Hark, the “Herald” angels sing! To celebrate our newborn King, I’ve got a very special Christmas quiz. The following questions come from the extensive Christmas Vigil reading from Matthew 1:1-25. Rejoice!
1) Genealogy
This Gospel scripture traces the lineage of Jesus. According to the genealogy, what was the name of the father of St. Joseph?
a) David
b) Amos
c) Jacob
d) Eliakim
2) More genealogy
How many generations is said to have spanned the time of Abraham to the time of David?
a) 3
b) 7
c) 14
d) 40
3) Annunciation
True or false: The angel Gabriel is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew, bringing news of Mary’s conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
a) True
b) False
4) Prophecies
This Gospel recounts the old-time prophecy, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.” In which Old Testament book was this prediction first recorded?
a) Isaiah
b) Genesis
c) Exodus
d) Deuteronomy
5) Names
What does “Emmanuel” mean?
a) “God’s strength”
b) “God has mercy”
c) “God is gracious”
d) “God is with us”
6) St. Joseph
How did St. Joseph come to realize that it was acceptable for him to take in the pregnant Mary as his wife?
a) He consulted with the rabbis in the temple
b) An angel appeared to him in a dream
c) He found a loophole in Jewish law
d) The magi told him during their visit
7) Fill in the blank
Finish this quote from the Scripture: “She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because _________.”
a) “He will rule over many nations”
b) “He will be a bearer of good news”
c) “He will save his people from their sins”
d) “His descendants will number the stars”
Answers: 1) c, 2) c, 3) b, 4) a, 5) d, 6) b, 7) c