Gn. 46:1-7, 28-30 | Ps. 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 | Mt. 10:16-23

Israel hears God in his sleep; and, he is assured that it is good for him to go to Egypt to be with Joseph,    Israel’s great pain of the loss of Joseph is finally relieved when he sees Joseph.  The Gospel continues the talk of Jesus to His apostles.  He is teaching them that they must be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.  Jesus does not let these apostles go out without knowledge of what they are going to be asked to do.  Since no disciple is above the teacher, then the disciples must be ready to be persecuted, threatened, put into prison, etc.  This is what Jesus endured.  The disciples must be ready to endure it as well.

None of us like to suffer, and none of us seek suffering.  Yet, if we are to be disciples of Christ, we must know that suffering is part of our lives.  Take time today to pray with this Gospel passage.  Ask for the grace to be willing to endure all that comes your way out of faithfulness to being a disciple.