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The tilma of Guadalupe is not simply a relic preserved from centuries past; it is a living testimony that God’s presence endures in the midst of fragility. Woven from cactus fibers that should have decayed long ago, it has survived fire, explosions, and the wear of time, yet it remains intact, radiant, and full of meaning. Within its image, Mary stands as the Mother who carries Christ, and believers proclaim that the Heart of Jesus beats within the tilma, alive and present for the world. This heartbeat is more than a miracle—it is a message. It tells us that even when life feels fragile, even when circumstances seem impossible, God’s love continues to pulse, steady and strong, through every trial.
For those who face challenges—whether burdens of survival, struggles with resilience, or the weight of uncertainty—the tilma speaks directly: survival is not silence, but a heartbeat. Just as the tilma has endured against all odds, so too can you endure, not by your strength alone but by the living presence of Christ who sustains you. Every beat is a reminder that you are not abandoned, that your struggle is not wasted, and that your resilience is a testimony in itself. The tilma whispers that fragility can become strength, that endurance can become witness, and that Christ’s love is alive even in the most hidden places.
So when challenges press in, remember the tilma: a fragile cloth that should have fallen apart, yet instead proclaims life. Let its heartbeat remind you that your own perseverance is part of a greater story, one in which Christ’s love continues to beat, offering hope, renewal, and courage for the journey ahead.
Candace’s Corner
- Jesse Tree ornament: Jesus is King of the Gentiles: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20 Symbols: crown, scepter
· Make reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday Devotion
· Pray Day 6 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
· "Golden Nights" (December 16 to 24)
· Festivus
· How to celebrate Dec 23rd
o You wake up on a day that calls for movie marathons, feats of strength, and celebrating your origins. Start by cozying up with classic Christmas movies. Make some popcorn, turn on the TV, and settle in for hours of festive film fun. Next, embrace the spirit of Festivus by airing grievances and engaging in a friendly wrestling match. It’s all in good fun! For National Roots Day, explore your ancestry online or call a relative to chat about your family history. End the day with a hearty meal that pays tribute to your roots – maybe a dish that’s been passed down through generations. Remember, the key is to enjoy yourself and embrace the offbeat spirit of these holidays. So, whether you’re laughing at a cheesy holiday movie, wrestling with a loved one, or learning about your heritage, make the most of this unique day!
🍇 Candace’s Worldwide Vineyard Tour
Week 8: Lebanon (Bekaa Valley)
Theme: Ancient Vine, Eucharistic Resistance
Dates: December 23 – December 30, 2025
Base: Zahle & Bekaa Valley vineyards
Seasonal Note: Quiet winter cellars, prophetic echoes among Lebanon’s ancient vines.
· 🗓️ Tuesday, December 23 – Arrival in Lebanon
o ✈️ Travel: Flight to Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport (~$220 USD regional flight)
o 🚗 Transfer to Zahle (~$40 USD taxi or shuttle)
o 🏨 Lodging: Grand Kadri Hotel, Zahle (~$95 USD/night)
o 🌙 Evening toast with Bekaa Valley red wine
o 🔥 Symbolic Act: “Flame of Resistance” — light a candle at Zahle’s Maronite chapel
· 🗓️ Wednesday, December 24 – Christmas Eve in the Cellars
o 🍷 Morning visit: Château Ksara (~$30 USD tasting & cellar tour)
o 🚶 Walk through ancient Roman caves used for wine aging
o 🍽️ Lunch: Zahle mezze and arak (~$25 USD)
o 🌱 Symbolic Act: “Cellar of Prophecy” — bless the ancient vine with a prayer for peace
o Mass Option (Christmas Eve):
o ⛪ Our Lady of Zahle and Bekaa Cathedral
o 🕚 Christmas Eve Mass: typically, 10:00 PM
· 🗓️ Thursday, December 25 – Christmas Day Benediction
o 🍷 Visit: Château Kefraya (~$35 USD tasting)
o 📖 Afternoon journaling in vineyard chapel
o 🥂 Shared Christmas meal with local families (~$40 USD)
o ✨ Symbolic Act: “Eucharistic Resistance” — proclaim joy in the face of trial
o Mass Option (Christmas Day):
o 🕚 Christmas Day Mass: 11:00 AM
· 🗓️ Friday, December 26 – Vineyard Walk & Prophetic Pause
o 🚶 Morning walk through Bekaa terraces
o 🙏 Pause at Marian shrine in Ksara village
o 🧺 Picnic with local produce (~$15 USD)
o 🌸 Symbolic Act: “Prophetic Pause” — leave a stone at the shrine
· 🗓️ Saturday, December 27 – Ancient Wine & Resistance Reflection
o 🍷 Visit: Massaya Winery (~$32 USD tasting)
o ✍️ Reflection on vineyard resilience amid history
o 🌄 Symbolic Act: “Ancient Resistance” — write a psalm of endurance
· 🗓️ Sunday, December 28 – Vineyard Benediction & Mass
o 🍷 Visit: Domaine des Tourelles (~$28 USD tasting)
o ✍️ Write a vineyard blessing for the next traveler
o 🥂 Evening toast with Bekaa Valley reserve wine
o 🌄 Symbolic Act: “Lebanese Benediction” — bless the valley and its vines
o Mass Option (Sunday):
o ⛪ Our Lady of Zahle and Bekaa Cathedral
o 🕚 Typical Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
· 🗓️ Monday, December 29 – Pilgrim’s Resistance
o 🚶 Visit villages: Chtoura & Taanayel
o 🍽️ Shared meal with vineyard families (~$25 USD)
o 🔔 Symbolic Act: “Resistance Shared” — light a candle for vineyard workers
· 🗓️ Tuesday, December 30 – Travel Day
o ✈️ Depart Lebanon for next vineyard destination
o 🌍 Suggested next stop: Georgia (Kakheti) or Israel (Galilee)
· 💰 Estimated Total Cost: ~$635 USD
Includes:
7 nights lodging
5 vineyard tastings
2 symbolic meals
1 cellar day trip with picnic
Feast & Sunday Mass
DECEMBER 23 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Psalm 25, Verse 12-14
Who is the one who fears the LORD? God shows him the way he should choose. He will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The counsel of the LORD belongs to those who FEAR him; and his covenant instructs them.
Today is a day for any
last-minute shopping. Remember that “A
happy heart is better than a full Purse.”
Ponder on the thought that God wants us to study the world, fall in love with its creator, and live happily forever after. “Lord my God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you.” Anselm of Canterbury
So, what are the covenants of God that instruct
us?
Covenants in the Bible[1]
Covenant comes from the Latin word "convenire"
which means to come together. A covenant is basically an agreement
between people, or between God and His people, that binds one to the other.
This is much different than a contract, which involves the exchange of goods or
services for money. A good way to remember this distinction is to examine
Holy Matrimony between a husband and a wife, and contrast that with
prostitution. In the former, the two become one flesh at the marriage
ceremony, with vows taken before God, each other, the priest, friends, and
family, and they have sexual relations with each other that are holy and
good. In the latter, money exchanges hands for sex. A covenant can
be thought of as a sacred family bond, taken with an oath before a higher
power, whereas a contract can be thought of as an agreement to pay someone for
services rendered, which involves a promise to each other, rather than an oath.
Covenants most often involve a ceremony with witnesses, invoking God, and a
communal meal. The covenant therefore unites flesh and blood, as well as
ensuring a common family name. So why did God decide to make covenants with
mankind? Well, we are God's family, and through sin, we have separated
ourselves from the eternal love of God, preferring instead the temporary
pleasures of this world. Hell awaits us if we fail to unite ourselves to Him
while we are still alive. To help show us the way, God our loving Father
initiated 6 major covenants in the Bible to bring us back into His
family. Notice the 4 things similar in these covenants - A blessing, a
condition/curse, a sign, and the resultant form of God's family.
God's Covenants with man
First, is God's covenant with Adam and Eve. God created Adam and
Eve to be joined together as one flesh: Genesis 2:23-24: Then the man said,
"This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be
called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore, a man leaves
his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one
flesh" Malachi 2:14: You ask, "Why does he not?" Because the
LORD was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to
whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by
covenant.
·
The Blessing - Their
descendants will fill the earth and subdue it.
·
The Condition/Curse -
Do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil/death will result.
·
The Sign - The Sabbath
- Keep it holy
·
The
Family Form - Marriage
Second is God's covenant made with Noah and his family. God promises to
never again destroy mankind through a flood, and the rainbow is his constant
reminder of that: Genesis 9:9-17: "Behold, I establish my covenant with
you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with
you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as
came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall
all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a
flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the
covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with
you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall
be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over
the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which
is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters
shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the
clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God
and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." God said
to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established
between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."
·
The Blessing -God will
never flood the entire earth again.
·
The Condition/Curse -
Do not drink the blood of animals or shed human blood
·
The Sign - A Rainbow
·
The
Family Form- Traditional Family
Third is the God's Covenant made with Abram: Genesis 17:1-10: When
Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him,
"I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will
make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you
exceedingly." Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him,
"Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a
multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall
be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I
will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings
shall come forth from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you
and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting
covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will
give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings,
all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their
God." And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my
covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their
generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you
and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
·
Blessing- Land and many
blessed descendants
·
Condition/Curse-
Circumcision
·
Sign- Circumcision
·
Family Form - Tribe
Fourth is God's Covenant made with Moses:
Exodus 34:10, 24: And
he said, "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do
marvels, such as have not been wrought in all the earth or in any nation; and
all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD; for it is a terrible
thing that I will do with you..... For I will cast out nations before you and
enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land, when you go up to
appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.
·
Blessing- Becoming
God's chosen people
·
Condition/Curse- They
MUST keep God's law and the Commandments
·
Sign- The Passover
·
Family Form - A holy
nation
Fifth is God's Covenant made with David: 2 Samuel 7:9-16:Now therefore
thus you shall say to my servant David, `Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took
you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over
my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off
all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like
the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my
people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and
be disturbed no more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give
you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the
LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled, and you lie down with
your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth
from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my
name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his
father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him
with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men; but I will not take
my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before
you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me;
your throne shall be established forever.
·
Blessing- God becomes
our Father, and we become his child
·
Condition/Curse-
Chastisement with the rod of men
·
Sign- Solomon's Temple
·
Family
Form - An eternal royal kingdom
Sixth is the Covenant promised through Jeremiah, fulfilled by Jesus:
Jeremiah 31:31-34: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not
like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I
was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law
within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor
and each his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from
the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their
iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
·
Blessing - God's Law
will be written on our hearts. Believers become the new chosen people.
·
Condition/Curse -
Belief in Jesus as the son of God, Baptism, eating His Flesh and drinking His
blood at Communion, and living as Christians, not pagans.
·
Sign - The Eucharist
·
Family Form - A
universal worldwide Kingdom, or His Church
Notice how the family form progressed with each
of God's six covenants - Man and wife, family, tribe, nation, kingdom,
universal worldwide kingdom. What God is doing here is not only building
up man's relationship to Him using signs and other humans, he is revealing more
and more of Himself to us with each and every covenant, until at last He has
revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ. Sadly, man broke each covenant
and had to endure the curses associated with each one. But God has been
true to each one of His covenants with us, and that is really good news for us
all.
So now that you know you belong to a universal
(catholic) worldwide Kingdom, are you being true to your part of the last
covenant, namely, living a Christian life following baptism and consuming the
Eucharist? Or, are you living like a pagan? The choice is yours to
make, right now. If you choose God's way, the benefits are literally out of
this world. If not, you will have hell to pay.... Choose Wisely!
Notice the
evil ones assaults of these Covenants 1) against the church with the protestant
reformation 2) against the kingdoms in the age of enlightenment 3) against the
holy nations in communism and atheism 4) against the tribe (local community)
with TV/Computers/games which isolate us 5) against the family with divorce,
contraception, abortion, etc. and 6) against holy union with same sex unions,
prostitution, pornography and pedophilia. Yet, God is good He has and will
overcome evil not with evil but with love.
Copilot’s Take
December 23, Tuesday of the
Fourth Week of Advent, invites us to reflect on Psalm 25:12–14, where the
psalmist reminds us that those who fear the Lord receive His counsel and
instruction through covenant. As Advent nears its fulfillment, we see how God’s
covenants—beginning with Adam and Eve and culminating in Christ—progressively
expand His family, teaching us that His love is not transactional but
relational, binding us to Him in fidelity and communion. Each covenant carries
a blessing, a condition, a sign, and a new form of family, showing that
prosperity is found not in possessions but in belonging to God. On this day of
last-minute shopping, we are reminded that “a happy heart is better than a full
purse,” for true joy comes from knowing that God has written His law upon our
hearts and fulfilled His promises in Christ, who comes to dwell with us.
Advent Calendar
Read: Have you blessed your Christmas
tree yet? Prepare to do so
before Advent is over.
Reflect: "To be fully
a disciple of Jesus means not only accepting and believing his message, but
also taking up and participating in the mission of encountering and inviting
others to join our pilgrim journey to his heavenly kingdom."
Pray: Add this "O Antiphon" to
your daily or meal-time prayer today: "O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of
Law: come to save us, Lord our God!" (Catholic Household Blessings and
Prayers, Revised Edition, 77)
·
Decide
which Mass you will attend at midnight, dawn, or day.
The Three Feasts of the Nativity[2]
When
we celebrate Christmas, we are commemorating the three nativities of Our Lord
Jesus Christ. This is the reason for the three Masses celebrated. The first is
the eternal begetting of God the Son from all eternity within the mystery of
the Blessed Trinity by the Father, “You are My Son. Today I have begotten You.”
·
This
FIRST NATIVITY was before the seven days of Creation, when everything was
darkness. This is why the first Mass is
at midnight to recall the darkness that prevailed during that first eternal
birth of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
o
The first nativity reminds us of the Spirit of poverty, the Spirit that
tells us that all the things God created is His, to be used for His glory and
not for man’s enjoyment. Even man was to use himself for the glory of God. This
represents the six days of creation. If Adam, being the head of creation, had observed
the spirit of poverty and used all of creation for the glory of God, then he
would have entered into the Sabbath, God’s rest… i.e. eternal happiness. But
Adam messed up everything. And the consequence: the whole of mankind could not
enter God’s rest.
·
The
SECOND NATIVITY, or birth, of the Second Person of the Trinity is commemorated
on Christmas day when He became man, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem. For
the world, the darkness was beginning to be dispelled. This is why the second Mass is celebrated at dawn
when the dawn is beginning to dispel the darkness.
o
The second nativity reminds us of the Spirit of chastity. That Spirit
reminds us to give up all physical comforts, pleasure and conveniences. And
Christ in the manger is a clear example of this. It is a continuous reminder
that true happiness can only be found in God and that we are on earth to seek
God. All the rest will come with that find. True rest can only be found in God.
·
The
THIRD NATIVITY of Christ is when He is born in our souls, through His
in-dwelling, when man, through grace, becomes enlightened. Thus, the third Mass is celebrated during the day when
the sun is bright. For man is truly enlightened when he has Christ in his
soul.
o
The third nativity reminds us of the Spirit of obedience. It is only when
we can say, “Not my will but Your will be done,” can Christ be born in our
souls. The apostolic commission at the end of St. Matthew’s Gospel reiterates
this, reminding us of the role of the Church and the men of the Church: “…
teach all My commands and how to observe them.”
Christmas
reminds us of one lesson. Christ was born to die. For us the message is clear.
We are born to die to oneself. And to die to oneself means reaching a point in
our lives when we no longer do our own will but the will of the Father in
heaven. This is to lose one’s life in order to find it. If we have learned the
lessons of the first nativity, if we have learned the lesson of the second
nativity, our reward is the third nativity, when Christ is born in our souls….
indeed, our eternal Christmas. This is truly a Merry Christmas.
— Excerpted from Fr.
Odon de Castro, Bo. San Isidro, Magalang, Pampanga, Philippines
33 days to Christmas-Start the 33 days to
Eucharistic Glory[3]
Want to start a small group? Download
our 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Study Guide
Day
32
On
this 32nd day the reception of the Eucharist gives us hope of
eternal life
Copilot
The
reception of the Eucharist provides Catholics with hope of eternal life in
several profound ways:
1.
Union with the Risen Christ: The Eucharist is a participation in the life of the
risen Christ. This union reassures believers of the reality of the resurrection
and the promise of eternal life.
2.
Foretaste of Heaven: The Eucharist is often described as a foretaste of
the heavenly banquet. This glimpse into the eternal joy that awaits believers
strengthens their hope and anticipation of eternal life with God.
3.
Promise of Jesus: Jesus Himself promised eternal life to those who
eat His Body and drink His Blood. This promise, reaffirmed each time the
Eucharist is received, instills a deep sense of hope in the believer’s heart.
4.
Renewal of Covenant: The Eucharist renews the covenant between God and
His people. This renewal is a reminder of God’s unwavering commitment and the
eternal life He offers through Jesus.
5.
Celebration of the Paschal Mystery: By participating in the Eucharist, believers
commemorate Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection, which are the foundation
of the Christian hope in eternal life.
6.
Strength and Grace: The spiritual strength and grace received from the
Eucharist empower believers to persevere in their faith journey, reinforcing
their hope in the promise of eternal life.
7.
Community of Believers: Sharing in the Eucharist with the faith community
strengthens the collective hope of eternal life, fostering a sense of unity and
shared destiny.
8.
Reflection on Christ’s Sacrifice: Reflecting on Jesus' sacrificial love during the
Eucharist reminds believers of the eternal life He secured for them through His
death and resurrection.
9.
Inspiration to Live for God: The Eucharist inspires believers to live a life
dedicated to God, with the hope and expectation of eternal reward.
10. Overcoming
Fear of Death: The assurance
of eternal life through the Eucharist helps believers overcome the fear of
death, knowing that they are destined for eternal communion with God.
11. Spiritual
Nourishment: The grace and
spiritual nourishment received through the Eucharist provide the strength to
remain faithful and hopeful in the journey toward eternal life.
12. Reinforcement
of Faith: Regular reception of the
Eucharist deepens faith and trust in God’s promises, including the promise of
eternal life.
13. Hope
Amid Suffering: The Eucharist
offers consolation and hope amid suffering and trials, reminding believers that
their ultimate destiny is eternal joy with God.
Through
these ways, the Eucharist continually reinforces and deepens the hope of
eternal life for Catholics, guiding them on their spiritual journey with the
promise of everlasting communion with God.
Bible in a
Year Day 175 Knowledge of God
Fr. Mike emphasizes the importance of knowing God and knowing his love for us
as we read about the devastation of war and the lack of faith displayed by
Israel. Without a deeper knowledge of God, not only can we struggle for hope in
God's plan, but we can also fall into the temptation of losing faith in him
altogether. Today's readings are 2 Kings 6-7, Hosea 4-7, and Psalm 103.
Litany
of Trust
“Deliver me, Jesus-From the fear that I am
unlovable”
Copilot: This petition names one of the deepest human wounds-the
suspicion that our flaws, failures, or scars make us unworthy of love. Fear whispers that
we are defined by rejection, abandonment, or shame. But the litany turns that
whisper into prayer, asking Christ to dismantle the lie at its root.
To pray this line is to surrender the false measure of worthiness and to
stand in the truth that love precedes us. In Christian faith, God’s love is not
earned—it is given freely, even when we feel most broken. The fear of being
unlovable dissolves when we recognize that our identity is not in what we’ve
lost or suffered, but in being seen, known, and cherished by Christ.
This reflection invites us to let go of self‑condemnation and to trust that love is stronger than fear. It is not sentimental comfort but a command to live as beloved, even when the world or our own wounds tell us otherwise.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph
by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Increase
in the Religious and Consecrated Life.
·
Litany of the Most
Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
Introduction to Genesis[4]
Genesis is the first book
of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), the first
section of the Jewish and the Christian Scriptures. Its title in English,
“Genesis,” comes from the Greek literally, “the book of the generation (genesis)
of the heavens and earth.”
The book has two major
sections—the creation and expansion of the human race, and the story of Abraham
and his descendants. The first section deals with God and the nations, and the
second deals with God and a particular nation, Israel.
The Composition of the
Book.
The Book of Genesis was
written for a Jewish audience that had suffered the effects of the exile and
was now largely living outside of Palestine. The text highlighted themes of
vital concern to this audience:
- God
intends that every nation have posterity and land.
- The
ancestors of Israel are models for their descendants who also live-in hope
rather than in full possession of what has been promised.
- The
ancient covenant with God is eternal, remaining valid even when the human
party has been unfaithful.
Genesis 1–11.
The seven-day creation
account tells of a God whose mere word creates a beautiful universe in which
human beings are an integral and important part. The plot has been borrowed
from creation-flood stories attested in Mesopotamian literature of the second and
early first millennia. In the Mesopotamian creation-flood stories, the gods
created the human race as slaves whose task it was to manage the universe for
them—giving them food, clothing, and honor in temple ceremonies. In an
unforeseen development, however, the human race grew so numerous and noisy that
the gods could not sleep. Deeply angered, the gods decided to destroy the race
by a universal flood. One man and his family, however, secretly warned of the
flood by his patron god, built a boat and survived. Soon regretting their
impetuous decision, the gods created a revised version of humankind. The new
race was created mortal so they would never again grow numerous and bother the
gods. The authors of Genesis adapted the creation-flood story in accord with
their views of God and humanity. For example, they attributed the fault to
human sin rather than to divine miscalculation and had God reaffirm without
change the original creation. In the biblical version God is just, powerful,
and not needy.
How should modern readers
interpret the creation-flood story?
The stories are neither
history nor myth. “Myth” is an unsuitable term, for it has several different
meanings and connotes untruth in popular English. “History” is equally
misleading, for it suggests that the events actually took place. The best term
is creation-flood story. Ancient Near Eastern thinkers did not have our methods
of exploring serious questions. Instead, they used narratives for issues that
we would call philosophical and theological. They added and subtracted
narrative details and varied the plot as they sought meaning in the ancient
stories. Their stories reveal a privileged time, when divine decisions were
made that determined the future of the human race. The origin of something was
thought to explain its present meaning, e.g., how God acts with justice and
generosity, why human beings are rebellious, the nature of sexual attraction
and marriage, why there are many peoples and languages. Though the stories may
initially strike us as primitive and naive, they are in fact told with skill,
compression, and subtlety. They provide profound answers to perennial questions
about God and human beings.
Genesis 11–50.
One Jewish tradition
suggests that God, having been rebuffed in the attempt to forge a relationship
with the nations, decided to concentrate on one nation in the hope that it
would eventually bring in all the nations. The migration of Abraham’s family is
part of the general movement of the human race to take possession of their
lands. Abraham, however, must come into possession of his land in a manner
different from the nations, for he will not immediately possess it nor will he
have descendants in the manner of the nations, for he is old and his wife is
childless. Abraham and Sarah have to live with their God in trust and obedience
until at last Isaac is born to them and they manage to buy a sliver of the
land. Abraham’s humanity and faith offer a wonderful example to the exilic
generation.
The historicity of the
ancestral stories has been much discussed. Scholars have traditionally dated
them sometime in the first half of the second millennium, though a few regard
them as late (sixth or fifth century B.C.) and purely fictional. There is unfortunately
no direct extra-biblical evidence confirming (or disproving) the stories. The
ancestral stories have affinities, however, to late second-millennium stories
of childless ancestors, and their proper names fit linguistic patterns attested
in the second millennium. Given the lack of decisive evidence, it is reasonable
to accept the Bible’s own chronology that the patriarchs were the ancestors of
Israel and that they lived well before the exodus that is generally dated in
the thirteenth century.
Jacob and his twelve sons.
The stories are united by a
geographical frame: Jacob lives in Canaan until his theft of the right of the
firstborn from his brother Esau forces him to flee to Paddan-Aram (alternately
Aram-Naharaim). There his uncle Laban tricks him as he earlier tricked his
brother. But Jacob is blessed with wealth and sons. He returns to Canaan to
receive the final blessing, land, and on the way is reconciled with his brother
Esau. As the sons have reached the number of twelve, the patriarch can be given
the name Israel. The blessings given to Abraham are reaffirmed to Isaac and to
Jacob.
The last cycle of ancestor
stories is about Jacob’s son Joseph. The Joseph stories are sophisticated in
theme, deftly plotted, and show keen interest in the psychology of the
characters. Jacob’s favoring of Joseph, the son of his beloved wife Rachel, provokes
his brothers to kill him. Joseph escapes death through the intercession of
Reuben, the eldest, and of Judah, but is sold into slavery in Egypt. Judah
undergoes experiences similar to Joseph’s. Joseph, endowed by God with wisdom,
becomes second only to Pharaoh in Egypt. From that powerful position, he
encounters his unsuspecting brothers who have come to Egypt because of the
famine, and tests them to see if they have repented. Joseph learns that they
have given up their hatred because of their love for Israel, their father.
Judah, who seems to have inherited the mantle of the failed oldest brother
Reuben, expresses the brothers’ new and profound appreciation of their father
and Joseph. At the end of Genesis, the entire family of Jacob/Israel is in Egypt,
which prepares for the events in the Book of Exodus.
Copilot: Restarting a Genesis series on Christmas Eve invites us to see creation and incarnation as one seamless story of beginnings. Genesis opens with God’s word calling light out of darkness, shaping a world where humanity is meant to flourish in covenant and hope. Christmas Eve proclaims that same Word entering history as flesh, born in Bethlehem to renew creation and fulfill the ancient promises. To begin Genesis on this night is to recognize that the God who spoke the heavens into being is the same God who speaks salvation into our midst, binding the first dawn of creation to the radiant dawn of Christ’s birth.
[3]https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/33-days-to-eucharistic-glory/33EG.html?srsltid=AfmBOopIHMivIR422BjtUtJ2KZm8-MrVMEJFtxZYH7ZkFuXRwdu5G1Qi#longDescription
[4]
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/0
