For many, both priest and people, today's Gospel seems to provide very little matter for prayerful reflections. It consists of a long list of names which are quite unfamiliar to even dedicated Christians. Yet, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, it is important that we put Him in His historical context. It is part of the Incarnation that Jesus was not born out of the blue, so to speak, but was through His human parent the descendant of a long line from Abraham, the Father of Israel, right down to Joseph the spouse of Mary. In so doing, he emphasizes the continuity of Jesus' ancestors there are many interesting characters, including four women. Not all Jesus' ancestors are saints - far from it. Some were real scoundrels. It helps us to realize that Jesus entered fully into our world. He did not drop untouched out of space. But in His past and in the environment of His life here He was totally immersed in our material, sinful society. "The Word became a human being and lived among us".