to you,
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Lord.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
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imagine yourself in a funeral home
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surrounded by family and friends, all
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reflecting on the life that has just
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ended. Amid tears and memories, a
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question we have all faced arises.
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What remains when we depart this life?
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What legacy do we leave behind? This
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reflection on mortality and the meaning
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of life permeates our readings today.
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But it does not end in sadness. Instead,
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it leads us to transformative hope and a
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courageous call to live with
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authenticity and purpose. In the first
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reading, we witness the final moments of
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one of the most important figures in
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biblical history, Jacob, who became
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Israel. His farewell words echo through
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the centuries. I am going to be gathered
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to my ancestors.
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It is not just a statement about
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physical death but an affirmation of
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faith in the continuity of life beyond
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this earthly existence. Jacob does not
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see death as an end but as a reunion.
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What an extraordinary perspective in an
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age where many fear death as the
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absolute end. Jacob sees it as a reunion
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with those who have gone before him.
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This is a vision that should transform
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our understanding of mortality. But the
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story does not end with Jacob's death.
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It continues with his sons, especially
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Joseph, who became a figure of
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reconciliation and forgiveness. After
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their father's death, Joseph's brothers
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are afraid. What if Joseph holds a
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grudge against us and pays us back for
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all the evil we did to him? It is a
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deeply human concern. How often when
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those who protect us or mediate
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conflicts depart do our fears and
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insecurities resurface? Joseph's
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response is one of the most beautiful
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manifestations of forgiveness and divine
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wisdom in all of scripture. Do not be
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afraid. Am I in God's place? You meant
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to harm me, but God meant it for good.
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What an extraordinary transformation of
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perspective. Joseph not only forgives,
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he recognizes God's providential hand at
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work even through painful circumstances.
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This story teaches us that the true
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legacy is not the material possessions
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or titles we accumulate, but the love,
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forgiveness, and faith we transmit.
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Joseph could have used his position to
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exact revenge, but he chose to be an
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instrument of God's grace. What a
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powerful example for us. And Joseph goes
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beyond forgiveness. He makes a prophetic
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promise. God will surely visit you and
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bring you up out of this land to the
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land he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and
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Jacob. Even in the face of death, Joseph
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keeps hope alive in God's promises. He
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sees beyond present circumstances and
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anchors his faith in the future God has
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prepared. Moving on to the gospel, we
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find Jesus preparing his disciples for
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the challenges they will face. His
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opening words are simultaneously
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challenging and encouraging. A disciple
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is not above his teacher nor a servant
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above his master. Jesus is saying that
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if he faced opposition and suffering, so
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will his followers. But why does Jesus
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begin with this seemingly discouraging
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reality? Because honesty about the costs
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of disciplehip is essential. Jesus is
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not recruiting followers with false
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promises of an easy life. He is calling
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people to a transformative journey that
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can include significant challenges.
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Jesus continues, "If they called the
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master of the house beelible, how much
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more those of his household?" Here Jesus
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is referring to the accusations he
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faced, being called the prince of demons
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when he cast out evil spirits. The irony
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is profound. Jesus who came to free
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people from evil was accused of being
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allied with evil. This is a crucial
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lesson for us. When we live
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authentically as Christians, when we
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advocate for justice, when we stand
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against oppression, we should not be
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surprised if we are misunderstood or
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even attacked. Jesus himself was
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misunderstood.
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How can we expect any different
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treatment? But Jesus immediately offers
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hope. There is nothing covered that will
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not be revealed nor hidden that will not
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be known. Truth always prevails. genuine
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motivations always come to light. God's
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justice always manifests itself, even if
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not immediately. Then Jesus gives us one
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of the most powerful commissions in the
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New Testament. What I tell you in the
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dark, speak in the light. And what you
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hear whispered, proclaim on the
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housetops.
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We must not keep our faith hidden or
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whispered. We are called to be
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courageous, to publicly proclaim the
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truths Jesus taught us. This
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proclamation is not just about
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evangelism in the traditional sense. It
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is about living so authentically and
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consistently with our Christian values
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that our very lives become a
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proclamation. It's about having the
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courage to speak out against injustice
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to defend the vulnerable to live with
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integrity even when it's costly. Jesus
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then addresses our deepest fears. Do not
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fear those who kill the body but cannot
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kill the soul. What a radical
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perspective. Jesus is redefining what we
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should fear. Physical death, though
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real, is not the end of our existence.
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Our soul, our true identity, is safe in
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God's hands. To illustrate this point,
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Jesus uses a poignant image. Are not two
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sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet not
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one of them falls to the ground except
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your father allows it. If God cares for
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creatures as small and seemingly
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insignificant as sparrows, how much more
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does he care for us created in his
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image? And then comes the promise that
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should transform our self-esteem and our
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courage. Even the hairs of your head are
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all numbered. God doesn't just know us
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in general. He knows us in the smallest
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details. We are precious in his eyes in
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ways we can barely comprehend. My dear
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brothers and sisters, these readings
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invite us to deeply reflect on how we
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are living our lives. Like Joseph, we
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are called to be instruments of God's
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grace, transforming evil into good
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through forgiveness and reconciliation.
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Like the disciples, we are called to
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courageously proclaim our faith even
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when it places us in uncomfortable
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situations. But how do we do this in
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practice? How do we live with this
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courage and authenticity in our current
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world? First, we must embrace the
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eternal perspective. Just as Jacob saw
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death as a reunion with his ancestors,
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and Joseph kept hope alive in God's
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promises, we must live with our eyes
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fixed not only on the present, but on
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eternity. This does not mean neglecting
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our earthly responsibilities, but rather
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living with the awareness that our lives
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have meaning and purpose beyond this
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existence. Second, we must practice
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radical forgiveness. Joseph's example
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shows us that forgiveness is not just
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for the benefit of those who have hurt
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us. It is for our own liberation. When
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we choose to forgive, we are choosing to
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allow God to transform our wounds into
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instruments of healing for others.
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Third, we must find courage in trusting
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in God's love. Jesus assures us that we
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are more valuable than many sparrows,
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that even the hairs on our head are
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numbered. This truth should free us from
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paralyzing fear and empower us to live
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with holy boldness. Fourth, we must
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proclaim our faith not just with words
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but with our entire lives. Every ethical
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decision we make, every act of kindness
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we perform, every moment of integrity we
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demonstrate is a rooftop proclamation of
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God's love. Finally, we must remember
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that our true identity is rooted in our
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relationship with God, not in the
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opinions or actions of others. When
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Jesus says that we must acknowledge him
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before men so that he may acknowledge us
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before the father, he is speaking of a
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fundamental loyalty, an identity that
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transcends the pressures and
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expectations of the world. Imagine what
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it would be like if each of us lived
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fully in this reality. If we faced each
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day with the courage that comes from
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knowing we are loved unconditionally by
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God. If we forgave as Joseph did, seeing
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God's hand at work even through painful
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circumstances. If we proclaimed our
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faith with the confidence that comes
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from knowing that truth always prevails,
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what a legacy we would leave. What an
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impact we would have on our families,
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communities, and the world. What
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transformation we could see in our own
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lives. So my dear brothers and sisters,
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accept this call to courage today.
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Accept the challenge to live
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authentically, to love unconditionally,
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to forgive radically. Remember that you
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are precious in God's eyes, that he
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counts every hair on your head, that no
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act of love or courage goes unnoticed.
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And may we, when our own earthly journey
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comes to an end, depart with the same
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confidence as Jacob, knowing that we
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will be reunited with our ancestors in
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faith. May we leave behind a legacy of
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love, forgiveness, and faith that will
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continue to impact future generations.
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May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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the love of God the Father, and the
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fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
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you all today and always. Amen.
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St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in
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battle. Be our protection against the
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wickedness and snares of the devil. May
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God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do
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thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by
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the power of God, cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
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souls. Amen.