While still in Advent the readings today points us towards Christmas. God’s intricate plan for salvation foretold long before and the Promised Word fulfilled, was made flesh. Very soon now we will rejoice and celebrate the beginning of our salvation; through the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As we prepare for Christmas, let us look back at our very own salvation history. Being born into our family how were we led to our Baptism that is the beginning of our salvation when we were inserted into the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were we baptised shortly after our birth? Or did we journey on in life before coming to know our Lord and were baptised? Did we have for ourselves role models of our faith in our family tree?
From our birth till now, have we ourselves been instruments of His grace to bring our Lord’s salvation to those who had not known Him? How many of His lost sheep have we brought home to Him by our love and sacrifice? Are we living as beacons of His light that shines out in darkness that still covers the world?
Abba Father You so loved us that You sent Your only Begotten Son to save us from the bondages of sin. May we live free and Holy lives by the newness His long-awaited Nativity. Amen
First reading
Genesis 49:2,8-10 ·
Until he comes, the sceptre will not pass from Judah
Jacob called his sons and said:
‘Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen;
listen to Israel your father.
Judah, your brothers shall praise you:
you grip your enemies by the neck,
your father’s sons shall do you homage,
Judah is a lion cub,
you climb back, my son, from your kill;
like a lion he crouches and lies down,
or a lioness: who dare rouse him?
The sceptre shall not pass from Judah,
nor the mace from between his feet,
until he come to whom it belongs,
to whom the peoples shall render obedience.’
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-17
The ancestry of Jesus Christ, the son of David
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of 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.
CatholicJules.net 