Matthew 1,1-16.18-23

September 8, 2022 (Thursday)
Let us all remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Matthew 1,1-16.18-23
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

Reflection
Today, we celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her birth is a preparation for God’s great plan of salvation and the fulfillment of the prophecy of old (Is 7,14). St. Matthew, in our gospel, shows the genealogy of Mary and Joseph informing all believers that they came both from the line of David. The role of Mary in the plan of salvation is an extraordinary one. By faith and total trust in God, she embraced all the pains, sufferings, and sacrifices. Her simple “yes” created a tremendous impact and paradigm shift during her time and up to now, we are still in awe and reverence of her “yes”. Our mother Mary is so close to our hearts and plays an important role in our lives, most especially in our families. Her motherly way is exceptional and an epitome of God’s unconditional love. We are much grateful that we have Mary our mother who always looks after us and intercede for us. What is my gift to Mary today?

Lasallian Guiding Principle
LGP states that, “the spirit of faith is a “spirit that allows one to search for God’s will in order to carry out his saving plan.” As stated as one of the Lasallian core values, we must cherish our relationship with God. No matter what hardship we are in, we must be aware of his presence and remind ourselves that God will not forsake us. As he stayed beside Joseph and St. John Baptist De La Salle’s journey, he too will be at our side. In times of confusion and pain, we must then again remind ourselves that God is truly loving and caring and that everything he has set for us is truly for our growth. Let us always keep in our hearts, a heart like that of Mary i.e. having great faith and total trust in God’s providential care, and develop in us a life of piety reflected through our daily prayers/devotions and above all in our everyday dealings with whom God sends to us.

Prayer
Synod on Synodality Prayer
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us, Make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.
Amen.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.
St. Miguel Febres Cordero, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources:
C. (n.d.). Daily Gospel. Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://dailygospel.org/M/AM/DLSU ITS, DLSU STRATCOM, DLSU
IRPA. (n.d.). Guiding Principles of the Philippine Lasallian Family.
Retrieved June 22, 2020, from http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/inside/lasallian-guiding-principles/default.asp
Prepared by Vladimher Gorde, Faculty, Center for Humanities and Sciences, through the DLSMHSI Lasallian Mission and
Linkages and Advancement, Campus Ministry, and Chaplaincy
Our Daily Lasallian Reflection and Prayer is a DLSMHSI gift to the Lasallian family for the 2019 Celebration of the Year of
Vocation and the Tercentenary celebration of the death of our founder SJBDLS.
.http://www.dlshsi.edu.ph/daily-lasallian-reflection-prayer #300LaSalle