17 December 2021 - homily for the Friday of the 3rd week of Advent - Matthew 1:1-17

      Starting today, the readings in the Advent season are not specific for the day of the week, such as Friday of the 3rd week of Advent, like they are for the usual daily masses, but rather specific for the particular day, December 17.  Today, we hear the very beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, recounting the genealogy of Jesus back many generations to Abraham, the patriarch of their faith.  It is quite a list of names, some of which are not easy to pronounce.  It is not the day the priest wants to go in and read the Gospel for the first time without practicing.  Besides Abraham, the list includes the great Jewish forefathers Jacob and King David.  There are interesting, intriguing, and sometimes very scandalous stories linked with the individuals listed in this genealogy.  Another person listed is Rahab, a prostitute whose courage and faith saved the lives of the Israelite spies in the book of Joshua. 

     Genealogy and learning about one’s ancestry have become popular in our country.  Since most of us originally came from immigrant families somewhere in our family tree, many of us want to learn more about our roots and from where we originally came.  In Ancient Israel as well, it was important to know one’s ancestry, since heritage and lineage determined whether one was considered clean or pure in a religious sense.   Matthew wanted to show that Jesus was in the line of God’s chosen people, the rightful heir to the throne of David, the one to whom God fulfilled the promises he made to David and Abraham, that he would send a Savior to Israel to rule over them & to deliver them from their enemies.

     I wonder if we see our own spiritual history in the Gospel today?  We come from this same spiritual lineage, with our faith having been passed down to us by our own ancestors, from those who learned their faith in the apostolic tradition.   As we continue to prepare and wait during this holy Advent season, may we give thanks for those who passed down the faith to us. May we give thanks for the spiritual genealogy of which we are a part.