“Why?” That’s one question asked when today’s gospel appears at Mass. Why do we proclaim and listen to three sets of 14 generations of a family? Couldn’t we just cover the highlights or do what every kid has considered and use the Cliff Notes version?
Well, since it’s Sacred Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit, there must be a good reason. And here is one: it is the story of a family from Abraham to Jesus, a reminder of how God’s plan for our salvation required generations of a family and centuries of time.
God Keeps His Promises
It was only after this long time, involving many people, that “Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus, who is called the Christ.”
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, only eight days away, we can draw hope from the fact that God kept His promise to Abraham, in the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. And God is faithful to each of us as well. But at times, it can seem like He isn’t listening, and we are failing. We pray, we receive the Sacraments, we teach the faith to the young ones…and at times, we and they struggle.
God Works on Us All
It’s worth noting that not everyone in today’s gospel would have made the All-Star Team for holiness throughout their lives. There were parents whose children grew up and got lost, drifting from God and their families, and then there were the parents who weren’t always faithful to God and one another themselves.
But through it all, God didn’t give up; He remained faithful to His promise and gave each person another chance. He went out (as He does today) looking for the lost sheep, and He gave each new generation the grace to choose the good and the holy.
God's Timing
As we consider our families those who we have known and those who have come before us, we can see some parallels to Jesus’ family tree. And this should give us hope for them and ourselves.
The fact that it took fifty-two generations to go from God’s promise to its fulfillment should help us keep perspective that it doesn’t all hinge on one single person in your family or mine and that God can use even the most challenging times in family life to help us grow in patience and trust in Him and mercy and charity toward our loved ones.
May God bless you and your families this holy day...as we remember, God is at work in our families and always faithful to His promises.
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
