Monday, June 11, 2012

Matthew Chapter 1

Summary (click Summary for text of Chapter 1)
The Chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is the Genealogy of Jesus Christ (1:1-17). The second part is the Nativity of Jesus (1:18-25).  

The genealogy, with all those names, is designed to establish the ‘credentials’ of Jesus as being of the royal line that extends from King David. Jesus being the Messiah, and King, of Israel, has both a human and divine component. He is fully human and fully divine: Son of God and Son of Mary. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation. The genealogy demonstrates that. It, when combined with the prophecy given in verse (hereafter: v.) 23, shows that Jesus’ birth, followed by his Life, Death, and Resurrection, fulfills the ancient prophecy and promise made to the Israelites beginning with Abraham and extending through the great prophets of the Old Testament and terminating with John the Baptist in the New Testament.

In the second part of this first chapter we have the Angel of the Lord visiting Joseph in a dream and reassuring him that the miracle about to happen is from God and will be something extraordinary (v. 20). Angels are messengers of God: charged with being a kind of conduit between God and His people. The Holy Spirit, the giver of Life, has visited Mary and conceived in her the Son of God, to whom Joseph will serve as foster-father. Joseph, responding to the Holy Spirit, responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in his heart, rises from sleep and does exactly what God wants him to do (v. 24). And that’s why he’s a saint.

Point for Prayer
Let’s pray with St. Joseph today. St. Joseph was a humble carpenter- a hard worker and faithful Jew. The Lord came to him, asked him to do something for Him, and Joseph responded in Faith and Obedience. But what Joseph did for the Lord he also did for us. In saying yes to the Lord, we become the beneficiaries of his generosity. In his own quiet, humble and nearly hidden way, Joseph helped prepare his foster son, Jesus, for life. And for that, we are most grateful. We also ask St. Joseph to pray for us:

+ St. Joseph, hear our humble prayer. Please inspire us to make our homes havens of love and peace. May all be welcome in our homes and may they be places where Faith, Hope and Love reside beside all who enter and live there. St. Joseph, pray for us. Amen. +

No comments:

Post a Comment