Readings Gen
27:3-4, 12-13, 17-28; Ps 104; Mtt 21:33-43, 45-46
Many New Testament
stories have parallel in the Old Testament. Most of the OT figures point to the
person of Christ in the NT. The story of Joseph we heard today is similar to the
parable of the vineyard Christ told in the gospel. Joseph is a prefiguration of
Christ. Jacob loved his son Joseph, sent him to meet his brothers at Shechem. This
has parallel in the gospel of John, “For God so loved the world that He gave
his only begotten son…” (Jn 3:16). Joseph, who was hated, ill-treated and sold
by his brothers for Silver Shekels, foreshadows Christ who was hated, ill-treated
and sold for silver Shekels by his kinsmen. As Joseph later became a Messiah to
his brothers during the great famine, so did Christ delivered his people from
the stranglehold of sin. Christ concluded his parable saying “it was the stone rejected
by the builders that became the key stone…”
The lessons of
today are summarized in the responsorial psalm, “Remember the marvels the Lord
has done”. Lent is period of sober reflection on God’s love for us sinners. Obviously,
God has done more than enough for us by sending Christ his son to deliver us
from eternal damnation. We humans are always quick to forget. Nonetheless, let
us not forget so fast what we have gained from the salvation wrought for us
through the passion and death of Christ.
It is not enough
to remember. Remembering should spur us into action. First, we should constantly
make effort not to crucify Christ the second time by our sins. Secondly, we
should hear Christ through the voice of our neighbors, beggars, the hungry, who
are constantly crying for help (like the biblical Joseph pleading for mercy
from his brothers). Remember, those we neglect today can save us tomorrow,
those we starve today can feed us tomorrow. The stone, which the builders
reject today, shall become corner stone tomorrow.
