News Cycle

The week after the feast of the Holy Cross, the Church begins a new cycle. We began yesterday reading from the Gospel of Luke, and we will continue throughout the Fall. I bring that to you attention because if your discipline includes reading the ‘daily readings’ of the Church, you might be tempted to skip over today’s reading. I don’t think you should.

At that time, Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.

Luke 3:23-38, 4:1

Some think, “It’s just a list of names. I have read them before. I can skip it today.” You are missing the point if you skip the reading. In the ancient tradition of oral history, we regularly recite our ancestors not just to remember their names. We do it to connect with them.

Just as we read the saints of the day to connect with their faith and devotion, we read the ancestors of God, ‘as was supposed’ through Joseph. In reading their names, we connect with their faith and devotion to God through the Old Testament. Their struggles and their repentance should be an inspiration to us.

I compare it to the tv news cycle. If you watch the nightly news, you will hear a recap of the day’s events. With today’s technology chances are we have already heard the day’s events long before the nightly news, but we sit and listen so we can connect with our fellow citizens.

Stories of rescues from floods and other natural disasters remind us that not all people are selfish. Stories of historical events inspire us to remain faithful to our way of life. Whether it is the nightly news of the Holy Scriptures, the cycle of events becomes a part of who we are.

Take a few minutes today and re-read the Gospel lesson. Ask yourself if something ‘new’ jumps out at you and search the Old Testament for the connection. Feel free to use the comment section to share your thoughts today with each other.