If we kneel to pray before the statue of Saint Francis Xavier in the entryway to the church, we might notice the placard explaining that at its founding in 1874, the church was called Saint Patrick's, a saint dear to early immigrants in Hyannis and whom we celebrate today. Further, the placard remarks, the church's new name reflects a welcoming attitude to all in our neighborhood, whether they speak English, Brazilian Portuguese, or Spanish.

The Old Testament reading today tells the story of Joseph, sold, like Saint Patrick himself, into slavery and exiled from his home. Famine would later force his brothers to move as well, looking for food in a more prosperous Egypt. Violence characterizes our Gospel reading for the day and prefigures the rejection of Jesus himself. 

Perhaps in the history of our own family, certainly in the history of our nation and in current events, we recognize similar themes of exile, want, or absurd violence. But finally, miraculously, in our own neighborhood, in our own souls, God's immeasurable love for His creation transforms our suffering by this very cross, and we recognize "the stone that the builders rejected" as the cornerstone. And we are sustained, sheltered, and touched by grace.