3RD WEEK OF ADVENT

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David.

Every Advent, we hear this genealogy as part of the Mass readings. When that happens, our first reaction may be to tune it out. We know it’s Jesus’ family tree, so it must be important. But we can get stuck on how long it is, or how many unfamiliar names appear in it. And we know that we’ll likely forget most of them as soon as the reading is over. So we may wonder, “What’s the point?”

In fact, all those names are the point. Jesus didn’t have to be born to Mary. He could have just appeared out of nowhere. But he came into the world as an infant, born into a specific family history. From Abraham to David, all the way to Joseph, every name in that long list is a link in the chain that brought Jesus to us. Every name is a real person who was a necessary part of God’s plan of salvation.

How amazing—God is not distant from human history! In fact, he is very involved in every aspect of it. Even before the dawn of creation, he planned each detail of how Jesus would come into this world.

Guess what? God also planned for you to be born into the world. He saw you before you were even conceived, and he loved you from the beginning! You are part of his family history, the continuation of that genealogy.

That’s because God’s ultimate purpose for Jesus’ birth into a human family was so that you—and every human being—could become members of his family. Not just distant relatives, but treasured sons and daughters, heirs of his eternal kingdom. Through your baptism, through new birth by the Holy Spirit, you have become his child (John 1:12). You are now part of the “family tree” of Jesus!

As you prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, let this truth sink in. Give thanks that you too are part of the Christmas story. Praise God for the wonder of the Incarnation of his Son. And praise him that you are no longer a “stranger” to the promises of God. You can hear his voice and know his love. You’re part of his household, and a “fellow citizen” with the saints. (Ephesians 2:12, 19).

“Father, thank you for bringing each of us into your family.”

Genesis 49:2, 8-10
Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17
Matthew 1:1-17