Reflect prayerfully on the Scripture reading

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20.

Lord Jesus, by your authority as God, you commanded your Apostles to make disciples of all the nations, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. Fill us with your Spirit so that we might respond to your commission to share the Gospel with all who will hear it and increase your Kingdom.

Hail Mary...

Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy of Jesus. A genealogy is a listing of one’s ancestors, or a family tree. Matthew begins Jesus’ family tree with Abraham and traces it through many generations all the way to Jesus. Some of the names will seem strange to us today, but if you were a Jew living in Jesus’ time, you would have instantly recognized most of them. The genealogy is an ancient literary device that draws attention to particular characters in a story. Matthew is drawing attention to who Jesus is by showing His connection to Abraham and David as well as other significant people in salvation history. By showing this connection, Matthew invites his audience to consider how God’s promises to three key Old Testament figures — Abraham, Moses, and David — are fulfilled by Jesus.