On Monday the 21st of February, the parish of St John the Baptist held its ‘monthly enlightenment’ series with Mr Paul Georges presenting on the life of St. Joseph the All-Comely, a prominent figure, found in the book of Genesis 37; 39-56.
Paul, a seasoned member of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, provided great insight into the life of St. Joseph. Being the youngest son of Jacob, Joseph was thrown into a pit by his older brothers after they became envious of his virtue as well as his father’s overwhelming love for him. Being found by some traders, Joseph was sold into slavery for 20 silver pieces to serve Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh.
After escaping from Potiphar’s wife’s seductive attempts, Joseph was thrown into prison, as Potiphar’s wife made false testimony against him. Whilst in prison, it was clear that Joseph had a talent for interpreting dreams, as he was able to prophesy seven years of famine followed by seven years of prosperity, all from Pharaoh’s dream.
Once his prophecy came into fruition, Joseph was released from prison and was given honours by Pharoah and began taking care of the people of Egypt during the famine. During the famine, his brothers travelled to Egypt seeking food and assistance, upon where they met Joseph, however they didn’t recognise him. Joseph, being a righteous man, upon revealing himself to his brothers, forgave them and offered them residence in Egypt with their father, Jacob.
St. Joseph is presented as a prefigurement of Christ, for like Christ was Joseph sold for silver pieces. But also, much like Christ, St. Joseph forgave those who persecuted him. He remains a great example to all Christians as he suffered many trials and tribulations yet remained steadfast in God’s Mercy.
Thank you, Paul, for such an enlightening talk and for broadening our knowledge in the lives of those found in the Old Testament.
