Saturday of the Third Week of Advent - Matthew 1:1-17
The Gospel today is the genealogy
of Jesus Christ. The Gospel opens by naming the many people in Jesus’ lineage.
The list begins with Abraham and continues to the time of Jesus’ birth. Many
generations are listed. Some of the names are very familiar to us. However, we
also may hear names of people that we know almost little or nothing about.
Genealogy has become a serious
hobby for many people. As human beings, we instinctively are curious to know
where we came from and who we belong to – even if they lived a hundred years
ago.
We are shaped and formed by our
families. Most of us don’t choose our family; we are born into a family. We
begin learning from our family the moment we are born - (or perhaps even when
we are in the womb). Jesus also was shaped by His family. Mary and Joseph were
His first teachers. They taught Jesus about God, life, love, how to act, how to
pray, and so much more.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
what did you learn in your family? What are the gifts that you received from
your family? What do you consider the greatest gift that you received from your
family? What did you learn in your family that was painful or disappointing? No
family is perfect, just as we are not perfect. What were the challenges in your
family? How did you deal with them?
Today I invite you to take time and
reflect on your family: your birth family and also the family you belong to at
this time. What are the gifts they give you? What do you appreciate about your
family? What might be disappointing to you about your family? What is the
greatest gift you receive/d from your family? What are the gifts that you share
with them? I hope God is one of those gifts!
Today may we give thanks for our
families and the many gifts they have given to us!
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