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Commentary on the Gospel – December 18, 2025
We continue with our reading of the first chapter of Matthew. The final verse of the genealogy we heard yesterday was so unusual that it demands an explanation. We need to clarify why and how Joseph assumes legal custody—so to speak—without the mandatory phrase “he became the father of.”
We have read and meditated on this text many times, and it always stirs up admiration and affection for blessed Joseph. He is the one who will give a name to the Son conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb… so that the prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us’.”
As we know, the references to Joseph in the Gospel accounts are very brief. Yet, he is so key to the birth and upbringing of the Child that, over the centuries, he has inspired a very special devotion in the life of the Church.
Joseph is the prototype of the “righteous man” of the Scriptures. He is the one who obeys the commandments with an obedience that is, quite simply, an expression of the human relationship with God. It involves recognizing divine transcendence while, at the same time, affirming his own dignity as a creature.
Thus, accepting the instructions of the angel who speaks to him in dreams, and even while weighing how complicated and dangerous his actions would be (taking Mary as his wife, making the journey to Bethlehem late in her pregnancy, escaping Herod by fleeing to Egypt, and returning later to guard the Savior and His Mother in the quiet of daily life), Joseph acts according to the plan set before him, with trust and love.
It is a good habit to ask for St. Joseph’s intercession, just as St. Teresa of Avila did. She strongly recommended St. Joseph as a guide for the spiritual life and for prayer: “If anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his master, and he will not go astray.” She saw in Joseph’s silent and obedient life a perfect model of contemplation and surrender to God’s will, but also a powerful support for all kinds of needs, whether material or spiritual.