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Gospel: Matthew 1: 18-23
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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In the longer version of today’s Gospel, we hear the genealogy of Jesus, which includes some pretty surprising and scandalous figures – everyone from fools, to liars, con artists, adulterers, murderers, and prostitutes!
If we looked back over forty-two generations from our own family tree, there’s a chance we’d also find a bad apple or two.
But this is the genealogy of Jesus!
Why would God knowingly include sinners to prepare the way for his first coming?
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To teach us a timeless lesson: that people often lead messy or difficult lives. Everyone makes mistakes; everyone has written a page or two they’d rather not repeat, even the ancestors of Jesus.
As Saint Paul says, “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”
But just as the Lord used imperfect people to prepare the way for his first coming, so he intends to use all of us to prepare for his second coming.
It’s simply a matter of being open to his grace.
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So, how might we spread the kingdom of God just a little more today?
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A simple act of kindness can go a long way.
Or, in the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is darkness, let me bring light; where there is despair, let me bring hope. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
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Image credits: (1) Linking Earth With Heaven Above (2) Become Orthodox, WordPress (3) Lord, Make Me An Instrument, Chris Cox