Jesus stretched out his hands toward his disciples and elevated them precisely because of their discipleship.
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Like Mary, we are called
+ We are moving through narrative sections of the scriptures, and they do not present us with a lot of teaching through parables and other storytelling devices.
However, today is a most interesting passage from the very first verses of Matthew’s Gospel — the famous Genealogy of Jesus.
Also interestingly, for whatever reason, those who put together the scriptures that would be used in liturgy chose to leave out Verse 17 which actually is said to be largely artificial composition, arranging three sets of 14 generations — 42 in all.
It begins with Abraham and interestingly includes good and not so good peeps.
It also includes five women, which was a rarity.
And even rarer was that among those five women were prostitutes and gentiles.
Of course, Mary is also noted. All of this makes up the line of ancestors — the Davidic line — from which Jesus was born.
He, Emmanuel (God is with us), entered into humanity through the Virgin Mary.
The feast day is a big one in both the Eastern and Western churches, but more so in the East where it is a solemnity.
It falls on Sept. 8 (also artificially rather than historically) because Sept. 8 comes exactly nine months after the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, just as the Annunciation precedes the birth of Jesus by nine months (celebrated on March 25).
The thorough artificial listing of names is to root Jesus historically in time and to really show his human nature attached to people both good and not so good — family.
That’s the way it was, and that’s the way it is.
There is a choice for the first reading.
The Micah passage sets us up for the Davidic line that would be traced back to a tiny and insignificant place, and from this clan of insignificance would come a mighty ruler — the prediction of the messiah realized in our Gospel passage.
The other choice of readings from Paul’s letter to the Romans speaks of how we are called by God just as Mary herself was called: “and those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Really, like Mary, we are CALLED.
And when we realize that deep within we are also invited to be “conformed to the image of his Son.”
Continue readingPulling us into, introducing us to these big events
And we see the great redemptive love poured out from the cross as this sin-and-grace dance is played and portrayed a thousand times and more in the word of God.
Continue readingLet a little more light in
We are finally fully prepared in this Advent Season to welcome the Christ into our hearts and lives so that we can birth him to others.
Continue readingWe pray that Jesus and the Father help us to discover the power of relationship
Help us to discover the power of relationship — the power of love, the power of walking hand in hand with our God, the power of brother, sister, mother, father, cousin, neighbor, friend.
Continue readingWe must learn the humble walk with God
Of course, to “get it”, no doubt, we must learn the “humble walk with God.” And the proof that we “got it” is that we will surely learn “to do the right and to love goodness.”
Continue readingAdvent opens our eyes to the mystery of incarnation
We, as the followers of Jesus Christ, are welcomed into a reflection of the hope and dream of salvation. The past dream remembered and proclaimed at Christmas is the dream realized and celebrated by us.
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