The husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah

17 DECEMBER (Mt 1,1-17)

St. Matthew, from the beginning, from the first line of his Gospel wants everyone to know who the person discussed in his book is, by referring us words and deeds, events and circumstances. He will tell us of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham.

When St. Matthew writes his Gospel, Jesus is already confessed as the Messiah of the Lord and this confession of right faith is transformed into the proper name of Jesus and no longer an apposition. Jesus Christ became a single name. Jesus is the Messiah, the Messiah is Jesus, according to the prophecy given by God to Abraham and after several centuries, also to David. As a true son of Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him. As a true Son of David, He is the King that must come to establish the kingdom of God on our earth. That is how St. Paul interprets God’s promise to Abraham.

Brothers, in human terms I say that no one can annul or amend even a human will once ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. It does not say, “And to descendants,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “And to your descendant,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it is no longer from a promise; but God bestowed it on Abraham through a promise. Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise. (Cf. Gal 3,15-29).

This is a page that must fill every man with joy. In Abraham’s son every child of Adam becomes the seed of Abraham; he becomes blessed and bearer of blessing; he is the saviour and bearer of salvation; he is redeemed and the gift of redemption.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

This is the great mystery of Christmas that is about to come. Jesus Christ is born to make all men be born from Abraham, becoming themselves a blessing for all their brothers. This consciousness of pure faith is yet neither in the heart nor in the mind of those who have become disciples of Jesus. We are distracted, inattentive, unaware of what the Lord’s Birth brings into this world. Christ is born to make us in Him, with Him, through Him, a blessing for every other man. From me, blessed Jesus, the blessing of God must spread upon the whole of humanity. The Christian is clothed with an sublime, great, truly cosmic and universal vocation.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us this holy consciousness.