Jesus, Son of David, Brother to Me

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

By Beth DeCristofaro

Jacob called his sons and said to them: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. (Genesis 49:2)

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  Abraham became the father of Isaac,…Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.  Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. (1 Matthew 1:17)

Piety

Great God of Creation, create in me a new awareness of each day, each opportunity to live for you.  I thank you for my spiritual and mortal heritage.  I ask you for the grace to respond to all as Jesus asked me to do:  with love for others and myself as I love You.

Study

Where do we come from?  To whom do we belong?  Who are we?  These questions have been important to humans throughout time and in most cultures.  The answers have allowed us to describe our groups and exclude “others”.  Many primitive cultures named themselves simply “the People”.  At one time in the USA “one drop” of Negro blood defined who was black and therefore subject to legal discrimination.  Being “in” has often called for responsibility and loyalty while dismissing or oppressing those who are “out”.

Modern scholarship shows that we originated in the ancient sub-Saharan world.  Many “definitions” once based in lineage have been proven patently false and obviously prejudiced.  I read a fascinating book called The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes which traced the origins of humankind through human mitochondrial genetics and proposed seven “clan mothers” for large genetically related groups.  Thus we and they are all descended from a single “mitochondrial Eve.”  It is inspiring to see science speak to the faith histories we hold so dear.

Today, scientists have postulated that we are formed of stardust.  The theory is that the stuff of life is ferried about the universe by comets, asteroids and the like.  Personally, that’s a lineage that appeals to me.  It’s a little more exotic than my Irish/Rumanian families although my forebears had faces, happiness, tragedies, hopes, loves, and faith where falling stars do not.

Action

Our lineage is actually quite exalted in reality.  God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27).  We are also children of Abraham and brothers and sisters of Jesus, Son of Man.  God did not create in order to exclude.  How can we see more fully the lineage within each person whom God places in our paths each day?  How can we more fully celebrate our kinship?