Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24 / Matthew 10:1-7 (2017)
The story of Joseph whom we heard about in the 1st reading is an interesting story.
Jacob had 12 sons and Joseph was his favourite son, and his brothers were jealous and they called him the "dreamer" and they were not pleased at all with his dreams.
And they eventually got rid of him by selling him off to some traders and told his father that he was killed by wild animals.
But Joseph's dreams eventually came true when his brothers came before him and bowed low.
Joseph could have settled scores with his brothers for the evil they had done to him in the past.
Yet Joseph did not return evil for evil, but instead he slowly revealed his identity to his brothers as we will hear in the readings fo the next few days.
Maybe we can say that blood is thicker than water, and that the family is still a family for better or for worse.
Indeed if charity begins at home, then it is in the family that love must be nurtured and nourished.
With love, then the family will be a sign of the kingdom of God in which the home is a place of love and care, and forgiveness and healing.