Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 17, 2018
First Reading: Genesis 49.2, 8-10
2"Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.8"Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.9You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse him?10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
Psalm 72
1Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.2He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.3The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.4He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.5He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.6He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.7In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.8He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.9The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.10The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.11All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.13He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.14He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.15Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.16Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.18Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.19Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.20This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Gospel: Matthew 1.1-17
1A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.12After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,14Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud,15Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the unfolding of God’s plan and the significance of lineage in the story of salvation. In the first reading from Genesis, Jacob gathers his sons to bless them, focusing particularly on Judah. He prophesies that Judah will be a leader, a lion’s cub, and that the scepter of leadership will remain with him until the one to whom it belongs comes. This passage is rich with Messianic overtones, pointing to the ultimate leader who will arise from Judah’s line.
The Gospel reading from Matthew is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing his lineage from Abraham to Joseph, the husband of Mary. This list of names may seem dry at first glance, but it is deeply meaningful. It shows how Jesus is rooted in the history of God’s people, connecting him to great figures like Abraham, David, and Ruth. It also reminds us that even in the messy and imperfect lives of those who came before him, God was preparing the way for the Savior. The structure of the genealogy—divided into three sets of fourteen generations—underscores the divine order and purpose behind Jesus’ birth.
These readings together teach us about the patience and providence of God. The promise made to Judah in Genesis is fulfilled in Jesus, as Matthew’s genealogy makes clear. This reminds us that our lives, like the lives of those in the genealogy, are part of a larger story. We may not always see the full picture, but we can trust that God is working through us to bring about his plan. Let us reflect on how we might cooperate with God’s will in our own lives, just as the ancestors of Jesus played their part in preparing the way for him. May we, like Judah, trust in God’s timing and leadership, knowing that he is always at work, even when we cannot see the fullness of his plan.