Matthew 1:17
Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
In today's Gospel we recall the Genealogy of Jesus tracing back from "Abraham to David", "David to the Babylonian exile", and the "Babylonian exile to the Christ." All of the Old Testament laws, prophecies, and covenants made with God point to the coming of Christ and are fulfilled by Christ. It's through the history of the Isrealites that God prepared the world for Christ. It's through history that God works in the Church and in our lives today.
In my life, over the years, I have grown in a deeper understanding of God's mercy. When I was in grade school, I believed good people went to Heaven and bad people went to Hell. I have come to know that holiness and getting to Heaven begin not with trying harder, but with admitting our faults and confessing our sins. Being able to go to confession, the pain of my past sins are taken m away. My history, marked full of mistakes, is transformed into peace and gratitude by the mercy of God. By healing our past, God prepares us to more fully recieve His love in the future.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Kenneth Keenan, Theology I
Home parish: Our Lady of Lourdes
Did you know...
My favorite Christmas album is Jimmy Buffett's Christmas Island!
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
