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Message of the Day
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“It was said of Abba Macarius the Great that he became, according to the writings, a god on
earth, because in the way God protected the world, so Abba Macarius would hide the faults he saw as though he had not seen them, and the faults he heard about as though he had not heard of them.” - Sayings of the Desert Fathers, on Macarius the Egyptian - (Resolve to be gentle with yourself and other people these days.)
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Readings of the Day
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Gn 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17 Mt 1:1-17 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of
Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king. David
became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of
Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the
father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of
Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
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. Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen
generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen
generations. USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“A family record of Jesus Christ…” —Matthew 1:1 By his sin, Adam warped the human family tree. Jesus transformed and
rebuilt it. In Jesus’ family tree, there are sinners, prostitutes, murderers, adulterers, and foreigners. Yet where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (Rm 5:20). God had a plan for Jesus’ family tree, “a plan which included us” (Heb 11:40). When “the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14), He bore the burden of all our human dysfunction – sin, weakness, mortality, betrayal, human foibles, pettiness, and so much more. He also experienced joy,
family love, compassion, peace, blessing, justice, nobility, love, and happiness. He took on boredom, anonymity, and a human family with a broken foundation. Jesus became a “Repairer of the breach…Restorer of ruined homesteads” (Is 58:12). Many leave the Church because they cannot stand the hypocrites, the sinners, and the scandal which they see. Jesus sees His family differently. The genealogy declares that things are no longer me and
Jesus, but “we and Jesus.” Jesus makes all things new (Is 43:19). Jesus can’t wait to introduce His family to us. He puts His family first in the entire New Testament. If we won’t love these people, how can we love God? (1 Jn 4:20) Through Baptism, Jesus has adopted us into His family. He wants us to be a part of His family. Do you want to be a part of His family? Then come to His family meal, the Holy
Eucharist. Prayer: Jesus, I am so thrilled to be a member of Your family. Give me Your heart of love for Your people, particularly those who are difficult to love. Promise: “The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice.” —Ps 72:3 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life, by Brother Lawrence (1611 - 1691). Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
https://ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice/practice Second Conversation
Love the motive of all. * Once in fear, now in joy. * Diligence and love. Sim- plicity the key to Divine assistance. * Business abroad as at home. * times of prayer and self-mortification not essential for the practice. * All
scruples brought to God. That he had always been governed by love, without selfish views; and that having resolved to make the love of GOD the end of all his actions, he had found reasons to be well satisfied with his method. That he was pleased when he could take up a straw from the ground for the love of GOD, seeking Him only, and nothing else, not even His gifts. That he had
been long troubled in mind from a certain belief that he should be damned; that all the men in the world could not have persuaded him to the contrary; but that he had thus reasoned with himself about it: I did not engage in a religious life but for the love of GOD, and I have endeavoured to act only for Him; whatever becomes of me, whether I be lost or saved, I will always continue to act purely for the love of GOD. I shall have this good at least, that till death I shall have done all that is
in me to love Him. That this trouble of mind had lasted four years; during which time he had suffered much. That since that time he had passed his life in perfect liberty and continual joy. That he placed his sins betwixt him and GOD, as it were, to tell Him that he did not deserve His favours, but that GOD still continued to bestow them in abundance. That in order to form a habit of
conversing with GOD continually, and referring all we do to Him; we must at first apply to Him with some diligence: but that after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty. That he expected after the pleasant days GOD had given him, he should have his turn of pain and suffering; but that he was not uneasy about it, knowing very well, that as he could do nothing of himself, GOD would not fail to
give him the strength to bear them. That when an occasion of practising some virtue offered, he addressed himself to GOD, saying, LORD, I cannot do this unless Thou enablest me; and that then he received strength more than sufficient. That when he had failed in his duty, he only confessed his fault, saying to GOD, I shall never do otherwise, if You leave me to myself; ’tis You must
hinder my falling, and mend what is amiss. That after this, he gave himself no further uneasiness about it. That we ought to act with GOD in the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen. That GOD never failed to grant it, as he had often experienced.
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