Commentary on the Gospel – December 17, 2025

In many memoirs or autobiographies, authors usually write at some length about their parents or their wider family circle. Sometimes they even share stories going back four generations. It is hard to talk about ourselves without these references; they give us meaning and connect us to a shared identity, to roots and a culture that make us part of a common history. Family history helps us understand why certain patterns of behavior, values, or attitudes are a fundamental part of who we are.

As we stand almost at the threshold of Christmas, the reading from the Gospel of Matthew offers us Jesus’ list of ancestors, starting with Abraham. Now, this isn’t just a boring list. In Jesus’ time, these lists—whether written down or recited from memory—meant a great deal to families and to the social order. They carried legal weight (for inheritance, the validity of bonds, connections to the origins of the lineage, and illustrious ancestors).

In a way, these names confirm that the messianic prophecies of Sacred Scripture are fulfilled in Jesus: He is the One promised to the chosen people, the descendant of King David from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah announced and described by the prophets, and the fulfillment of God’s plan of Redemption.

This is a plan that isn’t exclusive to the Israelites but is open to all peoples. Significantly, Matthew highlights this by including the names of several women (something very rare, because rights were passed from father to firstborn son without naming the mother). These women, however, are the protagonists of some key stories in Scripture. Like the men, not all of them were perfect role models…

And finally, in a surprising twist in the writing, we come to Mary. Joseph is a descendant of David, but after his name, Matthew does not write the repetitive “became the father of.” He only applies to him the legal title of father. The formula changes to: “Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ.”

Every one of us who believes in Jesus Christ belongs to this genealogy. We are a royal people, sons and daughters in the Son. And this access is offered to every human being so that all may form part of the People of God. As the Jewish Apostle Paul would say: we are children, and if children, then heirs with Christ. Today’s reading is a beautiful occasion for thanksgiving, praise, and joy because we are children of God. God made flesh out of love for all humanity.