He's a Pirate

In "Pirates of the Caribbean," Will Turner begins as a simple but brave blacksmith who despises pirates as scoundrels all. When Jack introduces him to his past, and his real father's identity - that of a pirate - he has difficulty accepting his heritage. That is not to say that anyone with pirate parents is doomed and destined to be one himself, but in Will's case, doing what was right meant embracing that destiny and making peace with his father and his past.

Today, we hear the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. There are some pretty remarkable men (and women!) in that list. There are also some pretty remarkable sinners there too. This lineage made it difficult for some people to accept Jesus for who he was in his ministry ("Isn't this Joseph's son, the carpenter?"). However, for those who did accept him, he was the way to new life with God as He saves His people.

This story of the lineage of Jesus is not just an exercise to see how well priests and deacons can pronounce these Hebrew names; it is a reminder that the Son of God entered history and made it new. It tells us that despite the mess we humans may have made of our history - despite the mess we continue to make - God is still at work. As Pope Benedict pointed out in Spe Salvi, this is reason for great hope.

Jesus may not have been a pirate, but He was one of us. And that makes one of us a great thing to be!