Sunday before the Nativity of Christ – Sunday of the Holy Fathers, Tone 5; The Holy Martyr Boniface (230)
Hebrews 11:9-10,17-23,32-40; Matthew 1:1-25
Nativity Fast.
Read Matthew 1:1-25
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
The genealogy of Jesus through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father, is not a topic that too many priests will preach about. Some of the names are quite obscure. Yet there are four women mentioned in the genealogy (Tamar – daughter-in-law to Judah, Rahab – the Jericho prostitute, Ruth – the non-Israelite Moabite, and Bathsheba -the woman unlawfully taken by David) that have captured the imagination of commentators. These four women are said to be types of Mary, who is the fifth and last woman mentioned in the genealogy. What they have in common is that each of them came from unusual, unexpected circumstances or were involved in an out of the ordinary relationship. The courtship between Joseph and Mary and the birth of Jesus were both quite unusual and extraordinary.
So next time you listen to the genealogy, at least you will recognise the four women pointing to the fifth one – Mary.