Starting today, the readings in the Advent season are not specific for the liturgical day of the week, such as Tuesday of the 3rd week of Advent, like they are for the usual Daily masses, but rather they are specific for the particular date, December 17.
Today, we hear the very beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. Today’s reading tells of Jesus’ genealogy, going back many generations to Abraham, the patriarch of the 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 reading for the first time without practicing, I can tell you that. Besides Abraham, the list includes the great Jewish forefathers Jacob and King David. There are interesting, intriguing, and sometimes scandalous stories associated with the individuals named 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. In Ancient Israel, 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. Matthew wanted to show that God fulfilled the promises he made to David and Abraham through Jesus.
We are called to 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 the faith in the apostolic tradition. As we continue to prepare and wait during these days of Advent, let us give thanks for those who passed down the faith to us.
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