Our Heritage of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, set the stage with the Genealogy of Jesus leading to “the virgin shall be with child and bear a son.”

Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica

The Letter of Paul to the Romans proclaims God’s Indomitable Love in Christ.

* [8:28–30] These verses outline the Christian vocation as it was designed by God: to be conformed to the image of his Son, who is to be the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29). God’s redemptive action on behalf of the believers has been in process before the beginning of the world. Those whom God chooses are those he foreknew (Rom 8:29) or elected. Those who are called (Rom 8:30) are predestined or predetermined. These expressions do not mean that God is arbitrary. Rather, Paul uses them to emphasize the thought and care that God has taken for the Christian’s salvation.

* [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 Prophet Micah proclaims God will deliver Israel through a king in the line of David.

* [5:1–6] Salvation will come through a “messiah,” an anointed ruler. The Book of Micah shares with Isaiah the expectation that God will deliver Israel through a king in the line of David. Bethlehem-Ephrathah is the home of the Davidic line.

* [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 presents 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).

* [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). (Psalms, PSALM 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents The Genealogy of Jesus leading to the virgin shall be with child and bear a son.

* [1:17] Matthew is concerned with fourteen generations, probably because fourteen is the numerical value of the Hebrew letters forming the name of David. In the second section of the genealogy (Mt 1:6b–11), three kings of Judah, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, have been omitted (see 1 Chr 3:11–12), so that there are fourteen generations in that section. Yet the third (Mt 1:12–16) apparently has only thirteen. Since Matthew here emphasizes that each section has fourteen, it is unlikely that the thirteen of the last was due to his oversight. Some scholars suggest that Jesus who is called the Messiah (Mt 1:16b) doubles the final member of the chain: Jesus, born within the family of David, opens up the new age as Messiah, so that in fact there are fourteen generations in the third section. This is perhaps too subtle, and the hypothesis of a slip not on the part of Matthew but of a later scribe seems likely. On Messiah, see note on Lk 2:11.

* [1:18–25] This first story of the infancy narrative spells out what is summarily indicated in Mt 1:16. The virginal conception of Jesus is the work of the Spirit of God. Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own. The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph’s adoption the child belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Is 7:14. (Matthew, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Amy Turbes comments that a coworker gave a reflection at a division meeting a few years ago that has stayed with her. He shared Dr. Ali Binazir’s message of how each one of us is a miracle.

The odds of your parents even meeting: 1 in 20 thousand.

That they were together enough to successfully create you: 1 in 400 quadrillion (10 with 17 zeroes)

The existence of You, your parents, grandparents, etc. predisposes that there is an unbroken line of ancestors. 1 in 10 to the 45,000th power.

 All told, the odds of you existing are 1 in 10 to the 2 million, 685 thousandth power. 1 with 2,685,000 zeroes behind it.

Whether your life was prophesized or a complete surprise, you are a miracle. Please say a prayer of gratitude for the miracle of your life with all its joys and sadness, laughter and tears, boredom and excitement.

Today you will be amongst other miracles. Some of them you may love, recognizing the miracle of their presence. Others may annoy you, acknowledging them as miracles might be very difficult. You might watch the news and see individuals or groups of people and question the miracle of their lives. But they are miracles, too. As children of God, the miracle of our life is the greatest gift. God is asking us to accept it with love and to share the love in return. (Turbes, 2026)

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) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. Micah shares Bethlehem as the source of a ruler for Israel. In his own day, he was a small town prophet who prophesied a king like David coming from Bethlehem. One of the verses to which the Holy Spirit has given secondary meaning. Prophecies are used by the Spirit in profound ways. The passage in Roman’s 8 presents the idea that Mary was chosen before all time to be the Mother of God. Matthew presents the genealogy of Jesus in a very Jewish Gospel. The new beginning of the Revelation to Israel of son of David and the fourteen number where the letters add to the symbolic value of DVD is referring David. If you like David, you are going to love the superlative David. Women mentioned in the Gospel are unusual. Through passage the special women in the past and now through a virgin in Bethlehem are proclaimed.  Joseph, a compassionate man, would only divorce Mary, even when the legal penalty was more severe. He is named after Joseph in the Hebrew Testament. Joseph redefined “Righteousness” as being compassion rather than following the Law to the letter. Friar Jude comments that the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah and the symbolic name of Isaiah’s son "Emmanuel” are meant for a king who does not want to hear “God is with us”. In the Greek translation of Matthew “pathenos” only meant virgin and Friar Jude cites this example in Matthew to say God can use mistakes to achieve a greater purpose.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 comments as we celebrate Mary’s birth today, we also celebrate her son, Jesus, as “Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). And we celebrate that he will be with us in every stage of our earthly journey, just as he was with Mary and her whole family.

In prayer today, give thanks to Mary for being such a good and holy mother to Jesus. And thank her for living out so faithfully her dual callings to raise the Son of God and to become the mother of all his adopted brothers and sisters!

“Holy Mary, thank you for welcoming Jesus—and us—into your family!” (Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr introduces Barbara Brown Taylor who had to deepen her trust in God, as she stepped away from pastoring in an Episcopal church.

As it turned out, the edge of the map was not all that far from the center…. All we had to do was step outside the Church and walk to where the lights from the sanctuary did not pierce the darkness anymore…. There were no slate roofs or signs to the restroom out there, no printed programs or friendly ushers. There was just the unscripted encounter with the undomesticated God whose name was unpronounceable…. These people at the edge kept the map from becoming redundant. 

According to the Bible, both the center and the edge are essential to the spiritual landscape, although they are as different from one another as they can be…. There is life in both places …, but they are so different from one another that it is often difficult for people … to agree that both places really belong on the same map. Much that is certain at the center is up for grabs in the wilderness. [1]  

My vocation was to love God and my neighbor, and that was something I could do anywhere, with anyone, with or without a collar. My priesthood was not what I did but who I was. In this new light, nothing was wasted. All that had gone before was blessing, and all yet to come was more. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit as we contemplate our heritage as family and followers of Christ and the unique place we have to witness Providence and our call to mission.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1? 

Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/08/1665013/ 

Micah, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/5?1 

Psalms, PSALM 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/13?6 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Center and the Edge. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-center-and-the-edge/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8? 

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, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Turbes, A. (2026, September 8). Daily Reflection September 8, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-8-2026 

Light and Law

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder the process we use to make decisions about how we relate to the needs of people in our environment.

Light in our Laws

In the Reading from the First Book of Samuel, Samuel Anoints David.

* [16:1] David is anointed two more times after Saul’s death (2 Sm 2:4; 5:3). In 17:28, his brother Eliab is not aware of David’s selection. These repetitions and inconsistencies reflect the final editor’s use of multiple sources.

a. [16:1] Ru 4:17–22; 1 Kgs 1:39; 1 Chr 11:3; Is 11:1; Mt 2:6; Lk 2:4.

b. [16:3] 1 Sm 9:13, 22, 24.

c. [16:5] 1 Sm 9:12–13; 20:26; Ex 19:10; Jb 1:5.

d. [16:7] 1 Sm 10:23–24; 1 Kgs 11:4; 1 Chr 28:9; Prv 15:11; Jer 17:10; 20:12; Lk 16:15; Acts 1:24.

e. [16:8–11] 1 Sm 17:12–13; 1 Chr 2:13–15.

f. [16:11] 1 Sm 17:15, 28, 34; 2 Sm 7:8; Ps 78:70–71.

g. [16:12] 1 Sm 9:2.

h. [16:13] 1 Sm 10:6; 11:6; Jgs 3:10; 9:9; Sir 46:13. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 23 proclaims God’s loving care under the figure of a shepherd.

* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10). (Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians declares a Duty to Live in the Light.

* [5:14] An early Christian hymn, possibly from a baptismal liturgy. For the content compare Eph 2:5–6; 3:9 and Is 60:1. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus heals the Man Born Blind.

* [9:1–10:21] Sabbath healing of the man born blind. This sixth sign is introduced to illustrate the saying, “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12; 9:5). The narrative of conflict about Jesus contrasts Jesus (light) with the Jews (blindness, Jn 9:39–41). The theme of water is reintroduced in the reference to the pool of Siloam. Ironically, Jesus is being judged by the Jews, yet the Jews are judged by the Light of the world; cf. Jn 3:19–21.

* [9:2] See note on Jn 5:14, and Ex 20:5, that parents’ sins were visited upon their children. Jesus denies such a cause and emphasizes the purpose: the infirmity was providential.

* [9:7] Go wash: perhaps a test of faith; cf. 2 Kgs 5:10–14. The water tunnel Siloam (= Sent) is used as a symbol of Jesus, sent by his Father.

* [9:14] In using spittle, kneading clay, and healing, Jesus had broken the sabbath rules laid down by Jewish tradition.

* [9:22] This comment of the evangelist (in terms used again in Jn 12:42; Jn 16:2) envisages a situation after Jesus’ ministry. Rejection/excommunication from the synagogue of Jews who confessed Jesus as Messiah seems to have begun ca. A.D. 85, when the curse against the mînîm or heretics was introduced into the “Eighteen Benedictions.”

* [9:24] Give God the praise!: an Old Testament formula of adjuration to tell the truth; cf. Jos 7:19; 1 Sm 6:5 LXX. Cf. Jn 5:41.

* [9:32] A person born blind: the only Old Testament cure from blindness is found in Tobit (cf. Tb 7:7; 11:7–13; 14:1–2), but Tobit was not born blind.

* [9:39–41] These verses spell out the symbolic meaning of the cure; the Pharisees are not the innocent blind, willing to accept the testimony of others. (John, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Candice Tucci, OSF, comments that the people in the readings today declined to “see with their hearts.” They were in darkness and unable to acknowledge the unexpected. They refused to accept the long-awaited anticipated messiah. Jesus, the Word made flesh, was before them. But, behold, a blind person saw and experienced Jesus, not only physically, but with the heart. 

Jesus also emphasized that blindness, and may I say, other afflictions are not because of parental sins. Or maybe some hardships are? We are human, and life happens. Through each of our lives, within the experiences of our afflictions, God works the unexpected that helps to bring us to wholeness and peace. We live and work within our abilities and shortcomings. There are times we seek forgiveness.   Let us remember and pray the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr.

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And Wisdom to know the difference.  

                                         

With faith, we recognize the grace given when the “Spirit might rush upon us.” The works of God are made visible in the mutual building up of the reign of God. God does God’s part, and we do ours in faith, with hope, and in the practice of charity.

 

In life, it is true, we may sometimes encounter resistance. Even our own. Why? Something to think about. But here, the Pharisees refused to believe in what was before their eyes. They lost the spirit of recognizing unexpected kindness and compassion in their midst. They lacked sight of their call. They were in the dark, unable to see who was present in the light of day. Anticipation of the coming of a messiah may have been forgotten. But here, before them, was Jesus, the Light of the world. (Tucci, 2026)

 Don Schwager quotes  “The unchangeable Light,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"I entered into my inmost self with You, Lord, as my guide - And this I was able to do because You were my helper. I entered in and saw with the eye of my soul, the unchangeable Light, very different from earthly lights. It was above my mind but not the way oil is above water or heaven above the earth. It was superior because it made me, and I inferior because I was made by it. Those who know the truth know this light, and those who know it know eternity - It is charity that knows it." (excerpt from Confessions 7,10) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler was not available at publication time.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 5:8-14 comments that Paul gives us some advice on what living as “children of light” looks like. He tells us to “learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8, 10). And how do we do that? By being consistent in prayer, by pondering the Scriptures, and by staying “awake” to the Spirit (5:13). When we let Jesus shed his light into our hearts, we experience greater freedom and healing from sin. As we allow his light to shine through us, we are able to guide others to him.

In the same way in which natural light is essential for our physical life, we need the spiritual light of Christ to keep our inner lives healthy. And when his light shines through us, we will produce “every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:9).

“Jesus, you are my light! Help me to let your light shine through me.” (Meditation on Ephesians 5:8-14, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, identifies how Jesus challenged the strict laws of his day that governed what was “honorable” and what was not. On some level, we all create “meritocracies” or worthiness systems and invariably base them on some kind of purity code—racial, national, sexual, moral, or cultural. This material makes up much of Leviticus and Numbers, and also is the compulsion of almost every Christian denomination after the Reformation. The pattern never changes because it’s the pattern of the fearful and over-defended ego.

Jesus was a radical reformer of religion, in large part because he showed no interest in maintaining purity systems or closed systems of any kind. They only appeal to the ego and lead no one to God. Jesus actively undercut these systems, even against his own followers when they wanted to persecute others (see Luke 9:49–56). He showed no interest in the various debt and purity codes of ancient Israel, which are the religious forms of power and exclusion. In fact, Jesus often openly flouted many of the accepted purity codes of his own religion, especially the Sabbath prohibitions, rules about washing hands and cups, and the many restrictions that made various people “impure.” Jesus’s attempts at reform comprise half of the Gospel text directly or indirectly (see Matthew 15:1–14). (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to enlighten our blindness to the needs of our neighbours as we follow Jesus and “change the things we can”.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/5?8 

John, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/9?1 

Meditation on Ephesians 5:8-14. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/15/1519140/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/16?1 

Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-did-not-play-by-the-rules/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Frees Us from Spiritual Blindness and Sin. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Tucci, C. (2026, March 15). Daily Reflection March 15, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved March 15, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-15-2026