Today’s Gospel reading highlights the genealogy of Jesus Christ, a lineage filled with broken, flawed, and sinful men—men who made terrible mistakes and committed acts that grieved God’s heart. Yet, God used them. He redeemed their stories and wove them into the greater plan of salvation. It’s incredible to think that the Savior of the world came from a line of imperfect people but that’s how God works. He restores, redeems, and turns even our worst failures into something good.

For years, I cried out to God, asking, “Why? Why me? Why, with such a good upbringing, did I fall into such a deep addiction?” I went to a priest and shared all of this with him, convinced I was possessed and that some evil force was driving my destructive behavior. The priest, who was an exorcist, explained that this was part of humanity’s brokenness, stretching back to Adam and Eve. But then he said something that changed my perspective: “The good news is that these curses can stop with you.”

After he prayed over me my journey to sobriety truly began. I stopped playing the victim and saw my struggle through a new pair of glasses. God had allowed me to walk this path not as a punishment but so that I could help break the cycle for future generations. What the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good—just like He did with the deeply flawed lineage of Jesus. Through our testimony in recovery, God can use our pain, brokenness, and history of addiction to bring restoration to others, whether within our own families, recovery circles, or parish communities. When we surrender to Him, the cycle of destruction stops and hope is born within us as well as within those who come after us.

Reflection Questions

• Ask God what lies you have believed from the enemy about who you are in His eyes. What truths does God want to give you today in place of those lies?
• How is God using you to bring restoration to others in the midst of your brokenness and recovery?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Genesis 49:2, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

Reflection by Juan Carlos P.