The mourning for Jacob, and his interment. Joseph’s kindness towards his brethren. His death.
“And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.” (Genesis 50:10)
“Hence, because they feared death, they acted this way; today, on the contrary, thanks to the grace of God, since death has been turned into slumber and life’s end into repose and since there is great certitude of resurrection, we rejoice and exult at death like people moving from one life to another. Why do I say from one life to another? From a worse to a better, from a temporary to an eternal, from an earthly to a heavenly.” – St. John Chrysostom
We can allow grace to work through us more effectively, understanding this life is temporary while reminding ourselves to live in the present moment.
We see again Joseph’s marks of virtue in his kindness towards his brothers after their father’s death.
“That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practiced against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept.” (Genesis 50:17)
Joseph wept and said, ‘Do not be afraid of me, for although your father has died, the God of your father, on account of whom I will never strike you, is still alive. Because he turned the evil that you did to me to my good and he placed many people in my hands, God forbid that I do any evil to those who thus became the cause of life for many. But, just as I did not kill you in Egypt, do not leave my bones in Egypt.’ He made them swear to this and said, ‘God will indeed remember you and will bring you up to the land which he swore to Abraham. Bring my bones up to there, so that even if I do not inherit the land with you, I may be raised up with you from that land.’” – St. Ephrem The Syrian
The Saints on kindness:
“Kindness is my only guiding star, in its light, I sail a straight route, I have my motto written on my sail: ‘To live in love.’” – St. Therese of Lisieux
“Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God – the rest will be given.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta
“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” – St. Basil
Discussion: In what ways are we practicing kindness to others?
Perhaps, we need to begin within ourselves, kindness with ourselves first, since we cannot give what we do not have.
The Very Rev. J. Guibert, S.S. writes “On [the Exceeding Worth of] Kindness”:
“However rarely we may have experienced it at the hands of others, we each one of us realize its supreme worth and feel what it can acheive. We are drawn by it when, coming from the hearts of others, it envelops us in its warm and soothing atmosphere. Again, it makes us happy when it goes out from ourselves as the very purest expression of our souls. In fine, in our endeavour to call other men to a share in our thoughts and in our hopes, it is by the goodwill we show towards them that we shall win over their souls.”
