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Lenten Weekday
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A,
Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Summary
The first reading is a telling of the story of Joseph and his relationship to his brothers, his father and
his destiny, seen through the mysterious ways that God works through those we least expect to
show us we are worth saving and forgiving. Responsorial Psalm continues this theme by letting us
know that we should ˈRemember the marvels that the Lord has doneˉ for us and constantly does for
us. In the Gospel Matthew tells the story of how Jesus questioned the production of good works of
Jacob˅s descendents and foretells of the rejection of the redemption that Christ offered, only to
become the cornerstone of a new people that God has called to live with him for eternity.
Reflection
For many of us, this whimsical telling of the story about the boy Joseph with the amazing multi-
colored coat catches our imagination. A young boy, who is an assistant to Jacob˅s wives, has
many dreams and visions. His dreams portend the future, a future that was rejected by those who
Joseph chose to share his dreams with: his brother, his family. In ancient Hebrew tradition, the fa-
vored or honored person in the tribe wore the most decorated or revered garment. The intent was to
capture the symbolism of the prophet, the savior, the voice in the desert (someone considered
special or different who could help all the people, a Shaman).
As with all prophets, even those who are familiar to us and who we know, we become scared and
we reject these people or ideas outright
because we don˅t understand. Joseph˅s
brothers were scared of his dreams
which appeared on the surface to say
that Joseph would rule over his father
and brothers. Because of their normal
human fear, they became incensed with
Joseph, to the point of plotting to kill
him. It is only with divine intervention
that Joseph is rescued by being sold for
20 pieces of silver. These 20 pieces of
silver will come up again in the New
Testament as Judas betrays Jesus. Ju-
das, as are the brothers of Joseph, is
too scared to realize that redemption is
at hand. He is too wrapped up in the
struggles of his everyday life and goes
for the quick fix (20 pieces of
silver
) to