Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 / Matthew 10:16-23
When it comes to father and son relationships, what we often hear about is the tension, the differences, the generation gap and all those aspects that paint a bleak picture of such relationships.
So essentially, the matter is about the love between father and son, and the fact that it is often lacking.
But in the 1st reading, we hear of a very moving story of a father and son relationship.
Jacob was united with his son Joseph, whom he thought was dead. Jacob had not forgotten Joseph and Joseph was also eager to be united with his aged father.
That reunion brought about joy and peace for Jacob and for Joseph, it was the final fulfillment in his life.
Yet in the gospel, the tension between father and son is brought up again, and this time it's even more heart-rending because it has sunk deeper into betrayal and hate.
It's a reality which we read about in the papers and which we may even see around us or even happening to us.
Let us pray that God who is our Father may pour forth His love into those hurting father and son relationships and may there be healing and reconciliation.
Like Jacob and Joseph, may fathers and sons also see each other as their fulfillment in life.