Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
Intention: That in this season of hospitality and generosity, all of us will make a special place for those whose lives are wounded by need, misfortune or injustice.
Today’s Gospel | 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.
A Reflection for the Third Saturday of Advent
When reading the story of the Nativity story, there is no shortage of extraordinary pieces with which the reader must contend. Typical everyday experiences and understandings are turned upside down, leaving people to scramble to make sense of what is happening. Take, for example, the location and circumstances of Jesus’ birth. Compared to traditional expectations, they were so unlikely that one Gospel writer saw the need to trace Jesus’ genealogy just to pull them and popular Messianic notions back into line. For Jesus’ life began not with approved fanfare on society’s center stage, but in obscurity and anticlimax at its lowly fringes. And this was just the beginning. Increasingly, in the person and life of Jesus was the message that to know salvation, we must first recognize that God’s ways are not our ways, and then we must change. Today, as we continue to see and feel the injuries done to human freedom and dignity by our lack of humility and compassion, our God has not stopped calling us to that same conversion of accepting that we were made to be much more and do much better than what we often choose. The time of Advent reminds us that the invitation of a certain holy night long ago to be roused from our sleep and awakened to our best and truest selves still stands.
Prayer
Eternal Father, the Scriptures often speak of times when you sent messengers to remind us of our responsibility for one another, especially for those most in need. In our own lives, we know your messengers continue to arrive, but we do not always choose to listen. In this time of Advent, open our hearts to these, your messengers, and make of us your messengers to others, that we might honor the birth of your Son by taking up his work and be his worthy and willing ambassadors. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.