Today starts the octave before Christmas, and is the time when we traditionally begin to celebrate for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The gos¬pel proclamation gives us the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. This is recorded all the way back to Abraham.

The genealogy of the Lord Jesus shows him as the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and eventually King David; men to whom God gave mighty promises. Today’s first reading shows us the prophesied blessings given to Judah by Jacob; as Jacob’s last significant act as a patriarch and as the heir to Abraham and Isaac. The responsorial psalm is widely seen as a psalm written by King Solomon. This also contains promises of the prophesied heir of King David. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled these promises and would eventually fulfill every messianic prophecy in Scripture. He is the promised Messiah; the descendant of Abraham and David, our Savior; who gave His life to redeem us from our sins.

Throughout scripture we are shown the promises of God, given people just like us. We see this prophesies being fulfilled in their lives, as they held onto them by faith, trusting in the word of God, beyond the circumstances that surrounded them. We see that these promises not only impacted their lives, but they had eternal ramifications for generations to come; changing the course of history itself.

God proclaims similar promises for our lives too. The greatest promise God gives us is that God himself comes to dwell in our hearts, we are adopted sons and daughters of the most High God, and we are welcomed into the majesty of the Holy Trinity. As we prepare for the birth of the Lord Jesus with all the trappings of Christmas, let us by faith prepare our hearts internally making room for the King of Kings to be born, and reign supreme in our hearts. God continues to pro¬claim promises over our lives. Are we ready to trust him, to receive the promises, and hold onto them by faith?

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the promises over my life. Increase my faith, so that I may trust you above the circumstances that surround me. Amen