Tuesday of the third week of Advent Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17 Genealogy of Jesus Christ
In the first part of the Gospel of today (Matthew 1:1-6), Matthew mentions Abraham. When Abraham was called by the Lord, the Lord said to him, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and come into the land which I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, making you fruitful and a source of blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you; and all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed through you.” (cf. Genesis 12:1-3) Immediately afterwards, Abraham obeyed the Lord’s will. Even when he was old and had children, God, in order to test him, commanded him to take his beloved only son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain which He had designated. With firm faith and infinite trust in God, Abraham obeyed and offered his son, setting an example for us. It is precisely for this reason that the Lord said, “Because you have done this and have not spared your only son, I will bless you abundantly and multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall inherit the gate of their enemies; and all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed through your descendants, because you have obeyed My voice.” (cf. Genesis 22:1-19)
Let us emulate the virtue of Abraham, filled with boundless trust in God, and in all things, we will do God’s will, practice His teachings, even if it means sacrificing those we love most for the sake of God.
In the second part of the Gospel of today (Matthew 1:7-11), Matthew mentions a holy king whose name is David. In the Old Testament era, David can be considered a holy king. After Saul was chosen as king (1 Samuel 10:17-27) and was deposed by God due to his repeated transgressions, David remained faithful and protected Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 16:14-23). When he was repeatedly pursued and hunted down by Saul, God, due to his faithfulness to God, repeatedly rescued him from perilous situations and established him as the king of Israel. Under David’s reign, Israel was promised great blessings: “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up a descendant after you, the son born to you; I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a temple for my name, and I will establish his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he sins, I will punish him with the rod of men and the staff of the world; but I will not revoke my Favor from him, as I revoked it from Saul before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
Let us emulate the virtue of David, fulfilling God’s will in all things, setting a good example before others through our fidelity, and, like David, wisely utilizing the gifts bestowed by God, while constantly praising and glorifying the Lord in our lives.
In the third part of Gospel of today (Matthew 1:12-17), St. Matthew narrates some notable figures during the exile of the Israelites to Babylon. During the reign of Jehoiakim, the Jews had committed evil in the eyes of God before the Lord (2 Chronicles 36:11-15). The Lord sent messengers to warn them repeatedly, urging them to repent, but they remained hardened in their hearts and refused to repent. Therefore, the Lord handed all of them over to their enemies, causing them to be exiled to Babylon, and through the hands of a foreign king, Cyrus, He granted them salvation, allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple until the coming of Jesus Christ. All of this demonstrates how merciful God is to His chosen people.
Let us imitate Cyrus, who, despite being a foreign king, remained faithful to God, filled with boundless hope for God’s love, and properly prepared his heart and mind to welcome the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tuesday of the third week of Advent Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32 Obey
We often encounter such a scenario in our daily lives: in family settings, our parents frequently demand that we accomplish tasks they wish us to do. For instance, when we finish dinner, our parents expect us to assist them in clearing the dishes; another example is when we go shopping, they prefer us to purchase items they need; similarly, when we travel, the elders in our family hope we can bring back local produce for them. Dear brothers and sisters in the faith! When faced with the desires of our parents in life, how do we respond? Perhaps we readily fulfil their needs, so that they may find joy in our mutual love, just as the Apostle Saint Paul did (cf. Phil 2:2). Perhaps we are like the son who first went to his father in the parable Jesus told (cf. Mt 21:28-29), who, though reluctant, after much consideration, was willing to fulfil his parents’ wishes through his practical actions, so that they might find joy in our humility and obedience. Today, we gather in the love of Christ, and during Mass, we listen to the Word of God, resolving to believe that in life, we must live out the joy of the Gospel, becoming like John, faithfully fulfilling the mission entrusted to us by God.
Monday of the Third Week of Advent Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27 The Authority of Jesus
In our daily lives, we often act according to our own will, choosing what we deem to be the right path, and resorting to all means to question those who teach us skills for surviving in this ever-changing world in accordance with the wisdom of life. At times, we are just like the chief priests and elders of the people who came to confront Jesus today (cf. Mt 21:23-25)—we intend to exert pressure on those whom we perceive as threats through methods we consider appropriate, seeking to force them to abandon their positions and submit to us.
We must never behave like those chief priests and elders, who spoke with the tongues of this perishable flesh. Lest by such words, we fall into carnal presumption; even though we have received the baptism of Christ and belong to Him, our souls and bodies would still remain trapped in the sin that leads to death. When we speak, we should utter the words that God has placed in our mouths, so that our thoughts, words, and deeds may be consistent with all that we have received. In this way, those who interact with us will, through the teachings we proclaim faithfully—teachings rooted in the Church founded by Christ Himself upon Saint Peter (cf. Mt 16:17-19)—join us in making straight the way of the Lord, so as to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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