September 5, 2012. Homily, Saturday, September 8, 2012

December 8, 2012:  Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  
How do we know that September 8 is her nativity her birthday?
Because September 8th this year is nine months after December 8 last year, nine months is the period of human gestation,  and December 8 of any year is the date of The Immaculate Conception.
OLPH, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, is dedicated to the Blessed Mother. The cornerstone was laid in 1954. 1954 was the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the dogma of The Immaculate Conception.  In 1858 a beautiful Lady appeared  to Bernadette Subirous an unlettered 14 year old girl at at Lourdes some 18 times. The lady asked Bernadette to pray and to build a chapel. 
Bernadette went to her local priest and reported the appearance. The Bishop asked for the name of the Lady.  Bernadette asked the Lady for her name and the Lady answered, "I am The Immaculate Conception."  Bernadette told her priest and the priest was shocked for at that time the doctrine of The Immaculate Conception was a doctrine known only to the most senior and enlightened members of the Church.
Lourdes is the subject of one of the stained glass windows above in our Church. 



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 Nahson, Nahson, the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rehab. 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 Jehosophat, Jehosophat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezikiah. Hezikiah 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 Eleazor. Eleazor 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 Christ.
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."
The Gospel of the Lord.

"Jesus" means "God saves."
"Emmanuel" means "God is with us."


God tells Ahaz to ask for a sign to prove that indeed He would protect Jerusalem. The sign could be anything, great or small (7:10-11). God is giving Ahaz the opportunity to receive anything from Him. However, Ahaz passes, saying with false piety, “I will not test the Lord” (7:12). Ahaz was not concerned with putting the Lord to the test, for in his mind, he did not need the Lord, for he had already taken care of the problem. He had arranged an alliance with Assyria who would help him with the threat of Israel and Syria (2 Kings 16:7-9).

Ahaz's refusal of the sign tells us something of his character. Ahaz sounds almost spiritual in his response. He quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16, which says, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” However, his response wearies God. Here God was promising deliverance. God wanted to prove his faithfulness to Ahaz. God wanted to help Ahaz be “firm in faith.” However, Ahaz gave God the cold shoulder.

The Sign Given Regardless

While Ahaz refused a sign, God would give a sign anyway.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ….before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. (Isaiah 7:14-16 ESV)

The fulfillment of this sign will come in Isaiah 8, when Isaiah's wife bears him a son (8:3-4). This is the immediate sign available for Ahaz so that he might know the faithfulness of the Lord . However, Isaiah does not name his son, Immanuel.

According to Matthew, this sign has a second fulfillment. Just as God's salvation of Judah from the invading armies is shown by the birth of a child, so God's salvation from their sins shall also come by the birth of a child.

“(Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:21-23 ESV)

There is much controversy over the word translated “virgin.” In the original Hebrew, the word can mean “virgin” or “young woman.” In the case of Isaiah's wife, it clearly has the latter meaning. However, Matthew quotes from the Septuagint, the 2 nd century BC Greek translation of the Hebrew bible. In this translation, the Greek word can only mean “virgin.” In the case of Mary, it therefore has the former meaning.


The five ladies – like a lot of the men that are also listed – remind Matthew's audience that Jesus came for sinners. To a greater or lesser extent the five women have a reputation as sinners.

You can read about Tamar in Genesis 38. It is not a nice story. A couple of months after Tamar's husband died she pretended to be a prostitute. In this disguise she fooled her father-in-law to go to bed with her and got pregnant by him. Though Tamar was a seducer and pretend prostitute Matthew includes her in the family tree of Jesus.

Rahab we should all know about from the story of Joshua. We can read about her in Joshua 2 & 6. She is the prostitute who hid the two spies Joshua sent to Jericho. We are told nothing of Rahab's union with Salmon, the man who became her husband. But knowing her occupation we can only assume she snared him with her body. Though Rahab was a prostitute Matthew includes her too in the family tree of Jesus.

Ruth we can read about in the book that bears her name. She was a Moabite. You need to know that the Moabites were the result of the sexual union between Lot and his oldest daughter (Gen 39:30-37). The Israelites had nothing but contempt for the Moabites because they had their origins in incest and considered their offspring impure to the tenth generation (Deut 23:3). Furthermore, Ruth was very forward and perhaps a little improper in the way she pursued Boaz at the barley pile while he was under the influence of alcohol. Though Ruth was an aggressive Moabite Matthew includes her too in the family tree of Jesus.

Matthew identifies the fourth woman as "Uriah's wife." Her name was Bathsheba. You can read about her in 2 Samuel 11. She was the woman who committed adultery with King David and got pregnant and then permitted David to have her husband killed. Also, she plotted to put Solomon on the throne after David's death. Though Bathsheba was an adulteress and an accessory to murder Matthew includes her too in the family tree of Jesus.

Luke 3:23-38
King James Version (KJV)
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,

25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,

26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,

27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,

28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,

29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,

30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,

31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,

32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,

33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,

35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,

36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,

37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,

38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse 12