Day 2:
December 17
Reflection
on Mt. 1:1‑17
by Flavie L. Villanueva, SVD
Introduction / Attention Technique: Today’s gospel talks about family. But, before I proceed, allow me to make an illustration about it. I need three volunteers: a young child a mother and a senior citizen. Then ask them a question related to their ancestors (ie do you know your great-grandfather or great-grand mother; lola or lolo?) Possible answers: they don’t know, or know very little about them about it.
A story goes of a little girl asking her mother, “mama, why do you genuflect when you go inside the church?” with a smile the mother responded, “its because my mother (your lola) and her own mother taught that it is a sign of respect and reverence before God. As a result it brings me closer to God. The little girl, with a smile responded, “no wonder you’re so loving and good to me and to everyone, because your close to God”. With warm smile, she hugged and kissed her mother.
The gospel speaks about family, the family tree of Jesus. Allow me to presents to you two points about this Gospel:
Body: Two points
1) Jesus is God of Old and New Testament
- the list of Jesus ancestors goes all the way back to Abraham, the Father of our Faith and the Father of all nations. Through him the 3 major religions of today springs forth. (Judaism, Islam and Christianity). Jesus’ being a descendent of Abraham means that, the salvation that Jesus brings was intended for all people.
- Another figure or name that stands out is the name of King David. Jesus’ ancestry can be traced from King David to Joseph (Jesus’ foster father). King David is the central kingly figure of the Old Testament and later from his lineage, Jesus, the King and promised Messiah comes to rule and brings salvation to all. But as king, he searches for a dwelling place, “for there was no room in the inn”. Are our hearts ready to welcome him? Advent means, “adventus” to prepare, “an active waiting” How can we prepare and begin to welcome the Lord in our midst?
2) Jesus came from a family of saint and sinners.
- Another lesson we could draw from today’s gospel is that, Jesus though was God or divine, he had a very human origin. He came from a family of sinners and saints. Just as there were saintly figures like Abraham, Joseph or Ruth, there were also sinners.
- For one, the four women: Rahab, Tamar, Ruth, Beth-Sheba in the narratives were looked down because they were prostitutes of their time. (And even if they were despised, they were privileged to be mentioned as part of Jesus family tree in the Gospel of Matthew). Sinners also abound in the men of Jesus family, like, the brothers of Joseph sold to slavery out of envy for him (later he became a member of Pharoah’s court. We also could site King David who was for a time unfaithful both to God and his wife. (BUT PLEASE, this does not mean you can sell your brother or start being unfaithful!!) The point here is that, though of divine origin, God through Jesus would tell us, I wish to be part of your family. I wish to get to know you by living and sharing your shame and sins. With this truth, we are given the dignity to say, “The WORD dwelt among us sinners”.
Conclusion: In knowing our past and our family tree, we will learn and discover about our ancestors who they are and how they were. Perhaps, we would also trace why are we such today? We do we act and behave as such? Like the young girl in the story who was able to connect with her past, we too are invited to do the same. We are encourage to know, to be grateful and even forgive our ancestors and past. In so doing, we grow in our humanity.
Finally, as we grow in our humanity, we discover the God
who has faithfully journeyed with Abraham, King David, Tamar,
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by Reginaldo
V. Lavilla MSP
Introduction
A. Attention
Technique:
A pair of cocoon and butterfly (picture or actual) or a paw' rose bud and a fully blossomed rose. Show to the people either of the two pairs and explain that the beauty we see in the butterfly comes from a cocoon or of the blossomed rose from a bud.
B. Relevance:
Our gospel today speaks of the beginnings of Jesus Christ (However, please don't take this genealogy of Jesus as literally historical. It only more or less describes where Jesus is coming from in his human condition). This genealogy takes its full blossoming with the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah whom we await to come.
C. Lead‑in:
With the illustration I have just shown to you, let me then share with you three important reasons why it is important to know our beginnings and most essentially our individual selves and identity that God has given us.
II. Body
First that we will be able to understand our Christian calling and
eventually our rights and obligations that the Church afforded to us. Most
of us, if not all, are heirs of the faith that is handed on to us by our forefathers, many generations had passed since the
Christianization of the
Through
our baptism, we are incorporated into Christ and thus called the people of God.
We thus participate in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ.
This is our calling, according to our particular condition, that we may
exercise the mission that God entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world
(Can. 204 par. 1). Moreover, we are also called to make a wholehearted effort
to lead a holy life... (
Second, that we will be able to know our direction. There is a certain direction that Jesus undertook throughout his whole earthly life because he knew where he is ultimately coming from. What we have heard today is only the roots of the humanity of Jesus, but the ultimate source of his earthly existence (as begotten by the Father and not created) is the Father. Indeed, through Jesus Christ we become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. Thus we can say, as creatures of God, we come from the Father too.
If our identity transcends from what is just being human with our own genealogies‑ then we are called to imitate Jesus Christ who is fully human and fully divine. And if this is so, we cannot turn our backs to learn the ways of Jesus and be deaf to the teachings of the Church.
Third that we will be able to see the beauty of God that is within us when we truly know our true selves and identity. Let me tell you a story. One day, a man found himself in front of the Door of God. He wanted desperately to enter, but the door would not open. It was locked and he had no key. The man then went around the whole world to search for the key to the Door of God, but he could not find it. Exasperated, he returned to the Door of God and there he wept then he heard a voice that told him, "Look within you." The man did as he was told. He looked within, and opening his heart he found the key and used it. The Door of God opened and, inside, the man found God. The key was called "The Key of Who I am"
Like the man whom I told in the story, the key to see the beauty of God lies deep within us, in our hearts. We will not forget however, that understanding of who we are begins with our understanding of our beginnings.
III. Conclusion:
A. Creative Summary:
Everything that I have told you then point out to our calling of knowing our self and identity especially before God. Three things that you should not forget: knowing one's self leads us to understand our Christian calling, brings us into the right direction, and enable us to see the beauty of God that is already within us.
B. Application:
Now my dear friends (show the fully blossomed rose or the picture of a butterfly), do you want your life to become as beautiful as the rose or the butterfly know your beginnings and live your true self and identity before God
C. Memorable Closing Technique:
Like the rose that attracts and draw attention from the eyes of men and women, you will be so when you know who you really are.
