(According to Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition)
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
— St. Matthew 1:1
The Holy Ancestors of Our Lord Jesus Christ are those righteous men and women from whom Christ took His human nature according to the flesh. Though Christ is eternally begotten of the Father, in time He willed to be born of a lineage sanctified by faith, obedience, and divine election. The Church venerates these ancestors as just souls, many of whom are saints, prophets, patriarchs, and kings.
They are commemorated collectively in the Traditional Roman Martyrology and liturgically in the Eastern Churches as “The Holy Forefathers.”
I. The Primeval Patriarchs (Before Abraham)
These are the righteous from the dawn of mankind, through whom the promise of redemption was preserved.
1. Adam
- The first man, created in grace
- Fell through sin, yet received the Protoevangelium (Gen 3:15)
- Tradition holds he repented and was redeemed by Christ in Limbo
2. Seth
- Son of Adam, through whom the godly lineage continued
3. Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared
- Patriarchs who preserved true worship amid growing corruption
4. Enoch
- “He walked with God, and was seen no more: because God took him” (Gen 5:24)
- Traditionally believed to have been taken bodily
5. Noe (Noah)
- Preacher of justice
- Saved mankind through the Ark, a type of the Church
6. Sem (Shem)
- Blessed son of Noe
- Forefather of the chosen people
II. The Patriarchs of the Covenant
7. Abraham
- Father of the faithful
- Received the promise: “In thy seed shall all nations be blessed”
8. Isaac
- Son of promise
- Type of Christ in his near-sacrifice
9. Jacob (Israel)
- Father of the twelve tribes
- Wrestled with God and was renamed Israel
10. Judah
- Royal tribe from which Christ descends
- Received the messianic prophecy (Gen 49:10)
III. The Line of Kings
11. Jesse
- Father of King David
- From him springs the Tree of Jesse
12. King David
- Prophet, psalmist, and king
- Received the eternal covenant of kingship
13. King Solomon
- Builder of the Temple
- Ancestor of Christ through the royal line
Subsequent Kings:
- Roboam
- Abia
- Asa
- Josaphat
- Joram
- Ozias
- Joatham
- Achaz
- Ezechias
- Manasses (converted in captivity)
- Amon
- Josias (great reformer)
IV. The Just After the Exile
14. Jechonias
- Taken into Babylonian captivity
15. Salathiel
- Leader of the returning exiles
16. Zorobabel
- Rebuilder of the Temple
- Sign of restored hope
Later ancestors (per St. Matthew & St. Luke):
- Abiud
- Eliakim
- Azor
- Sadoc
- Achim
- Eliud
- Eleazar
- Mathan
- Jacob
V. The Immediate Holy Family
17. Saint Joachim
- Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Model of perseverance and prayer
18. Saint Anne
- Mother of the Mother of God
- Patroness of Christian families
19. The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Daughter of David
- Immaculate Mother of God
- The holiest of all creatures
20. Saint Joseph
- Son of David
- Foster-father of Christ and Guardian of the Redeemer
VI. Their Sanctity and Veneration
- Many of these ancestors were justified by faith before Christ
- All were redeemed by Christ’s descent into Limbo of the Fathers
- They are honored:
- December 24 – Vigil of the Nativity (collective remembrance)
- Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (Eastern tradition)
- Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne – July 26
Spiritual Reflection
The Holy Ancestors teach us:
- God works through history and family
- Sanctity unfolds through generations
- Christ enters the world through obedience, patience, and faith
“He hath remembered his mercy… as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.”
— Magnificat