Tuesday 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 PsalmPS 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.
GospelMT 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.
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."
 The Deeper Meaning of My Life |
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Tuesday 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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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, MATTHEW 1:1-17
(Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72)
(Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah" (v 16).
READING: Matthew probably wrote his gospel around 85 CE to a predominately Jewish-Christian community in Syria. In the opening 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 fall of Jerusalem and 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, Rehab, Ruth and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah). Jesus' genealogy revealed that he came 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.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great His wisdom” (28:29).
Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever
... of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.For many the genealogy at the start of Matthew’s Gospel is a list of unpronounceable names. In reality the genealogy is a powerful witness to Jesus’ earthly family. Far from the perfect family, Jesus’ descendants included prostitutes and adulterers. Through the Incarnation, Jesus enters into the mess of human existence - his family is no exception. While our family histories may be filled with sin and skeletons - as well as undiscovered riches - today’s gospel reminds us that God’s love is continually active in and through our brokenness and our joys.
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.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 1,1-17
Lectio:
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
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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