Friday 17 December

Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17; Matthew 1:1-17

Family trees and all that

Many of us have had surprises when we’ve delved into our ancestry. We’ve found unsuspected skeletons in our forebears’ cupboards. The Lord Jesus’ family tree may also surprise us. An incestuous relationship is part of it. So too are two adulterers. Jesus had foreign blood in his veins because one ancestress was not a descendant of Abraham. Furthermore, Our Lord’s natural family pictures his spiritual family, the Church. As the late Msgr. Ronald Knox describes it “The Church is all saints, all sinners, all sorts.” How often do I pray for the Church?