The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary invite us to ponder the plan of God to be Incarnate through the “yes” of Mary that is recognized in a genealogy of faithful.
The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans declares God’s Indomitable Love in Christ
* [8:28] We know that all things work for good for those who love God: a few ancient authorities have God as the subject of the verb, and some translators render: “We know that God makes everything work for good for those who love God….”
* [8:29] Image: while man and woman were originally created in God’s image (Gn 1:26–27), it is through baptism into Christ, the image of God (2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15), that we are renewed according to the image of the Creator (Col 3:10). (Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Reading from the Prophet Micah makes reference to Isaiah’s Emmanuel oracle.
* [5:2] These words are sometimes understood as a reference to Isaiah’s Emmanuel oracle, given some thirty years earlier (Is 7:14). The Gospel of Matthew reports that the chief priests and scribes cite this passage as the ancient promise of a messiah in the line of David to be born in Bethlehem (Mt 2:5–6).
* [5:4] Peace: he will not only symbolize but also bring about harmony and wholeness.
* [5:5] Nimrod: the legendary ancestor of the Mesopotamians; cf. Gn 10:10–12. (Micah, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 13 is a lament of a psalmist who feels forgotten by God.
* [Psalm 13] A typical lament, in which the psalmist feels forgotten by God (Ps 13:2–3)—note the force of the repetition of “How long.” The references to enemies may suggest some have wished evil on the psalmist. The heartfelt prayer (Ps 13:4–5) passes on a statement of trust (Ps 13:6a), intended to reinforce the prayer, and a vow to thank God when deliverance has come (Ps 13:6b). (Micah, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew proclaims the Genealogy and the Birth of Jesus.
* [1:1–2:23] The infancy narrative forms the prologue of the gospel. Consisting of a genealogy and five stories, it presents the coming of Jesus as the climax of Israel’s history, and the events of his conception, birth, and early childhood as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The genealogy is probably traditional material that Matthew edited. In its first two sections (Mt 1:2–11) it was drawn from Ru 4:18–22; 1 Chr 1–3. Except for Jechoniah, Shealtiel, and Zerubbabel, none of the names in the third section (Mt 1:12–16) is found in any Old Testament genealogy. While the genealogy shows the continuity of God’s providential plan from Abraham on, discontinuity is also present. The women Tamar (Mt 1:3), Rahab and Ruth (Mt 1:5), and the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba (Mt 1:6), bore their sons through unions that were in varying degrees strange and unexpected. These “irregularities” culminate in the supreme “irregularity” of the Messiah’s birth of a virgin mother; the age of fulfillment is inaugurated by a creative act of God. (Matthew, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Barbara Dilly comments that Psalm 13 is a prayer to the Lord that she often prays because she knows the need to trust even more.
Mercy is the act of showing compassion and forgiveness to those in distress or suffering, even if they do not deserve it. I know how it feels to receive God’s kindness and love, trusting that mercy is always there for me even though I do not deserve it. But if it ends there, I can still get trapped in guilt for all my sins. Fortunately, salvation is much more than that. It is not just about trust and hope in deliverance from my sins, it is about a transformation of who I am and future glorification. Salvation is not just about the forgiveness of my sins that seem so ongoing, it is about deliverance from the power of sin and evil over me. It is not about just being let off the hook, it is about being justified through faith. With God’s salvation, our sins are not just forgiven, we are rescued from them. We are declared righteous in God’s sight and restored to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. My prayer today is that we should rejoice in this truth with great delight. We do have something to sing about! (Dilly, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus' humanity revealed in the genealogy,” by Severus of Antioch (488-538 AD).
"One must bear in mind therefore that the Evangelists, or rather the Spirit speaking through them, took pains to ensure that their readers believed that Christ was truly God and truly human. Because of what they wrote, no one could possibly doubt that he is God by nature, beyond all variation, mutation or illusion, and that according to the ordered plan of God he was truly human. This is why John could say, on the one hand, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' John immediately adds, 'The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:1-2,14). Hence Matthew wrote appropriately, 'The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.' On the one hand he is not able to be counted simply from natural generation among families, since it is written, 'Who shall declare his generation'? (Isaiah 53:8)
"He is before the centuries and of one substance with the Father himself, from the standpoint of eternity. But by this genealogy he is also numbered among the families of humanity according to the flesh. For in truth, while remaining God, Christ became man without ceasing to be God, unaltered till the end of time. This is why there is also mention of the ancient patriarchs in the lineage, the narrative and observation of the times and vicissitudes that are indeed proper to human history. Through all this Matthew made it clear that Christ participates in our human generation and in our nature. Otherwise some might claim that he appeared in illusion and in imagination only, rather than by becoming genuinely human. Think of what might have been said if none of this had been written?" (excerpt from CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 94) (Dilly, 2025)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 notes that throughout Jesus’ preaching and travels, his healings and miracles, and even his passion and death, Mary remained steadfast in her obedience and faith. Her humility likely inspired the other disciples to keep their focus on Jesus and hold fast to his words. Then, at the foot of his cross, she became Mother of the Church and our own mother (John 19:27).
What an amazing plan God had for his Son to save us—through Mary! As St. Andrew of Crete once said, “Let everything in heaven and earth join in festive celebration” at God’s work in Mary (Oratio, 1). Let’s thank God for sending his Son to save us. And let’s rejoice at Mary’s birth because “Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things!”
“Thank you, Lord, for choosing Mary to be part of your wondrous plan of salvation!” (Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that Micah speaks of Bethlehem as a place where he believed a great person to be born. He wanted another King to be faithful and be from Davidic stock likely to be in Bethlehem. The Spirit had greater meanings for this passage that was used to herald the Messiah. Mary was predestined before her conception. We are all called to be saved. We will be justified and glorified in our response. The Genealogy of Jesus as Son of Abraham and son of David is explained through three groups of fourteen generations. Fourteen is symbolic of DVD or David and Jesus is declared to be three times better than David in this structure. Note the unusual women in the plan for Israel to set the pattern for Mary and birth of Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us that because Mary was “Found with child”, Joseph could allow the death penalty for her. Joseph dreams and he will care for Mary and the child. Matthew is redefining compassion through Joseph.
Fr. Richard Rohr examines different ways of understanding and using power. Enduring structures of “power over,” like patriarchy, white supremacy, and unfettered capitalism, have limited most individuals’ power for so long that it’s difficult to imagine another way. Only very gradually does human consciousness come to a selfless use of power, the sharing of power, or even a benevolent use of power—in church, politics, or families.
A prime idea of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is its very straightforward critique of misuses of power. From the very beginning, the Bible undercuts the power of domination and teaches us another kind of power: powerlessness itself. God is able to use unlikely figures who in one way or another are always inept, unprepared, and incapable—powerless in some way. In the Bible, the bottom, the edge, or the outside is the privileged spiritual position. This is why biblical revelation is revolutionary and even subversive. The so-called “little ones” (Matthew 18:6) or the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), as Jesus calls them, are the only teachable and “growable” ones according to him. Powerlessness seems to be God’s starting place, as in Twelve-Step programs. Until we admit that “we are powerless,” Real Power will not be recognized, accepted, or even sought. (Rohr, n.d.)
We contemplate the plan of God for our fullness of life through our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader that is based on humility and modelling of the “yes” of Mary.
References
Dilly, B. (2025, September 8). Daily Reflection September 8, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-8-2025
Matthew, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1?1
Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/09/08/1376649/
Micah, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/5?1
Psalms, PSALM 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/13?6
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Power Within. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/power-within/
Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8?28
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Mary's Call to Be the Mother of Jesus the Savior. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep8a
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