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 Conduct towards  aged  parents. Joseph  had  always  been  a good son, and  he  honoured  and  loved  his  father  as  long  as  he  was  alive, and faithfully  carried  out  his  last  wishes. His example  shows  us  that we ought  to  support  our  parents  in  their  old  age; to  visit  and  comfort them when  they  are  sick;  to  be  by  their  side  at  the  hour  of  death; to faithfully  carry  out  their  last  wishes; to  pray  diligently  for  the  repose of their  souls,  and  always  have  a grateful  remembrance  of  them. “Son, support the  old  age  of  thy  father,  and  grieve  him  not  in  thy  life” (Ecclus. 3,  14).

The reward  of  virtue.  Almighty  God  often  visibly  rewards  virtue, and especially  that  which  is  shown  by  children  to  their  parents. We can see  this  in  the  case  both  of  Joseph  and  of  Juda. a) Joseph  loved and  honoured  his  father;  therefore,  he  was  blessed  by  God  even  in this  world.  He  lived  fifty-four  years  after  his  father’s  death,  rejoiced in  his  children  and  grandchildren,  was  protected  and  enlightened  by God,  and  died  a happy  death,  b)  Next  to  Joseph,  Juda  was  the  best of Jacob’s  sons. He saved  Joseph  from  death,  saying:  “It  is  better  he be  sold  than  that  our  hands  be  defiled,  for  he  is  our  brother.”  He made  himself  surety  for  Benjamin,  and  when  Joseph  wished  to  keep the latter  as  a slave,  he  said:  “I  will  stay,  instead  of  the  boy;  for,  if he  is  not  with  us,  we  shall  bring  our  father’s  grey  hairs  with  sorrow  to the  grave.”  Juda  was  rewarded  for  this  generous  conduct;  for  his  tribe was the  dominant  one,  and  of  it  was  born  the  Saviour. “Honour thy father in  work  and  word  and  all  patience. The father’s  blessing established the  houses  of  children:  but  the  mother’s  curse  rooteth  up the  foundation”  (Ecclus.  3,  9 11).

Happy death.  Is  not  Jacob’s  death  striking  and  beautiful? Surrounded by his  children,  he  gives  his  blessing  to  each  one,  foretelling  God’s  will concerning them. Dying in  a strange  land,  he  fixes  his  mind  on  the divine promises,  and  leaves  this  world  calm  and  joyous,  solemnly proclaiming his  belief  in  the  coming  Redeemer. Joseph, too,  died  a holy  and  happy  death,  mourned  by  his  brothers,  children,  grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He died  firm  in  the  hope  that  his  people would possess  the  Promised  Land,  and  that,  some  day,  the  Redeemer would come. Both Jacob  and  Joseph  had  led  holy,  God-fearing  lives; therefore they  both  died  happy,  peaceful  deaths,  firm  in  the  hope  of the  future  Saviour. As they  lived,  so  they  died. “With him  that  feareth the Lord,  it  shall  go  well  in  the  latter  end,  and  in  the  day  of  his  death he shall  be  blessed”  (Ecclus.  1,  13).

The words  of  Jacob  to  his  son  Juda  refer  to  the  Saviour,  who was expected  by  the  nations,  and  who  was  descended  from  Juda. The patriarch  Joseph  is  a figure  of  St.  Joseph,  the  foster-father  of Christ  The  one  was  ruler  in  Egypt;  the  other  is  the  protector  of  the Catholic Church.

The twelve  sons  of  Jacob  were  a type  of  the  twelve  Apostles.  As from  Jacob’s  twelve  sons  sprang  the  whole  chosen  people,  even  so,  in