Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 636
Lectionary: 636
The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
Or ROM 8:28-30
Brothers and
sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
Responsorial Psalm PS 13:6AB, 6C
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Gospel MT 1:1-16, 18-23
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.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
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.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
Or MT 1:18-23
This is how the
birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
Meditation: Mary's call to be the mother of Jesus the Savior
Do you rejoice in the promises of God and trust in his saving
plan for your life? There is a long venerable tradition among many Christians
of celebrating the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus our Savior, on this day.
Her birth prepared for our redemption in Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his
gospel with the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham's lineage through the line of David,
King of Israel. Matthew concludes his genealogy by indicating that both Mary,
Jesus' mother and Joseph, his legal foster father, came from the line of David.
Do you believe and trust in God's promises?
Mary was asked to assume in faith a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, believed the message given to him to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you willing to trust and obey the Lord as Mary and Joseph did?
Do you believe and trust in God's promises?
Mary was asked to assume in faith a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, believed the message given to him to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you willing to trust and obey the Lord as Mary and Joseph did?
Jesus the Messiah is a direct descendant of King David and
Abraham
What is the significance of Matthew's genealogy? His genealogy is arranged in three sections portraying three great stages in the spiritual history of the people of the old covenant. The first stage begins with Abraham, the father of the chosen people, and ends with David, God's anointed King. The second stage takes us to the exile of God's people in Babylon. This is the period of Israel's shame and disaster due to her unfaithfulness.
What is the significance of Matthew's genealogy? His genealogy is arranged in three sections portraying three great stages in the spiritual history of the people of the old covenant. The first stage begins with Abraham, the father of the chosen people, and ends with David, God's anointed King. The second stage takes us to the exile of God's people in Babylon. This is the period of Israel's shame and disaster due to her unfaithfulness.
The third stage takes us to Jesus, God's anointed Messiah. 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.
Jesus the Savior is the fulfillment of God's promises to us
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. 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?
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. 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, you came to save us from the power of sin and
death and give us abundant everlasting life in your kingdom. May I always
rejoice in your saving work and trust in your plan for my life".
 Who Am I That My Lord Should Come to Me? |
|
September 8, 2014. Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary
|
|
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
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. Now this is how the
birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to
Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the
Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling
to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his
intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife
into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been
conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because
he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with
child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God
is with us."
Introductory Prayer: Lord I thank you for the gift of faith. I believe only because
so many others believed before me – and often at what great price! As I begin
this prayer I review my genealogy of faith remembering all those who have
passed on the faith to me. I strive to be a link in the faith chain for many
other souls.
Petition: Dear Jesus, help me to be humble like the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
1. God Is With Us: Today’s Gospel narrates for us the great mystery of the
Incarnation. Why would God choose to become one of us? In his lineage appear
the good and the bad, the faithful and the weak, the useful and useless. Why
does God choose to take what is faulty, inferior, and make it his own? Why
does he purify, restore, elevate, and cure what we are and what we offer him?
Why? Why does he take upon himself my lineage, my personal history –– both
the good and the bad –– and shape it into salvation history, for myself and
for others? Why does he continue to do this? When will it be enough? God has
said and will always be able to say, “What more could I have done for my
people?”
2. Blessed Are You, and Blessed Is the Fruit of Your Womb: Joachim and Anna,
the parents of Mary, were in a marriage apparently “going nowhere”: It was
sterile. Tradition has it that Joachim was scorned by a bystander when
presenting his offerings, because God had left him without offspring. Feeling
deeply offended and downhearted, he followed his flocks of sheep into the
wilderness and didn’t return to his wife for a long time. In the desert, he
supposedly was informed by a supernatural appearance that a child would be
born to him. When Joachim returned to his wife in Bethesda, inspired with new
hope, she became pregnant and gave birth to Mary, who was born without sin.
God takes what is useless and creates his masterpiece, the Immaculate
Conception. Indeed, he raises up the lowly. What plans does he have for my
life? Where do I fit into salvation history?
3. Let It Be Done According to Your Word: Having been told by
her parents of the special circumstances of her birth, Mary grew of age
“treasuring these things in her heart” (Cf. Luke 2:51). It is
understandable that the pious girl Mary wanted to devote herself entirely to
God, and perhaps, in her early years, took a vow of continence. Her simple
and total dedication to God indeed made her his “highly favored daughter.”
But God had other plans for her: He would ask her to bear his Son. Once
again, God takes what is freely offered him and molds it into what he
desires. He takes what is good and beautiful and makes it exceedingly so for
the salvation of many. God humbly inserts himself into my boring and
defective human lineage.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to remember today all
the good things you have given me and my family. Let me see your work and
your providence. I know that you come to my aid in hundreds of different
ways. Help me to become more like Mary, and to ponder over all these things
in my heart.
Resolution: I will look at my vocation with faith and new hope,
confident that God is comfortable in inserting himself in the most common of
circumstances. I will try to see his hand in at least one event of my day
today.
|
FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, MATTHEW 1:1-16, 18-23
(Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30; Psalm 13)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, MATTHEW 1:1-16, 18-23
(Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30; Psalm 13)
KEY VERSE: "For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her" (v.20).
READING: Matthew constructed his genealogy to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Hebrew scriptures concerning the messiah. Except for Mary, the mother of Jesus, the other four women mentioned were all non-Jews ̶ Tamar, Rehab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Yet each woman played a part in bringing about the birth of the messiah. The virginal conception of Jesus inaugurated this new era of salvation. When Mary was found to be with child, Joseph, a righteous man, was afraid to expose her to the law because the penalty for adultery was death by stoning. An angel appeared in a dream to Joseph and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, since the child had been conceived through God's Spirit. Joseph was to name the infant "Jesus" (Hebrew, Yeshua) meaning "Yahweh saves." Jesus was also given the title "Emmanuel," meaning "God is with us." At the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus told his disciples, "Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world (Matt 28:20).
REFLECTING: Do you turn to Mary to intercede for your needs?
PRAYING: Mary my mother, pray that I might be faithful to your son all my life.
NOTE: The source for the story of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel written about A.D. 150. From it, we learn the names of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, as well as the tradition that the couple was childless until an angel appeared to Anna and told her that she would conceive. The traditional date of the feast, September 8, falls exactly nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, December 8, which declares that Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin from the moment of her conception in her mother's womb.
With delight I rejoice in the Lord
‘With delight I rejoice in the Lord.’Birthdays are times of special celebration when we rejoice and be thankful for our personal gifts. They can give us time to pause and look back on how we have spent the past year, and look forward with different eyes, through the prism of experience. It is interesting to ponder how Mary may have spent her birthdays: what did she look back upon and how did she view the future? Did she look back with gratitude as she watched her son reach maturity? Did she look forward with hope? And in that hope was there an understanding of what lay ahead for the generations to come? Let us use our birthdays as times of quiet reflection, times of gratitude and hope.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Mary's Purpose
We should let no day pass without getting closer to Mary. She
knows our needs, and her maternal heart wants to love and care for us. Like the
moon that points gratefully to the sun for its light, Mary’s purpose is to
point us to Jesus and the Church and the needs of others.
September
8
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Church has celebrated Mary's birth since at least the sixth
century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its
Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for
the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (nine months earlier).
Scripture
does not give an account of Mary's birth. However, the apocryphalProtoevangelium
of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it
does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account,
Anna and Joachim are infertile but pray for a child. They receive the promise
of a child that will advance God's plan of salvation for the world. Such a
story (like many biblical counterparts) stresses the special presence of God in
Mary's life from the beginning.
St.
Augustine (August 28) connects Mary's birth with Jesus' saving work. He tells
the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. "She is
the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley.
Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed."
The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary's Son as the dawn of our
salvation and asks for an increase of peace.
Comment:
We can see every human birth as a call for new hope in the world. The love of two human beings has joined with God in his creative work. The loving parents have shown hope in a world filled with travail. The new child has the potential to be a channel of God's love and peace to the world.
We can see every human birth as a call for new hope in the world. The love of two human beings has joined with God in his creative work. The loving parents have shown hope in a world filled with travail. The new child has the potential to be a channel of God's love and peace to the world.
This is all true in a
magnificent way in Mary. If Jesus is the perfect expression of God's love, Mary
is the foreshadowing of that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of
salvation, Mary is its dawning.
Birthday celebrations
bring happiness to the celebrant as well as to family and friends. Next to the
birth of Jesus, Mary's birth offers the greatest possible happiness to the
world. Each time we celebrate her birth we can confidently hope for an increase
of peace in our hearts and in the world at large.
Quote:
"Today the barren Anna claps her hands for joy, the earth radiates with light, kings sing their happiness, priests enjoy every blessing, the entire universe rejoices, for she who is queen and the Father's immaculate bride buds forth from the stem of Jesse" (adapted from Byzantine Daily Worship).
"Today the barren Anna claps her hands for joy, the earth radiates with light, kings sing their happiness, priests enjoy every blessing, the entire universe rejoices, for she who is queen and the Father's immaculate bride buds forth from the stem of Jesse" (adapted from Byzantine Daily Worship).
LECTIO DIVINA:
BIRTHDAY OF MARY - MT.1,1-16.18-23
Lectio:
Monday, September 8, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 1,1-16.18-23
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.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.
He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’
Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’.
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.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.
He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’
Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’.
3) Reflection
• Today, September 8th, Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the
Gospel gives us the genealogy or Identity Card of Jesus. By means of the list
of his ancestors, the Evangelist tells the communities who Jesus is and how God
acts in a surprising way in order to fulfil his promise. On our identity card
there is our name and the name of our parents. Some persons, to say who they
are, also recall the names of the grandparents. Others, are embarrassed of
their ancestors, of their families, and hide behind appearances which deceive.
The Identity Card of Jesus has many names. On the list of names there is a
great novelty. At that time, the genealogy indicated only the name of the men.
This is why, it surprises that Matthew also mentions five women among the
ancestors of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, la wife of Uriah and Mary. Why does he
choose precisely these five women and not others? This is the question which
the Gospel of Matthew leaves for us.
• Matthew 1, 1-17: The long list of names – the beginning and the end of the genealogy. At the beginning and at the end of the genealogy, Matthew clearly makes us understand which is the identity of Jesus: He is the Messiah, son of David and son of Abraham. As descendant of David, Jesus is the response of God to the expectations of the Jewish people (2 S 7, 12, and 16). As descendant of Abraham, he is source of blessings and of hope for all nations of the earth (Gn 12, 13). Therefore, in this way, both the Jews and the Pagans who formed part of the communities of Syria and of Palestine at the time of Matthew could see that their hope was fulfilled in Jesus. .
Drawing up the list of the ancestors of Jesus, Matthew adopts a plan of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1, 17). Number two is the number of the divinity. Number 14 is two times 7, which is the number of perfection. At that time, it was something common to interpret or calculate God’s action by using the numbers and the dates. By means of these symbolical calculations, Matthew reveals the presence of God throughout the generations and expresses the conviction of the communities who said that Jesus appeared at the time established by God. With his coming history reaches its fulfilment.
The message of the five women mentioned in the genealogy. Jesus is the response of God to the expectation both of the Jews and of the Pagans, but it is in a completely surprising way. In the stories of the four women of the Old Testament, mentioned in the genealogy, there is something abnormal. The four of them were foreigners, and they will conceive their sons outside the normal schema of the behaviour of that time and they do not keep the requirements of the laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite, widow, dresses as a prostitute of Jericho to oblige Judah to be faithful to her and to give her a son (Gn 38, 1-30). Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho, makes an alliance with the Israelites. She helped them to enter into the Promised Land and professed the faith in a God who liberates from the Exodus. (Gs 2, 1-21). Bathsheba, a Hittite, wife of Uriah, was seduced, abused and made pregnant by King David, who in addition to that, ordered her husband to be killed (2 S 11, 1-27). Ruth, a Moabite, a poor widow, chose to remain with Naomi and adhere to the people of God (Rt 1, 16-18). Advised by her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth imitates Tamar and spends the night together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the law and to give her a son. From their relation Obed was born, the grandfather of King David (Rt 3, 1-15; 4, 13-17). These four women question the models of behaviour imposed by the Patriarchal society. And thus, their conventional initiative will give continuity to the descendants of Jesus and will bring salvation to all the people. Through them, God realizes his plan and sends the promised Messiah. Truly, God’s way of acting surprises and makes one think! At the end the reader will ask: “And Mary? Is there something irregular in her? What is it? We get the response from the story of Saint Joseph which follows in (Mt 1, 18-23).
• Mathew 1, 18-23: Saint Joseph was just. What was irregular in Mary is that she became pregnant before living together with Joseph, her promised spouse, who was a just man. Jesus says: “If your justice is not greater than the justice of the Pharisees and the Scribes, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. If Joseph had been just according to the justice of the Pharisees, he should have denounced Mary and she would have been stoned. Jesus would have died. Thanks to the true justice of Joseph, Jesus was able to be born.
• Matthew 1, 1-17: The long list of names – the beginning and the end of the genealogy. At the beginning and at the end of the genealogy, Matthew clearly makes us understand which is the identity of Jesus: He is the Messiah, son of David and son of Abraham. As descendant of David, Jesus is the response of God to the expectations of the Jewish people (2 S 7, 12, and 16). As descendant of Abraham, he is source of blessings and of hope for all nations of the earth (Gn 12, 13). Therefore, in this way, both the Jews and the Pagans who formed part of the communities of Syria and of Palestine at the time of Matthew could see that their hope was fulfilled in Jesus. .
Drawing up the list of the ancestors of Jesus, Matthew adopts a plan of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1, 17). Number two is the number of the divinity. Number 14 is two times 7, which is the number of perfection. At that time, it was something common to interpret or calculate God’s action by using the numbers and the dates. By means of these symbolical calculations, Matthew reveals the presence of God throughout the generations and expresses the conviction of the communities who said that Jesus appeared at the time established by God. With his coming history reaches its fulfilment.
The message of the five women mentioned in the genealogy. Jesus is the response of God to the expectation both of the Jews and of the Pagans, but it is in a completely surprising way. In the stories of the four women of the Old Testament, mentioned in the genealogy, there is something abnormal. The four of them were foreigners, and they will conceive their sons outside the normal schema of the behaviour of that time and they do not keep the requirements of the laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite, widow, dresses as a prostitute of Jericho to oblige Judah to be faithful to her and to give her a son (Gn 38, 1-30). Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho, makes an alliance with the Israelites. She helped them to enter into the Promised Land and professed the faith in a God who liberates from the Exodus. (Gs 2, 1-21). Bathsheba, a Hittite, wife of Uriah, was seduced, abused and made pregnant by King David, who in addition to that, ordered her husband to be killed (2 S 11, 1-27). Ruth, a Moabite, a poor widow, chose to remain with Naomi and adhere to the people of God (Rt 1, 16-18). Advised by her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth imitates Tamar and spends the night together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the law and to give her a son. From their relation Obed was born, the grandfather of King David (Rt 3, 1-15; 4, 13-17). These four women question the models of behaviour imposed by the Patriarchal society. And thus, their conventional initiative will give continuity to the descendants of Jesus and will bring salvation to all the people. Through them, God realizes his plan and sends the promised Messiah. Truly, God’s way of acting surprises and makes one think! At the end the reader will ask: “And Mary? Is there something irregular in her? What is it? We get the response from the story of Saint Joseph which follows in (Mt 1, 18-23).
• Mathew 1, 18-23: Saint Joseph was just. What was irregular in Mary is that she became pregnant before living together with Joseph, her promised spouse, who was a just man. Jesus says: “If your justice is not greater than the justice of the Pharisees and the Scribes, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. If Joseph had been just according to the justice of the Pharisees, he should have denounced Mary and she would have been stoned. Jesus would have died. Thanks to the true justice of Joseph, Jesus was able to be born.
4) Personal questions
• When I present myself to others, what do I say about myself
and about my family?
• If the Evangelist mentions only these five women together with over forty men, no doubt, he wants to communicate a message, which is this message? What does all this tell us about the identity of Jesus? And what does this say about us?
• If the Evangelist mentions only these five women together with over forty men, no doubt, he wants to communicate a message, which is this message? What does all this tell us about the identity of Jesus? And what does this say about us?
5) Concluding Prayer
They shall speak of the glory of your kingship
and tell of your might,
making known your mighty deeds to the children of Adam,
the glory and majesty of your kingship. (Ps 145,10-11)
and tell of your might,
making known your mighty deeds to the children of Adam,
the glory and majesty of your kingship. (Ps 145,10-11)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét