Monday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 193
Lectionary: 193
Jacob called his sons and said to them:
"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
"You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
--your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion's whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people's homage."
"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
"You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
--your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion's whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people's homage."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
R. (see 7) Justice
shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Gospel Mt 1:1-17
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of
David"
Do you know who your ancestors were, where
they came from, and what they passed on from their generation to the next?
Genealogies are very important. They give us our roots and help us to
understand our heritage. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus traces his lineage from
Abraham, the father of God's chosen people, through the line of David, King of
Israel. Jesus the Messiah is the direct descent of Abraham and David, and the
rightful heir to David's throne. God in his mercy fulfilled his promises to
Abraham and to David that he would send a Savior and a King to rule over the
house of Israel and to deliver them from their enemies.
When Jacob blessed his sons he foretold
that Judah would receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David
(Genesis 49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God's
fulfillment in raising up his annointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the
fulfillment of all God's promises. He is the hope not only for the people of
the Old Covenant but for all nations as well. He is the Savior of the world who
redeems us from slavery to sin and Satan and makes us citizens of the kingdom
of God. In him we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as
sons and daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do you recognize your
spiritual genealogy and do you accept God as your Father and Jesus as the
sovereign King and Lord of your life?
"Lord
Jesus Christ, you are the Messiah and Savior of the world, the hope of Israel
and the hope of the nations. Be the ruler of my heart and the king of my home.
May there be nothing in my life that is not under your wise rule and
care."
www.dailyscripture.net
 The Deeper Meaning of My Life |
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Monday of the Third Week of Advent
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Father Barry O’Toole, LC
Matthew 1:1-17
The book of the
genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham
became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of
Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose
mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of
Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was
Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations. Introductory Prayer: Lord, in this final week of preparation for your birth, I want to make ready a place for you in my heart. I believe that you are here with me and desire to speak to me. Because I love you, I, too, have longed for this moment of silence and recollection, though it hasn’t been easy to find. I trust that you and your grace will accompany me throughout this busy day, so that I might make the decisions that will be pleasing in your sight.
Petition: Lord, help me to be more aware of my human
dignity and irradiate this to all I meet today.
1. Rebuilding the Family Tree: Many people try to
trace their family genealogy, going back centuries to determine their
origins. Sometimes this search is easy because the family has lived in the
same country, and perhaps even the same city, for many generations. In other
cases, the search requires them to cross oceans, dig up buried records, and
rummage through old, dust-covered volumes. The rebuilding of their family
tree is an attempt to come to a deeper understanding of who they are. Jesus
didn’t need all this study of his pedigree. If there is one conviction we
could call the cornerstone of his life, it is his awareness that he has come
from the Father and has assumed a human nature out of obedience to his
Father’s will. We, too, come from the Father who created us. We, too, have a
mission to fulfill here on earth. This is what gives meaning to our entire
existence: Our very origin springs from the love of God the Father.
2. God Is Always Faithful: The genealogy in the
Gospel of Matthew goes all the way back to Abraham, our father in the faith.
God had made a promise to Abraham, stating that he would make him “the father
of a host of nations” (Genesis 17:4). Matthew wants to make it very clear
from the very outset of his Gospel that God is always faithful to his
promises. Jesus the Messiah, the son of David and the son of Abraham, is the
fulfillment of everything God had promised. Thus, St. Peter would correctly
proclaim, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other
name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts
4:12). Our very salvation rests in Jesus Christ. Do we turn to Jesus not only
for our eternal salvation, but also in the midst of our daily trials and
tribulations? Is he the constant reference point of our day?
3. A Summary of Human History: Man was born for
greatness: He was created in the image and likeness of God. The collection of
names in Matthew’s genealogy is arranged in three groups, as if to make a
statement about human history. (1) Abraham, through his obedience, deepened
the covenant with God. Man was born and raised up to be a king. (2) Yet man
turned out to be a tyrant. He abused the freedom God had given him, defying,
disobeying and turning his back on his Creator. With tears in his eyes, the
Father watched his prodigal son depart into exile. (3) However, God did not
write human history to end in tragedy. He sent his Son into the world to help
man regain his greatness: to rise him up to greater heights, to become sons
of God. History is not a road leading nowhere; its goal is for us to be in
heaven with God. So it’s not enough for us to know our origin is in the love
of God the Father and our salvation is in Jesus Christ. We need to cooperate
with the Holy Spirit in bringing about God’s gracious plan. We can invest our
time to bring about Christ’s Kingdom in the workplace, in our homes and in
society.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, your birth this
Christmas is the center and culmination of human history. I thank you for the
gift of life, for the mission you have entrusted to me, for granting me the
possibility of recovering my dignity, and for adopting me as your child. I
know my weakness and the mire I am capable of descending into –– without the
help of your grace. I offer you this day and every day of my life as a gift
of love to you. May this gift be always pleasing in your sight.
Resolution: Today I will examine my conscience and
prepare my soul to make a good confession, so that my heart might be a worthy
dwelling for the baby Jesus who is coming.
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www.regnumchristi.com
THE O ANTIPHONSFOR THE OCTAVE
OF CHRISTMAS
The "O Antiphons" were first used by the Church in the 8th and 9th centuries.
They are based on various titles for the Christ and are scripturally-based short prayers for the 17th to the 23rd of December.
The Advent hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," based on the "O Antiphons" was written sometime in the 9thCentury.
In these "O
Antiphons" the Church expresses her deep longing for the coming of the
Messiah.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 17
Advent Weekday
Advent Weekday
MATTHEW 1:1-17
(Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah" (v 16).
READING: Matthew�s gospel is the most Jewish of the four gospels. He probably wrote around 85 CE to a predominately Jewish-Christian community in Syria. One might say that Matthew is the "fulfillment gospel," proving that Jesus was the expected Messiah of God. In theopening words of his gospel Matthew used three titles for Jesus: " the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham," to show that Jesus was the realization of the Old Testament Messianic hopes. Matthew traced Jesus' lineage from the glorious days of the monarchy under King David and his son Solomon to the agonizing days of the Babylonia captivity. Jesus is the anointed one, the Messiah (Christ). He is the messianic king, the "Son of David," fulfilling the promise that his kingdom would be everlasting (2 Sm 7:16). He is the faithful "Son of Abraham" fulfilling the promises that all nations would be blessed through him (Gn 12:3). In addition, the virginal birth showed that Jesus was the "Son of God." There were some surprises in Jesus' family history. Except for Mary, the other women mentioned were all non-Jews (Tamar, Raheb, Ruth and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah). Jesus' genealogy revealed that hecame for the salvation of all people regardless of race, nationality or gender.
REFLECTING: Is my family in a relationship with Jesus Christ?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing me to belong to your family.
O WISDOM
O Sapientia: "O Wisdom, O Holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation." See Isaiah 11:2-3;28:29
O Sapientia: "O Wisdom, O Holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation." See Isaiah 11:2-3;28:29
www.daily-word-of-life.com
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for
ever
Matthew
traces the human descent of Jesus.
Jesus is that descendant promised to Abraham ‘in whom all the nations of the world will be blessed’. He is the son promised to David who will reign for ever. The emphasis is on the human reality of Jesus. Born with a particular heritage, in a particular place and time, he is truly human, and experiences all that we do. His heart loves with a human love as well as with a divine love.
There is no question of his not under-standing what it is to be human, for he has experienced this. But he is also God: and so we rest assured that whatever befalls us he, as a man, sympathises with us, and, being God, can and will see to it that all things work for our ultimate good.
www.churchresources.info
December 17
St. Hildegard of Bingen
(1098-1179)
St. Hildegard of Bingen
(1098-1179)
Hildegard was a most remarkable woman,
and one of the greatest figures of the 12th century. This German mystic was a
poet and a prophet, a physician and a moralist. She fearlessly rebuked popes
and bishops, princes and lay people.
Becoming a nun
at 15, Hildegard led an uneventful life for the next 17 years. But more and
more she found herself foretelling the future in her conversations. After she
became prioress of her community she felt the need to begin writing down the
visions and revelations that were coming to her. The archbishop of Mainz
examined her writings and declared, “These visions come from God.” Encouraged,
she began her greatest work, 26 visions dealing with God and man, creation,
redemption and the Church. Full of apocalyptic language, warnings and
prophesies, the writing took 10 years to complete. Pope Eugenius III examined
the results and cautiously told Hildegard to continue to write whatever the
Holy Spirit told her to publish.
With the
blessing of the pope, Hildegard, overcoming much opposition, built a larger
monastery for her nuns in a place that had been revealed to her in a vision.
The new monastery had such things as running water for the 50 women religious
who resided there. And Hildegard was able to entertain the community with hymns
and canticles for which she wrote both the music and the words. She composed a
sacred cantata and wrote 50 allegorical homilies to be used for community
reading.
Her more than
300 letters, written to popes and kings, to clergy and abbesses, are full of
warnings and prophecies. As was to be expected, she was widely criticized by
some, including her own nuns, while others valued her counsel. Despite
sickness, she continued to write. One book was on natural history, another on
medicine. Some of her ideas on blood circulation and mental illness were far
ahead of her time.
Although
she has never been formally canonized, the Roman Martyrology lists her
as a saint.
Quote:
Hildegard once said, “These visions which I saw—I beheld them neither in sleep nor dreaming nor in madness nor with my bodily eyes or ears, nor in hidden places; but I saw them in full view and according to God’s will, when I was wakeful and alert, with the eyes of the spirit and the inward ears.”
Hildegard once said, “These visions which I saw—I beheld them neither in sleep nor dreaming nor in madness nor with my bodily eyes or ears, nor in hidden places; but I saw them in full view and according to God’s will, when I was wakeful and alert, with the eyes of the spirit and the inward ears.”
December 17
Lazarus
Lazarus
Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the
brother of Martha and Mary, was the one of whom the Jews said, "See how
much he loved him." In their sight Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from
the dead.
Legends abound
about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is
supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before
he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another
story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he,
his sisters and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after
serving as bishop for 30 years.
A church was
built in his honor in Constantinople and some of his reputed relics were
transferred there in 890. A Western legend has the oarless boat arriving in
Gaul. There he was bishop of Marseilles, was martyred after making a number of
converts and was buried in a cave. His relics were transferred to the new
cathedral in Autun in 1146.
It is certain
there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady
Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm
Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West,
Passion Sunday was called Dominica de
Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising
of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday.
Comment:
Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without fear. He must have been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared many meals and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again. We don’t share Lazarus’ firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless, we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus, who waits to raise us, too.
Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without fear. He must have been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared many meals and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again. We don’t share Lazarus’ firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless, we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus, who waits to raise us, too.
www.americancatholic.org
LECTIO: MATTHEW
1,1-17
Lectio:
Monday,
December 17, 2012
3rd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son came among us as one of us,
a human being among other people,
simple, accessible,
yet your human face
and the measure of what a human person is.
Lord, make us discover ourselves in his mirror:
that we are born to be free,
to be unselfish, available, committed.
Free us from our selfishness,
our cowardice and attitudes of conformism,
that we may become a bit
what you want us to be, like your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 1, 1-17
Roll of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, Judah fathered Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse; and Jesse fathered King David.
David fathered Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa, Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah, Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah; and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place. After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor, Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud, Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob; and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to Christ.
3) Reflection
• The genealogy defines the identity of Jesus. He is the “Son of David and the son of Abraham” (Mt 1, 1; cf 1, 17). Son of David, is the response to the expectation of the Jews (2 Sam 7, 12-16). Son of Abraham, is a source of blessings for all nations (Gn 12, 13). Both Jews and Pagans see their hope realized in Jesus.
• In the patriarchal society of the Jews, the genealogies indicated only names of men. It is surprising that Matthew indicates also the names of five women among the ancestors of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah) and Mary. Why does Matthew choose precisely, these four women as companions of Mary? No queen, no matriarch, none of the fighting women of the Exodus: Why? This is the question which the Gospel of Matthew leaves for us to answer.
• In the life of the four women, companions of Mary, there is something abnormal. The four of them are foreigners, they conceived their sons outside the normal canons and do not respond to the requirements of the Laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite, widow, she disguised herself as a prostitute to oblige the Patriarch Judah to be faithful to the law, to do his duty and give her a son (Gn 28, 1-30). Rahab, a Canaanite from Jericho, was a prostitute who helped the Israelites enter into the Promised Land (Jos 2, 1-21). Ruth, a Moabite, widow, poor, chose to remain with Naomi and to adhere to the People of God (Rt 1, 16-18). She took the initiative to imitate Tamar and to go and spend the night beside the pile of barley, together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the Law and to give her a son. From the relation between the two, Obed was born, the ancestor of King David (Rt 3, 1-15; 4, 13-17). Bathsheba, a Hittite, the wife of Uriah, was seduced, violated and she conceived and became pregnant from King David, who in addition to this ordered that the husband of the woman be killed (2 Sam 11, 1-27). The way of acting of these four women did not correspond to the traditional norms. In the meantime these were the initiatives, which were not really conventional, which gave continuity to the lineage of Jesus and led all the people to the salvation of God. All this makes us think and challenges us when we attribute too much value to the rigidity of the norms.
• The calculation of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1, 17) has a symbolical significance. Three is the number of the divinity. Fourteen is the double of seven. Seven is the perfect number. By means of this symbolism Matthew expresses the conviction of the first Christians according to which Jesus appears in the time established by God. With his coming history reaches its plenitude, its fullness.
4) Personal questions
• Which is the message which you discover in the genealogy of Jesus? Have you found a response which Matthew leaves for us to answer?
• The companions of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, are very different from what we imagined them. Which is the conclusion which you can draw regarding your devotion to the Blessed Virgin?
5) Concluding Prayer
May his name be blessed for ever,
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call him blessed. (Ps 72, 17)
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son came among us as one of us,
a human being among other people,
simple, accessible,
yet your human face
and the measure of what a human person is.
Lord, make us discover ourselves in his mirror:
that we are born to be free,
to be unselfish, available, committed.
Free us from our selfishness,
our cowardice and attitudes of conformism,
that we may become a bit
what you want us to be, like your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 1, 1-17
Roll of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, Judah fathered Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse; and Jesse fathered King David.
David fathered Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa, Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah, Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah; and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place. After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor, Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud, Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob; and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to Christ.
3) Reflection
• The genealogy defines the identity of Jesus. He is the “Son of David and the son of Abraham” (Mt 1, 1; cf 1, 17). Son of David, is the response to the expectation of the Jews (2 Sam 7, 12-16). Son of Abraham, is a source of blessings for all nations (Gn 12, 13). Both Jews and Pagans see their hope realized in Jesus.
• In the patriarchal society of the Jews, the genealogies indicated only names of men. It is surprising that Matthew indicates also the names of five women among the ancestors of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah) and Mary. Why does Matthew choose precisely, these four women as companions of Mary? No queen, no matriarch, none of the fighting women of the Exodus: Why? This is the question which the Gospel of Matthew leaves for us to answer.
• In the life of the four women, companions of Mary, there is something abnormal. The four of them are foreigners, they conceived their sons outside the normal canons and do not respond to the requirements of the Laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite, widow, she disguised herself as a prostitute to oblige the Patriarch Judah to be faithful to the law, to do his duty and give her a son (Gn 28, 1-30). Rahab, a Canaanite from Jericho, was a prostitute who helped the Israelites enter into the Promised Land (Jos 2, 1-21). Ruth, a Moabite, widow, poor, chose to remain with Naomi and to adhere to the People of God (Rt 1, 16-18). She took the initiative to imitate Tamar and to go and spend the night beside the pile of barley, together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the Law and to give her a son. From the relation between the two, Obed was born, the ancestor of King David (Rt 3, 1-15; 4, 13-17). Bathsheba, a Hittite, the wife of Uriah, was seduced, violated and she conceived and became pregnant from King David, who in addition to this ordered that the husband of the woman be killed (2 Sam 11, 1-27). The way of acting of these four women did not correspond to the traditional norms. In the meantime these were the initiatives, which were not really conventional, which gave continuity to the lineage of Jesus and led all the people to the salvation of God. All this makes us think and challenges us when we attribute too much value to the rigidity of the norms.
• The calculation of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1, 17) has a symbolical significance. Three is the number of the divinity. Fourteen is the double of seven. Seven is the perfect number. By means of this symbolism Matthew expresses the conviction of the first Christians according to which Jesus appears in the time established by God. With his coming history reaches its plenitude, its fullness.
4) Personal questions
• Which is the message which you discover in the genealogy of Jesus? Have you found a response which Matthew leaves for us to answer?
• The companions of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, are very different from what we imagined them. Which is the conclusion which you can draw regarding your devotion to the Blessed Virgin?
5) Concluding Prayer
May his name be blessed for ever,
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call him blessed. (Ps 72, 17)
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