Sandra Schneiders (quoted in Ryan, 2012), describes the Bible as “…an integral, even normative, part of the living tradition.” This is particularly seen in the use of childhood stories that tell the well-known story of Christmas, in today's Catholic religious groups – individual parishioners, churches and Catholic educational institutions. The text is used and widely used to inform believers and those who wish to gain insight into the Catholic religion, about the faith. It is clear from contemporary scholarship, however, that the infancy gospels of Matthew and Luke present their readers with different themes, conflicting information, and two very different accounts of the significant birth and early life of Jesus. It is therefore important to view the gospels of Matthew and Luke as separate sacred stories, rather than a historical account of events. The story of Jesus' birth in Matthew begins by tracing his genealogy as Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of Abraham and Luke. David (Matthew 1:1). The above in Matthew serves to introduce the Jewish roots of Jesus (Mason, 2009). Matthew introduces readers to the connection between Jesus' legacy and the promises made to Abraham. The Lord had said to Abram: “Leave your country, your people and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, him I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12). The theme of the genealogy of Jesus is essential here, because it shows that the promises and prophecies announced in the Hebrew Bible (or the Old Testament) are fulfilled. The p...... middle of paper...... Culpepper, R. Alan. “Luke.” The New Interpreter's Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Volume 9. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995. Dawes, G. (2006). Why historicity still matters: Raymond Brown and childhood stories. Pacifica, 19(1), 156-176. Duffy, M. (2010). The dynamics of tradition illustrated by the magi Australian eJournal of Theology, 15(1), 1-21.Mason, S. (2009). Where was Jesus born? O little town of Nazareth. InSara Murphy, (Ed.), The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus' Birth in History and Tradition (pp. 33-48). Washington: Society for Biblical Archeology. Murphy-O’Connor, J. (2009). Where was Jesus born? Bethlehem, of course. In Sara Murphy, (Ed.), The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus' Birth in History and Tradition (pp. 49-57). Washington: Society for Biblical Archeology. Ryan, M. (2012). Jesus and the Gospels. Hamilton, Queensland. Lumino Press.