2 Avraham was the father of Yitz’chak,
Yitz’chak was the father of Ya‘akov,
Ya‘akov was the father of Y’hudah and his brothers,
3 Y’hudah was the father of Peretz and Zerach (their mother was Tamar),
Peretz was the father of Hetzron,
Hetzron was the father of Ram,
4 Ram was the father of ‘Amminadav,
‘Amminadav was the father of Nachshon,
Nachshon was the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon was the father of Bo‘az (his mother was Rachav),
Bo‘az was the father of ‘Oved (his mother was Rut),
‘Oved was the father of Yishai,
6 Yishai was the father of David the king.
David was the father of Shlomo (his mother was the wife of Uriyah),
7 Shlomo was the father of Rechav‘am,
Rechav‘am was the father of Aviyah,
Aviyah was the father of Asa,
8 Asa was the father of Y’hoshafat,
Y’hoshafat was the father of Yoram,
Yoram was the father of ‘Uziyahu,
9 ‘Uziyahu was the father of Yotam,
Yotam was the father of Achaz,
Achaz was the father of Hizkiyahu,
10 Hizkiyahu was the father of M’nasheh,
M’nasheh was the father of Amon,
Amon was the father of Yoshiyahu,
11 Yoshiyahu was the father of Y’khanyahu and his brothers
at the time of the Exile to Bavel.
12 After the Babylonian Exile, Y’khanyahu was the father of Sh’altiel,
Sh’altiel was the father of Z’rubavel,
13 Z’rubavel was the father of Avihud,
Avihud was the father of Elyakim,
Elyakim was the father of ‘Azur,
14 ‘Azur was the father of Tzadok,
Tzadok was the father of Yakhin,
Yakhin was the father of El’ichud,
15 El’ichud was the father of El‘azar,
El‘azar was the father of Mattan,
Mattan was the father of Ya‘akov,
16 Ya‘akov was the father of Yosef the husband of Miryam,
from whom was born the Yeshua who was called the Messiah.18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh. 19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame. 20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanu El.”[Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14]
(The name means, “God is with us.”)
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast)
The virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel. (Matthew 1:23)
Today is Mary’s birthday, so let’s all celebrate. In fact, why not gather your family, bake a cake, and have a party!
Why all the celebration, anyway? Well, when a close friend or a member of your family has a birthday, you get excited for that person, don’t you? You want to celebrate with him or her. You want to make the day special because you love this person and because he or she is an important part of your life.
Should it be any different for Mary, your mother? She’s part of your family as well. From the beginning of time, when the Father planned to send his Son to us, he also planned that Mary would be his mother. Now, through Christ, we have been made children of God—brothers and sisters to Jesus. And that makes Mary our mother. So in a sense, today’s Gospel reading, the genealogy of Jesus, is a listing of your own spiritual family tree. Starting with Abraham, your forefather in faith, it traces your ancestors all the way up to Joseph and Mary. Their story is your story. Their hopes and dreams are your hopes and dreams. In other words, you belong!
As a member of God’s family, you have an important role to play in God’s plan, just as Mary did. As a parent, sister, brother, daughter, son, friend, co-worker, or neighbor, he wants you to bear Christ to the people around you, just as Mary did. That can sound like a tall order, and in one sense, it is. But never let this calling overwhelm you. Remember that you have the best mother in the world to help you. Remember too that you are not alone. You have a huge, wonderful family to support you.
So go ahead, and have some cake today. Celebrate with your brothers and sisters what a great mother you have!
“Father, thank you for giving me Mary as my mother. Help me to rejoice and embrace the role that I have in building your kingdom.” Amen!
Micah 5:1(2) But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat,
so small among the clans of Y’hudah,
out of you will come forth to me
the future ruler of Isra’el,
whose origins are far in the past,
back in ancient times.
2 (3) Therefore he will give up [Isra’el]
only until she who is in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his kinsmen
will return to the people of Isra’el.
3 (4) He will stand and feed his flock
in the strength of Adonai,
in the majesty of the name
of Adonai his God;
and they will stay put, as he grows great
to the very ends of the earth;
4 (5) and this will be peace.
If Ashur invades our land,
if he overruns our fortresses,
we will raise seven shepherds against him,
eight leaders of men.
Psalm 13:6 (5) But I trust in your grace,
my heart rejoices as you bring me to safety.
(6) I will sing to Adonai, because he gives me
even more than I need.
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