joseph and st. patrick

in my wandering through the book of genesis, i have come to the story of joseph.  he is seventeen, and sold into slavery.  since it is the feast of st. patrick, i started to put off joseph until tomorrow and pay more attention to the propers for the feast.  but then i realized that their stories had enough in common that they might illuminate each other.

so, joseph is seventeen when he is sold into slavery, just a year older than patrick.  both came from well-to-do families more accustomed to having slaves than being one.  both are outstanding dreamers.  both, in their youth, are less that perfect sorts of folks.  joseph is famously arrogant; the exact nature of patrick's big sin of an hour remains unknown to us.  patrick at least recognizes that he deserves his fate, that he had been sinful.  joseph's repentance of his attitude towards his brothers is not spoken, but made very explicit by their tearful reunion. 

in both of their lives, their period of slavery allows them to bring great benefits to many people.  unfortunately, in joseph's case, and perhaps this is part of his non-consciousness of his own attitudes towards his brothers, he ends up leading many others into slavery.  but, even for them, the children of israel in the larger sense, their period in bondage gives them a basis for compassion for other people.

the proper gospel for the day in the 1963 episcopal lesser fasts and feasts is from the sermon on the mount:

 ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  but i say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  for if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? and if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect.

a bit more challenging response to st. patrick's day than drinking too much green beer--although i confess i do look forward to sharing a guiness with some friends tonight--but one with a much better after effect.