Genealogy.

Beginning today, we start to experience in the liturgy of the Church the immediate preparation for the feast of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. At this time, the saints’ feasts are not celebrated; if they are, it is with some modifications. Votive Masses and Masses for various needs are permitted only from a severe condition for pastoral benefit. Nor are daily Masses for the dead permitted. This preparation begins with the enumeration of a long series of names, which we call the genealogy. “All the tribes from Abraham to David were fourteen, from David to the Babylonian captivity fourteen, and from the Babylonian captivity to Christ fourteen.” (Matt. 1:17).

The genealogy of the Lord Jesus passes through three periods of the history of the chosen people, namely, the period of development from Abraham to King David. In the first period, Israel receives a temporal king; then it continues through the time of the kings until the extinction of kingship. Israel is to await another king. This is followed by the post-captivity period in which the eternal King-Messiah is expected to come, and that King is Jesus. Some genealogy members have been demandingly omitted, probably because of their sinfulness. In turn, on the other hand, only sinful women are mentioned in the genealogy, except Mary, so that the pride of the Jews might be cooled and that it might stand out that Jesus came to save sinners.

The genealogy begins with Abraham, to whom God promised that the Messiah would be born of his lineage, as we read in the Book of Genesis: “In you, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3). This is what God promised Abraham because of his faith with which he left his homeland and went to an unknown land. He promises that his barren Sarah will bear a son who will be one of the lineages the Messiah will be taken. Later still, God promises that the Messiah will be born of the lineage of David.

The Son of David is a popular name for the Messiah among the prophets. The Jews also used this name to refer to the Messiah. The word Christ is a Greek word. It translates the Hebrew word Messiah, which means Anointed One. The anointed were kings and prophets ordained and commissioned in the Old Testament. When we read in today’s Gospel in Matthew of the Messianic rank of Jesus, with the double designation of Christ and Son of David, he meant to emphasize especially the Messianic dignity of the Lord Jesus. Jesus, the descendant of Abraham and David, is at the center of all that God has done in history for the salvation of humanity.

It takes preparation for salvation back to Jesus. Jesus, in turn, accomplishes salvation, that is, the new order of salvation. And so, the promised kingdom of God comes into the world.

The text of this Gospel does not wish merely to list austerely a kind of succession of families and generations from Abraham to Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom Jesus Christ was born. This part of the Gospel wants to inspire our trust in God. What God has once promised, he will never take back. It is necessary to trust God completely.

And we are to do what God asks of us and not worry that the reward does not come immediately. We see that Abraham did not see the Messiah, nor did his son Isaac, nor even King David, and yet centuries later, the Messiah comes. For with God, it is not a decisive time but our trust. God knows no division of time in His eternity. God sees only our love for Him. We need to remember this also, preparing for the feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus.

Too bad we are so cordial to each other over the holidays and so often cold and distant over the year! Trust should remove these sharp boundaries of the year. The elders should have more confidence in the problems of the young, and the young should be more understanding of the elders. The elders should remember that they too were young, and the young should remember that one day they too will grow old. To unite among ourselves by considering our conditions and understanding the interests of others, typically different in age. We see encouragement in many who can be young even though advanced in years. They are interested, know how to enjoy themselves, don’t typically take things tragically, and learn how to forgive, forgive, and forget… But we also see encouragement in the young who enjoy getting along with grandpa, grandma, enjoy being in their presence, etc. To these and similar thoughts, today’s Gospel family tree may appeal to us.