Feast of Saint Benedict (+547), father of western monks and their guide through the Rule that carries his name.

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Genesis 46,1-7.28-30

So Israel set out with all his possessions. Arriving at Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in a vision at night, 'Jacob, Jacob,' he said. 'Here I am,' he replied. 'I am El, God of your father,' he said. 'Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I shall go down to Egypt with you and I myself shall bring you back again, and Joseph's hand will close your eyes.' So Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons conveyed their father Jacob, their little children and their wives in the waggons Pharaoh had sent to fetch him. Taking their livestock and all that they had acquired in Canaan, they arrived in Egypt -- Jacob and all his offspring. With him to Egypt, he brought his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters -- all his offspring. Israel sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that Judah might present himself to Joseph in Goshen. When they arrived in Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared he threw his arms round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder. Israel said to Joseph, 'Now I can die, now that I have seen you in person and seen you still alive.'

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Joseph's long story and his capacity of dreaming which so much jealousy have raised in his brothers to the point of suggesting the use of violence ends with the encounter with his father. Jacob, who has stayed in Canaan, wants to see his son before dying and sets out for Egypt. He cannot stand to die without seeing him. Jacob sets on a journey. He brings his entire family with him because he wants them all to be reconciled with the son who was sold to the Egyptians. His encounter with his son is full of emotion. It allows Jacob to be reconciled to his entire life, so that he can exclaim, "I can die now." The true aspiration of Jacob is for no one of the people of God to be lost. This is why he sets on a journey to find the son of the dreams, even if old and among many dangers and inconveniences. When Jacob sees his son, he understands how God's blessing came true. The violent, murderous jealousy of the brothers, caused by Jacob's preference for the "dreamer," was the fruit of evil and an excuse for malevolent comparisons to grow. For the Lord instead, everything works towards the good, and the greatest is the one who became a slave for us. Diversity, like Joseph's dreams, was a wealth also for Joseph's brothers even if they did not understand it; in fact, they had opposed and even sold him. Joseph's charisms were not for division and even less for conflict. On the contrary they were a gift from the Lord for the common good.