people-person
“A family record of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.” —Matthew 1:1-2
God, being the Creator and the Trinity-family, loves genealogies. Because He loves to list the members of His chosen people, there are many genealogies in the Old Testament. The Lord even begins the New Testament by tracing the genealogy of St. Joseph and Jesus.
God loves genealogies because He loves:
- PEOPLE — Human persons are the crown of creation because we are created “in the divine image” and likeness of God (Gn 1:27).
- The PAST — The Holy Spirit has not started working just recently. The past is charged with God’s grace and is the basis for God’s work in the present and future.
- PREGNANCY — In the Bible, the Lord lists person after person who “begat” someone else. The Lord commanded us to “be fertile and multiply” (Gn 1:28). The Lord came to give us life “to the full” (Jn 10:10). He is “the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6).
- PARENTS — The Lord loves parents so much that He even became incarnate and has His own parents. God loves parents.
This partially explains God’s love for genealogies and for you. God loves you amazingly, unconditionally, perfectly, and infinitely. This is the meaning of Christmas and of life.
Prayer: Father, thank You for loving people, and me, so much that You gave Your Son to die for us (see Jn 3:16).
Promise: “The scepter shall never depart from Judah.” —Gn 49:10
Praise: “O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, You govern all creation with Your strong yet tender care. Come and show Your people the way to salvation.”
Reference:
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 2025"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.