Today is Dec. 17, Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent.
Today at Mass, we read, “Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king” (Mt 1:5-6a).
Ruth’s story begins in tragedy. Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were widowed during the course of a famine. In her grief, Ruth, despite not being an Israelite, makes a pledge of devotion to Naomi and to Naomi’s God, the God of Israel: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ru 1:16).
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem, a town of promise and provision. It is here that God begins to work His sovereign plan, leading Ruth to the fields of Boaz, a relative of Naomi. Boaz, whose name means “strength,” embodies God’s care and protection as he provides for Ruth and ensures her safety.
Bethlehem, the “House of Bread,” becomes a place of abundance for Ruth and Naomi, a fitting foreshadowing of the spiritual abundance that would come to the birthplace of Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Ruth, an ancestor of Jesus
Ruth is remembered every Christmas in the recitation of the genealogy of Jesus. Ruth and Boaz had a son, Obed, who became the grandfather of King David. Importantly, Ruth is a gentile, a Moabite woman. Her inclusion in the ancestry of Christ is an early indication of the universality of Our Lord’s mission. Jesus came to be the savior of all mankind.
As we prepare for Christmas, Ruth’s story invites us to approach Bethlehem with the same faith and trust she displayed. Her journey reminds us that even in our darkest moments, God is present, guiding us toward redemption and joy. Bethlehem, the town where Ruth’s story unfolded, became the place where the Savior was born — a testament to God’s faithfulness and His power to transform ordinary places and lives into vessels of His glory.
Let us pray,
O God, who through your Only Begotten Son have made us a new creation, look kindly, we pray, on the handiwork of your mercy, and at your Son’s coming cleanse us from every stain of the old way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
