Daily Gospel Reflection for December 17, 2024

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

Today's Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

The genealogy of Jesus can seem tedious, like finding a dust-filled box of old family photos in the attic and not feeling any connection. Until I listened to the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz, I yawned through this reading each year. After getting through the whole Old Testament, I had an appreciation for those who came before Jesus. They were people like me, not just names.

Jesus was born into an imperfect family, just like us. He probably had crazy uncles, strange aunts, and uncomfortable holiday dinners just like we do. In becoming one of us, God chose to come here in a family, with all that includes. The Old Testament is His family history, and it gives us perspective on the present. We get clarity by seeing what came before us. It shows us how loving our God is. He doesn’t demand perfection and that’s great, because none of us can achieve it.

I know my family has faults, but He has entered in and done beautiful things in our hearts. I know that I am not worthy that He should enter under my roof but He has, just as He has since the beginning of time. For that, I am grateful.

The Bible is the story of salvation and that story is still being written. Its cast of characters includes amazing and not-so-amazing people, and Jesus’ family falls in there. It’s good to honor them by saying their names. It’s worth our time to read the story of all the people we heard about in today’s Gospel. It’s our story too.

Ponder:

Can you imagine the people in the Gospel as real people?

Pray:

God, thank You for the gift of those who came before us and shaped us in ways we don't know.

Copyright 2024 Merridith Frediani