Thursday December 17th: Sin and grace

We come to realize that each of us is formed by our past and it is from the dark paths of our past that great things come.

Matthew 1: 1-17

Over the years I have grown to love the story of the genealogy of Jesus because it helped me to accept our humanity. There are so many things in life over which we have no control and could do nothing but accept as the reality of life. In all of our families for instance, there are family members who just don’t ‘cut it’ but the fact is they are family. Our humanity is a story of sin and grace and this Gospel passage reminds me of this. Jesus was born into this mess of a human family with all its goodness and imperfections. We come to realize that each of us is formed by our past and it is from the dark paths of our past that great things come.
This passage challenges me to accept all of my family both the ‘saints and the sinners ‘and to recognize that God works through each and every one of us – sin and grace reside side by side in each of us.
Lord, help us to accept that we belong to the one family of God.