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Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

 

The problem with family trees that unless you have stories about the people, they're just names and dates on a page. Stories make them come alive, and you start to feel like you know them.

As boring as this genealogy can seem on the surface, we do have stories about a lot of these people. We know Abraham's welcome of the three strangers, we know Isaac's almost-sacrifice, we know Rahab's heroism and Ruth's love. We know David's sins and Solomon's construction projects and Joseph's trials. We know these people. They're real people; they lived and died and sinned and loved, just like we do. They're important--we're important--because we are the family of the One Who came to save the whole human race.

God's relationship with us is paradoxical. He's the Father-Creator, but also the Lover of the Song of Solomon. Jesus comes as our brother, but also our savior, and a child to a human family. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, and also our friend and companion. Why all these criss-crossing lines of relationship between us and our God? Because God loves us in every way we know how to be loved. His love transcends the parameters we know to set on our relationships. His love fills all the corners of our weary hearts. 

This genealogy ought to remind us of just how God penetrates into our human existence. From real human lives, generation after generation, He came taking human life, to bring each one of us into the closest possible relationship with Him.

 

Ponder:


How can I better remember today that I am a member of the family of God? How can I remember that those around me are also His beloved?

 

Pray:


Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, remind me of the depths of your love for me. Help me never to lose sight of how much You long to be close to me.

 

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This genealogy ought to remind us of just how God penetrates into our human existence. #dailygospel



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Copyright 2020 Rebecca W. Martin

About the Author

Rebecca W. Martin

Rebecca W. Martin

Rebecca W. Martin, a trade book Acquisitions Editor for Our Sunday Visitor and Assistant Editor at Chrism Press, lives in Michigan with her husband and too many cats. A perpetually professed Lay Dominican, Rebecca serves as editor for Veritas, a quarterly Lay Dominican publication. Her children’s book Meet Sister Mary Margaret will release in fall 2023 from OSV Kids.