DAILY- HOMILY

September 8, 2015 TUESDAY, NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Feast, White

Mi 5:1 - 4a / Mt 1:1 - 16, 18 - 23

Reading: Mi 5:1 - 4a  

     But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel. For he comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

     Yahweh, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the people of Israel.

     He will stand and shepherd his flock with the strength of Yahweh, in the glorious Name of Yahweh, his God. They will live safely while he wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

Gospel: Mt 1:1 - 16, 18 - 23

     This is the document of the origins 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. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse.

     Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah's wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings: Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah,  Manasseh, Amon, Josiah. Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

     After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor.  Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud.  Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.  Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ – the Messiah.

     This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. . . .

     All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us. 

Reflection:

     Though today's feast is of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Gospel reading is the genealogy of her Son Jesus on the male line through Joseph his foster-father to David all the way back to Abraham. Mary's key role in salvation history is to be Mother of the Son of God: "the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father . . . became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man."   

     The genealogy of our Lord confirms and emphasizes his humanity: "And the Word was made flesh; he had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving kindness."  (Jn 1:14)

     "Impart to your servants, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace, that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation."

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     BELLIE REYES VILLANUEVA

     FR. RODNEY HART, SJ

     HANANI M. BAUTISTA

     NATY LANSIGAN

     VINO NAÑAGAS

IN MEMORIAM:

     Bernardo Santiago Jr.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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