Peace in Persecution

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, challenge us to action to affirm our role as disciples of the “Prince of Peace” during times when persecution and terror are being used as weapons against the People of God. 

People and Persecution

The Reading from the Book of Genesis proclaims Jacob’s Testament.

* [49:1–27] The testament, or farewell discourse, of Jacob, which has its closest parallel in Moses’ farewell in Dt 33:6–25. From his privileged position as a patriarch, he sees the future of his children (the eponymous ancestors of the tribes) and is able to describe how they will fare and so gives his blessing. 

* [49:10] Until tribute comes to him: this translation is based on a slight change in the Hebrew text, which, as it stands, would seem to mean, “until he comes to Shiloh.” A somewhat different reading of the Hebrew text would be, “until he comes to whom it belongs.” This last has been traditionally understood in a messianic sense. In any case, the passage aims at the supremacy of the tribe of Judah and of the Davidic dynasty. (“Genesis, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB,” n.d.)

Psalm 72 declares the Israelite king is the instrument of divine justice.

* [Psalm 72] A royal Psalm in which the Israelite king, as the representative of God, is the instrument of divine justice (Ps 72:1–4, 12–14) and blessing (Ps 72:5–7, 15–17) for the whole world. The king is human, giving only what he has received from God. Hence intercession must be made for him. The extravagant language is typical of oriental royal courts. (“Psalms, PSALM 72 | USCCB,” n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents The Genealogy of Jesus.

* [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. (“Matthew, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB,” n.d.)

Margo Minnich comments that during this Third Week of Advent, we pause to consider: Where do we long for justice in our own world? How is God’s plan unfolding in the imperfect story of our own lives? And how might Christ desire to enter our world with His love and vision of justice?

Saint Ignatius teaches us to pray for the grace to know Jesus more intimately. This week, that grace may take the shape of seeing how Jesus’ coming fulfills God’s plan in scripture, but also in our personal histories. Just as God worked through flawed ancestors to bring forth Christ, he works through our imperfect lives to continue Christ’s mission of justice. (Minnich, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes Judah who received the promise of royalty foreshadows the Christ the King, by Rufinus (340-410 AD)

"This can be referred to the historical Judah as well as to those kings who were his descendants (Genesis 49:8-10). They broke the back of their enemies by administering the kingdom of that people. But this can also be fittingly referred to Christ, who is praised with good reason by his brothers, that is, by the apostles whom he himself called brothers in the Gospel. And his enemies, on whose back is his hand, appear to be those whom the Father promised to place under his feet by saying, 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet' (Psalm 110:1). They are enemies as long as they are unbelieving and unfaithful, and for that reason they are struck on the back. But after their conversion they become brothers and praise the One who, by summoning them to the adoption of the Father, has made them his coheirs and brothers. It is said correctly that the back of the enemies is struck by Christ. All those who worshiped the idols turned their back to God, as the Lord, through the prophet, accused them by saying, 'They turned their backs to me, and not their faces' (Jeremiah 2:27). Therefore he strikes their back so that after being converted they may turn their back to the idols and raise their forehead to God and may accomplish what is written here: 'Your father's sons shall bow down before you.' In fact, they adore him when they have become sons of the Father and have received the spirit of adoption in which they cry out, 'Abba, Father' (Romans 8:15-16)." No one calls Jesus Christ Lord except those who are in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). (excerpt from THE BLESSINGS OF THE PATRIARCHS 1.5)

[Rufinus of Aquileia (340-410) was a friend of the Bible scholar Jerome, and, like Jerome, he departed from Italy to live in the East. For many years he lived in monasteries in Egypt and in Palestine, acquiring the learning of the Eastern churches. Towards the end of his life he returned to Italy and occupied himself in translating works of the earlier Greek Fathers into Latin.] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17 invites us to place this psalm alongside today’s Gospel reading about the genealogy of Jesus. He is the ultimate son of David, the only One who can bring true and lasting “justice” and “profound peace” to the whole world (Psalm 72:2, 7).

In these final days before Christmas, look to Jesus as your King. Praise him as the humble and lowly One who offers peace to the world and to human hearts—not through force but through his own life and death. He holds the scepter of authority over all of creation, and over you! Invite him in; ask him to dispel darkness and fear and to break the chains of sin. Let him become the answer to the deepest desires of your heart.

“Jesus, come and establish your reign in my heart!” (“Meditation on Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17,” 2025)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Genesis, before Jacob gave a blessing to Judah, we learn about the kinship and the Lion of Judah who will be the ruler of Israel, David. The King, in the tribe of Judah, is fulfilled by Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew presents the genealogy of Jesus as a son of Abraham and a son of David. The number 14 is symbolic in Matthew and is based on numeric value or gamatria where the numbers of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet, (4+6+4 =14). DVD is the number of David In Hebrew. The superlative in Hebrew is expressed as 3 x 14 indicates Jesus is the “Davidest” in Matthew’s genealogy.  Friar Jude notes that unusual women are mentioned including four with a sordid past or of foreign origin and finally Mary in this company. God has worked through unusual women in the past and now Matthew is trying to make this point in the role of Mary.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the effects of wealth on our souls and our relationship with God. He emphasizes the importance of resisting the devil and invites us to draw near to God because he is constantly pursuing us, especially as we share in his suffering. Today’s readings are James 3-5, Colossians 1-2, and Proverbs 30:7-9.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM,  comments on the mistakes we all make in our encounters with reality—both good and bad. We don’t realize that it wasn’t the person or event right in front of us that made us angry or fearful—or excited and energized.

At best, that is only partly true. If we allowed a beautiful hot air balloon in the sky to make us happy, it was because we were already predisposed to happiness. The hot air balloon just occasioned it. How we see will largely determine what we see and whether it gives us joy or makes us pull back with an emotionally stingy and resistant response. Without denying an objective outer reality, what we are able to see and are predisposed to see in the outer world is a mirror reflection of our own inner world and state of consciousness at that time. Most of the time, we just do not see at all but rather operate on cruise control. 

It seems that we humans are two-way mirrors, reflecting both inner and outer worlds. We project ourselves onto outer things and these very things also reflect back to us our own unfolding identity. Mirroring is the way that contemplatives see, subject to subject rather than subject to object. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to assist our contemplation of the choice we make to follow “Kings” we encounter on our journey and transform our motives from personal aggrandizement to service to the most needy in our environment.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/49?2 

Matthew, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1?1 

Meditation on Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17. (2025, December 17). word Among Us. https://wau.org/meditations/2025/12/16/1446552/ 

Minnich, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved December 17, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-december-17-2025 

Psalms, PSALM 72 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/72?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Contemplation and Awe. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 17, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplation-and-awe/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 17, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Genealogy of Love

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.

Hope and Surrender

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