Thursday 17 December

Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72; Matthew 1:1-17

Jesus our brother

As we listen to the long list of Jesus’ forebears at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel we may wonder why it has been chosen for today’s liturgy! What is striking is that among the list there are quite a few sinners: Jacob who stole his brother’s birthright and David who committed adultery and murder, to name just two of them. As we prepare to celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God this reading can help us to remember, that though Jesus was divine, he was nevertheless totally human. His ancestors were not the holiest of people but a cross section of humanity at its best and at its worst. Does that knowledge help us to feel closer to him?