LINEAGE AND GOD

Do you know who your ancestors are? Today most of us could count only the names up to five or six generations. It is a fact that most of the people today do not know the lineage that they came from. Ask them and some may be fortunate to mention the names but if you dig deeper they will not be able to answer. What does it mean to trace back once lineage.

Our Gospel for today speaks of the lineage that our Lord Jesus Christ came from. The Gospel for today narrated the lineage from Abraham until Christ. The names in the Gospel are people who are important personages in the Old Testament. They played an important role during their lifetime. Some of them we are familiar of like Abraham, David, Jacob and Joseph. No matter how big or small the role that they have partaken, what is important is that all of them have said yes to the plan of God.

Some of these personages have once in their lifetime fallen yet they stood and followed the Will of God. What made them unique is that no matter what circumstances they are into, most of them have felt the presence of God in their life. They have recognized that they have God in their journey.

Allow me to quote a story that I heard from the priest who celebrated the mass this morning. There was a young priest going to a chapel he is not familiar with. Since that priest was new to the place, he asked for a direction to a man walking along the street. He said, “Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the Holy Cross Chapel?” The man answered, “Sure. Follow this road, upon meeting an intersection turn left, from there turn right after two more intersection, then count 5 houses and turn right to a narrow road, from there you will see a green house turn to the left, follow that path and you will see a cemetery, after it you will see another intersection and turn right and after turning right you will see a big Acacia turn and beside it is the chapel that you are looking for.” After hearing the man, the young priest was at a lost after some few turns. He then asked again for a direction. He asked an old man. The old man replied, “Okay, let me accompany you!”

Accompany! Like the Old man, God also accompanied the personages mentioned in our Gospel for today. Knowing also the lineage that we came from we also allow our ancestors to accompany us in our journey. Through the great example of how they live their life, through knowing the mistakes that they have done, through hearing the stories that they experienced we learned. We do not only know the people who came before us but we also allowed them to teach us how we should live our life. God is telling us today to allow Him to accompany you by learning from the past.

Our ancestors surely in their love, they have also felt the love of God. We likewise if became wise enough to learn from them, will surely not only learn more so feel the tenderly loving care of God towards us. Feel the love of God in your life. Allow Him to accompany you through the experiences of your ancestors. Know where you came from and life would be a smooth sailing.