Thomistic Bible Study: Matthew 1 (Podcast)

Summary

This script offers an in-depth analysis of the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel through the perspective of St. Thomas Aquinas, highlighting the symbolic significance of the number 14 and the genealogy of Jesus Christ. It delves into the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, his sanctity, and wisdom, and explores the narrative of Joseph's dilemma, the angelic revelation, and the naming of Jesus. The script also addresses misconceptions about Mary's perpetual virginity and emphasizes the importance of St. Joseph as a model of authentic masculinity and fatherhood, encouraging devotion to him in the modern context.

Takeaways

• 😇 St. Thomas Aquinas is revered as one of the most intelligent individuals in history, second only to Jesus and Mary, and his insights on the Gospel are highly valued.
• 🏰 St. Thomas faced significant trials, including being kidnapped and tempted to break his vow of chastity, but his sanctity and wisdom allowed him to overcome these challenges.
• 🙏 Chastity is emphasized as a crucial virtue for pursuing wisdom and higher studies, as it helps elevate the mind to spiritual and intellectual matters.
• 📜 The first chapter of Matthew's Gospel is analyzed through the lens of St. Thomas Aquinas, focusing on the genealogy of Jesus Christ and its symbolic significance.
• 🔢 The number 14 is highlighted as significant in the genealogy, symbolizing the emphasis on David as the king and the Christ, with the repetition of 14 generations from Abraham to David, and from David to Jesus.
• 👑 The genealogy in Matthew's Gospel is contrasted with that in Luke's Gospel, showing different lineage due to Joseph's adoption, which is explained through Jewish law and St. Thomas's interpretation.
• 👶 The Annunciation to Joseph is discussed, emphasizing Joseph's humility and his role as the foster father of Jesus, chosen by God for his sanctity and grace.
• 🌟 Joseph's naming of Jesus is highlighted as a sign of his authority and the singular privilege granted to him, reflecting his unique role in the life of Jesus.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The script discusses the importance of understanding the genealogy and the symbolic language used in Matthew's Gospel, which is deeply rooted in Hebrew tradition and Jewish expectations.
• 🙏 The script concludes with a call to devotion to St. Joseph, emphasizing his role in restoring authentic masculinity and fatherhood, and the importance of his intercession in spiritual life.

Q & A

Who is St. Thomas Aquinas and why is he significant in this Bible study?

St. Thomas Aquinas is a renowned theologian and philosopher of the Catholic Church, known as the Angelic Doctor and the Common Doctor. He is significant in this Bible study because the analysis of Matthew's gospel is being conducted through his lens, highlighting his profound influence and authority in theological interpretation.

What is the significance of the number 14 in the genealogy of Jesus as presented in Matthew's gospel?

The number 14 is significant because it is symbolic and emphasizes the importance of David in the lineage of Jesus. In Hebrew numerology, the letters corresponding to David's name add up to 14, which is a way of emphasizing 'David, David, David' in a superlative form, indicating the importance of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Davidic line.

Why did St. Thomas Aquinas' family initially want him to become a Benedict monk rather than a Dominican?

St. Thomas Aquinas' family initially wanted him to become a Benedict monk because the Benedictines had more influence and were well-established and respected at the time. The Dominicans, on the other hand, were newer and their practice of begging for alms was considered shameful for royalty.

What is the explanation given for the different genealogies of Joseph in Matthew and Luke's gospels?

The different genealogies are explained by the fact that Joseph was adopted. In Matthew, Joseph's father is listed as Jacob, while in Luke, it is Heli. This is because Joseph's legal father (Heli) died without an heir, and his brother (Jacob) adopted Joseph to carry on the family name.

Why did Joseph initially plan to put Mary away quietly instead of having her stoned according to Jewish law for adultery?

There are three theories presented: 1) Joseph suspected Mary of adultery but wanted to deal with it privately out of mercy. 2) Joseph was bewildered because he knew Mary was pure but was also pregnant and couldn't reconcile these facts. 3) Joseph, out of reverence and humility, did not consider himself worthy to be the spouse of the mother of the Messiah and planned to step aside.

What is the theological significance of Joseph naming Jesus?

The act of naming signifies authority. By naming Jesus, Joseph exercises a unique authority over him, which is a singular privilege granted by God. This act underscores Joseph's role as the earthly father of Jesus and his unique position in the divine plan.

How does the script address the claim that Mary was not a perpetual virgin?

The script refutes this claim by explaining that the word 'until' in the phrase 'he knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn son' does not necessarily imply a change in state after the appointed time. It emphasizes that the birth of Christ was not brought about by Joseph, without insinuating anything about Mary's virginity afterward.

What is the importance of St. Joseph in the current cultural context, especially regarding fatherhood?

St. Joseph is seen as a model for authentic masculinity and fatherhood. In a time of crisis for these roles, devotion to St. Joseph is encouraged as a way to restore and heal the understanding of what it means to be a man and a father.

What is the significance of the 'Holy Holy Holy' in the Catholic Mass?

The repetition of 'Holy' three times in the Mass is a reflection of the Hebrew practice of emphasizing the superlative by repeating a word three times, hearkening back to the church's Jewish roots and emphasizing the supreme holiness of God.

Why is the story of St. Thomas Aquinas chasing a prostitute with a burning brand significant?

The story illustrates St. Thomas Aquinas' commitment to chastity and his resistance to temptation. It is a testament to his sanctity and the virtue of perfect chastity, which is considered essential for the pursuit of wisdom and higher studies.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas and Matthew's Gospel

The video begins with an introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas, revered as the Angelic Doctor and the Common Doctor of the Church. The speaker expresses admiration for Aquinas, considering him highly intelligent and recounts a story from his youth where he was kidnapped to prevent him from becoming a Dominican. Despite being tempted, Aquinas maintained his vow of chastity, which is emphasized as a crucial virtue for wisdom and higher studies. The speaker then sets the stage for a detailed examination of the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel through the lens of Aquinas.

05:02

🔢 The Significance of the Number 14 in Matthew's Genealogy

This paragraph delves into the symbolic meaning of the number 14 in the genealogy presented in Matthew's Gospel. The speaker explains that in Hebrew, each letter corresponds to a number, and the name David (DVD) sums up to 14. This number is used three times (14, 14, 14) to emphasize the importance of David as the king and the Christ, the anointed one. The speaker also discusses the possibility that Matthew's Gospel was originally written in Aramaic, highlighting the deep connection between the Gospel and Jewish roots.

10:04

👨‍👨‍👦 The Mystery of Joseph's Lineage in Matthew and Luke

The speaker addresses the apparent contradiction in the genealogy of Joseph between Matthew and Luke's Gospels. In Matthew, Joseph is said to be the son of Jacob, while in Luke, he is the son of Heli. The explanation provided is that Joseph was adopted, with his biological father being Jacob and his adoptive father being Heli. This adoption was in accordance with Jewish law, where a brother would marry the wife of a deceased brother to continue his lineage. The speaker clarifies that this does not disprove Christianity but rather adds depth to the understanding of Joseph's lineage.

15:07

🤔 Theories on Joseph's Reaction to Mary's Pregnancy

The speaker discusses three theories explaining why Joseph wanted to put Mary away quietly instead of having her stoned for adultery, as per Jewish law. The first theory, supported by St. Augustine, suggests Joseph thought Mary had committed adultery. The second theory, the bewilderment theory, posits that Joseph was confused because he knew Mary was chaste but was also pregnant. The third theory, favored by St. Thomas and the speaker, is the reverence theory, where Joseph, knowing the prophecy of a virgin birth, felt unworthy to be the spouse of the mother of God. The angel's reassurance to Joseph is then highlighted, emphasizing the divine intervention in this scenario.

20:08

👶 The Authority of Joseph in Naming Jesus

This paragraph focuses on the significance of Joseph naming Jesus, which is seen as an act of authority. The speaker draws parallels with Genesis, where Adam names Eve, demonstrating his authority over her. Joseph's naming of Jesus is portrayed as a singular privilege, emphasizing Joseph's role as the earthly father of Jesus. The speaker also discusses the implications of this authority, suggesting that Joseph's role was crucial in Jesus' life and that his obedience to Joseph was part of his fulfillment of the Fourth Commandment.

25:10

🙏 The Perpetual Virginity of Mary and the Role of St. Joseph

The final paragraph addresses the claim that Mary was not perpetually a virgin, based on a misinterpretation of Matthew 1:25. The speaker argues that the word 'until' does not imply a change in Mary's virginity after Christ's birth. Using linguistic and biblical evidence, the speaker defends the perpetual virginity of Mary. The speaker also encourages devotion to St. Joseph, suggesting that his role in the life of Jesus and Mary is a model for understanding authentic masculinity and fatherhood, especially in the modern context.

Keywords

💡St Thomas Aquinas

St Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelic Doctor and the Common Doctor, is a central figure in the video. He is a theologian and philosopher of the Catholic Church, renowned for his intellectual contributions. The video script discusses his life, his pursuit of becoming a Dominican, and his sanctity. His teachings and interpretations of the Gospel of Matthew are a key focus, illustrating the depth of his wisdom and the authority granted to him by the Church.

💡Chastity

Chastity is highlighted as a crucial virtue in the pursuit of wisdom and spiritual matters. In the script, it is mentioned that St Thomas Aquinas was tempted but maintained his vow of chastity, which is seen as a foundational virtue for intellectual and spiritual growth. The story of St Thomas using a firebrand to chase away a prostitute is used to emphasize the importance of chastity in his life and teachings.

💡Genealogy of Jesus

The genealogy of Jesus is a significant part of the script, detailing the lineage from Abraham to David and then to Jesus Christ. The video explains the symbolic meaning of the number 14 in the genealogy, its significance in Hebrew numerology, and its connection to the name David. This genealogy is essential to understanding Jesus' royal lineage and his fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

💡Adoption of Joseph

The concept of adoption is discussed in the context of Joseph's lineage as presented in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The script explains that Joseph was the biological son of Jacob but was adopted by Heli, following Jewish law regarding inheritance. This understanding resolves the apparent contradiction between the two Gospels and underscores the importance of Joseph's role as the legal father of Jesus.

💡Perpetual Virginity of Mary

The perpetual virginity of Mary is a doctrine emphasized in the script, asserting that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. The video counters the misconception that Mary and Joseph had other children after Jesus, based on a misinterpretation of Matthew 1:25. The script provides apologetic arguments supporting Mary's perpetual virginity, including the tradition of the Church Fathers and the act of Jesus entrusting Mary to John.

💡Humility of Joseph

Joseph's humility is a key theme in the script, particularly in the context of his reaction to Mary's pregnancy. The video presents three theories explaining Joseph's intention to 'put away' Mary quietly: suspicion of adultery, bewilderment, and reverence. The reverence theory, favored by St Thomas Aquinas, suggests Joseph's humility in recognizing his unworthiness to be the spouse of the mother of God.

💡Authority in Naming

The act of naming is discussed in the script as a sign of authority. In the context of the video, Joseph naming Jesus signifies his authority over Jesus, granted by God. This is a unique privilege that underscores Joseph's role as the earthly father of Jesus and his importance in the divine plan.

💡Devotion to St Joseph

The script encourages a devotion to St Joseph as a means to restore authentic masculinity and fatherhood. It positions St Joseph as a model for men, emphasizing his unique grace and role in the Holy Family. The video suggests that increasing devotion to St Joseph can help address the cultural crisis of fatherhood and masculinity.

💡Hebrew Numerology

Hebrew numerology is introduced in the script to explain the significance of the number 14 in Jesus' genealogy. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet corresponds to a number, and the name David sums up to 14. The script uses this to illustrate the emphasis on David's importance in the lineage of Jesus, reinforcing the Messianic prophecies.

💡Theological Interpretation

Theological interpretation is the method used throughout the script to delve into the deeper meanings of the Gospel of Matthew. The video provides detailed explanations of scriptural passages, incorporating the insights of St Thomas Aquinas and other Church Fathers, to enrich the understanding of the Gospel's message and its implications for the Christian faith.

💡Cultural Crisis of Fatherhood

The script addresses a perceived cultural crisis of fatherhood, where traditional masculine roles and the concept of being a man are said to be lost or misunderstood. The video suggests that turning to St Joseph and embracing his example can help to heal these societal wounds and provide a model for authentic masculinity.

Highlights

Introduction to St Thomas Aquinas as a significant figure in the study of the Bible.

The story of St Thomas Aquinas's life, emphasizing his intelligence and sanctity.

The tale of St Thomas's brothers kidnapping him to break his vow of chastity.

St Thomas's response to temptation by chasing a prostitute with a burning brand.

The importance of chastity for the pursuit of wisdom and higher studies.

The authority of St Thomas Aquinas's interpretations due to his sanctity.

The structure of Matthew's Gospel, emphasizing the significance of the number 14.

The symbolic meaning of the number 14 in relation to the name David in Hebrew.

The genealogy of Jesus Christ as presented in Matthew's Gospel, highlighting the repetition of 14 generations.

The difference in genealogies between Matthew and Luke, and the concept of levirate marriage.

The explanation of Joseph's dual fatherhood due to adoption in Jewish law.

The theories explaining why Joseph wanted to put Mary away quietly.

The angel's message to Joseph about the virgin birth and the naming of Jesus.

The significance of Joseph naming Jesus and the authority it implies.

The devotion to St Joseph as a response to the crisis of fatherhood and masculinity.

The declaration of the Year of St Joseph by Pope Francis and its impact on devotion.

The interpretation of 'until' in Matthew 1:25 and its implications for Mary's perpetual virginity.

Apologetic arguments against the claim that Mary and Joseph had other children.

Transcripts

welcome to the first episode of to mytic

Bible study today we're going to take a

look at the first chapter of Matthew's

gospel and we're going to look at it

through the lens of St Thomas aquinus

who is the Angelic doctor the common

doctor he is also my favorite doctor of

the church St Thomas aquinus is I really

believe the single most intelligent

person ever to have lived other than

Jesus and Mary some of the stories about

his life are incredible whenever he was

a small boy he was planning on becoming

a monk and his family was fine with that

they sent him to become a Benedict monk

because the Benedicts had a little bit

more clout and they were established and

everybody respected the

Benedicts but the problem was that St

Thomas even though he was from a royal

family in Italy St Thomas wanted nothing

to do with the Benedicts he felt that

God was calling him to become a

Dominican now those Dominicans were kind

of a new thing they weren't well

established and they went around and

begged for alms and this was considered

shameful for royalty to go around

begging so you may have heard this story

before but it Bears repeating St

Thomas's Brothers while he's on his way

to become a Dominican kidnap him as a

young man and they lock him in a tower

St Thomas often times gets the

reputation of being a brain in a jar but

nothing could be further from the truth

this man lived an incredibly exciting

and eventful life and he was tempted and

he was tempted greatly and it's only

because of his preeminent sanctity that

he was able to attain to his excellence

in wisdom so his brothers kidnap him and

they lock him in this Tower and they

decide that they're going to tempt him

to break his vow of Chastity so that he

will not become a Dominican cuz

anything's better than the Dominicans so

they send a prostitute into his room

this young man St Thomas they send a

prostitute into his room to try to tempt

him to break the sixth and Ninth

commandment but this young man St Thomas

grabs a brand from the fire and chases

this poor woman out of the room and then

there's different versions of the story

but my favorite one is that after he's

chased this woman out of the room he

takes the brand from the fire tra a

cross on the door and then kneels down

and begins to pray shortly thereafter

our lady appears to St Thomas and gives

him the virtue of perfect

Chastity now if you want to pursue

wisdom if you want to pursue higher

studies the most necessary virtue

outside of the virtue of

studiousness is Chastity why because if

you're going to to elevate your mind to

spiritual matters and to intellectual

matters then you have to have your mind

off of the lower things you have to not

be thinking about food and not be

thinking about sex so that you can think

about the higher things the spiritual

things so the reason that St Thomas is

able to become this incredible

incredible Saint in the Catholic

tradition and he's able to become

literally the wisest man ever to have

lived is because of his pre-eminent

sanctity and his preeminent cacity so

whenever we're reading St Thomas we're

not just reading the opinions of some

guy that lived 800 years ago but we're

reading the opinions and the thoughts of

a man who has been elevated by the

church to the position of common doctor

the universal doctor the doctor of

doctors so when you quote St Thomas

because the church has given him that

level of authority you can cite him as

an authority so we're going to go

through and we're going to talk about

what St Thomas says about chapter 1 of

Matthew's gospel and if you keep this in

mind and mole over it I think you'll

find that it's not only fruitful

intellectually but this will give you a

lot more flesh on the bones of the

Gospel so that whenever you're reading

it and you're doing Leo deina you can

start to enter more deeply into the

mystery of the Gospel so without further

ado let's jump in here looking at

chapter one of Matthew's gospel what

you'll notice is a giant list of

names and at first that can be a little

intimidating because all of these names

are about 17 syllables and they are all

words you've never heard before so it

can be a little bit

intimidating but the things to note for

our study is that it starts with

Abraham then it goes 14 generations to

David then it goes 14

generations to

Jesus so what can we note here about

chapter one it starts with Abraham goes

to David Goes to Jesus and there's three

sets of 14 why is the number 14

important there's multiple reasons that

the number 14 is symbolic but the one I

want to focus on for now is that in

Hebrew every letter of the Hebrew

alphabet corresponded to a

number and if you look at the name David

it would have been spelled with three

letters in Hebrew I don't know what the

Hebrew characters are called I'm just

going to call it DV and D so David would

have been spelled DVD in Hebrew and the

number that's associated with d is three

the number that's associated with v is8

and the number that's associated with

with the again is three so if you add up

3 8 and three you get 14 so 14 here is

the number of David so the point that

Matthew is making because keep in mind

Matthew is writing this gospel in Judea

to the Jewish people Matthew's gospel is

the most Hebrew of any of the gospels

and if you believe St Jerome and St

Thomas then think the ma Gospel of St

Matthew was originally written in

Aramaic we don't have that copy anymore

what we have is the Greek but it's the

most Hebrew of the gospels and so

whenever Matthew is writing this gospel

he does

1444 what is he saying he's saying David

David David that's important the Jews

look back at David and they see the king

they see the Christ the anointed one of

God that's what they see in David so

whenever Matthew says David David David

14144 he's making an emphatic point

because in Hebrew they don't have good

better best they don't have the

superlative the way that we have it in

English what you would do if you wanted

to say that something was good is you

would repeat the word good twice so if

you wanted to say something was better

you would say it's good good and if you

wanted to say that something was the

best you would say it's good good good

that sounds a little absurd in English

but think about what we say in the mass

we don't say holiest we say holy holy

holy sonus Sanctus Sanctus the reason

that we have that threefold Holy there

is it's hearkening back to our Hebrew

Roots as Catholics our Jewish roots as

Catholics so whenever Matthew is writing

this he is saying David David David IST

he's making the point that this guy who

is born of the Blessed Virgin Mary who

is supposedly the son of Joseph this guy

is David David David he is the David IST

he is the Fulfillment of what David was

supposed to be so when you look at this

list of names the first thing you see is

a bunch of strange names you've never

heard of before but once you break it

down a little bit and dig into the text

you can see that Matthew's being

incredibly

intentional with the language that he's

using and Incredibly intentional with

the point that there is 14 14 14 David

David

David so whenever we're looking at

Joseph and at Joseph's genealogy there's

something interesting here that we need

to note and it's important to get this

right and to have a good understanding

of this because if you look at Matthew's

gospel it says that Jacob begot Joseph

so who is Joseph's father according to

Matthew's gospel it's Jacob there we go

but if we look at Luke's gospel in Luke

chapter 3 there is also a genealogy of

Christ and in that genealogy in Luke

3:23 it says say Jesus himself was

beginning about the age of 30 years

being as it was supposed the son of

Joseph who was the son of heli who was

of matat and so it goes on and lays out

Joseph's lineage in Luke 3 so we have

here in Matthew's gospel Joseph and

who's Joseph's father in Matthew's

gospel well the answer is that it is

Jacob and if you go into Luke's gospel 3

vers 23 it says that Joseph is the son

of heli so what the heck is going on

here the gospels are clearly

contradicting one another and they're

clearly wrong and so this disproves all

the claims of Christianity right wrong

there's something deeper going on here

when you dig into the text a little bit

more remember the Jews had a law and

according to that law if a man got

married and then died without producing

an offspring his brother would marry his

wife and bring up children in his name

so what happened

to Joseph's father is he married his

brother's wife so you can see here that

this is Matthew's gospel this is the

genealogy of Matthew's gospel and this

is the genealogy of Luke's gospel so

they're the same until you get to David

once you get to David things change so

you can see here is David and according

to Luke David's son is Nathan you can

see here's David and according to

Matthew David's son is Solomon so if you

look this chunk of the

lineage is completely different from one

side to the other why is that the case

it's because Joseph was adopted that's

the simplest way to put it why why does

it say that Joseph's father was Jacob in

Matthew's gospel and say that Joseph's

father was heli in Luke's gospel the

reason is because Joseph was adopted

Joseph's biological father was named

Jacob Joseph's adopted father was named

heli that's the explanation that St

Thomas gives is that St Joseph was

adopted St Joseph's legal father died

without producing children so his

biological father raised him in the name

of his deceased legal father so why did

the gospel say that Joseph has different

dads the reason is because Joseph was

adopted which a lot of people don't know

and I think that it's actually

incredible to think about Joseph and

Mary and the Saints having a family life

they had families they had people that

they looked up to they had family

traumas they had family problems if you

believe the mystics they actually think

that Joseph had a ton of family Strife

so to recap what we got so far we have

the generation of Jesus Christ this is

the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to

David down to Christ it's 14 14 14

because 14 is the number of David David

David David it's in the superlative

whenever you want to say something is

the superlative in Hebrew you say it

three times that's why we have the Holy

Holy Holy at

Mass okay that was a lot I hope you guys

are still bearing with me here here we

go and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of

Mary um of whom was born Jesus who is

called the Christ so all the generations

from Abraham to David are 14 generations

and from David to the transmigration of

Babylon are 14 generations and from the

transmigration of Babylon to Christ 14

Generations 14 14 14 it's very

repetitive now the generation of Christ

was in this wise when as his mother Mary

was espoused to Joseph before they came

together she was found with child of the

Holy Ghost whereupon Joseph her husband

being a just man and not willing to

publicly expose her was minded to put

her away privately okay what is going on

here there's something very difficult in

this text because according to the

Jewish law you're supposed to Stone an

adulterous and Joseph is a just man so

why would a just man not want Justice

served according to the law if he knows

that his wife is an adulteress well

there's three explanations to this

difficulty in the gospel why did Joseph

want to put his wife away quietly

instead of having her stoned according

to the law even though he was a just man

there's three explanations for why St

Joseph behaved the way that he did the

first explanation is that Joseph thought

that Mary had committed adultery Joseph

thought that Mary had been unfaithful

this this line of thinking this way of

thinking is held by St Augustine

personally I don't agree with this and

neither does St Thomas but St

Augustine's theory is that Joseph

thought that Mary was an

adulteress and so he wanted to put her

away privately and quietly because

Mary's sin was a private sin and not a

public sin and so as an act of Mercy he

wanted to put her away quietly secretly

because her sin was secret and so it

deserved a secret punishment that's

basically what Augustine thinks he

thinks that Joseph thought that Mary was

guilty of adultery if we move into the

second theory the second theory is the

bewilderment Theory this Theory

basically states that St Joseph knew

that Mary was incredibly holy and chaste

and that Mary would never never commit

adultery he knows that for a fact but he

also knows she's

pregnant according to this Theory Joseph

does not make any judgment a righteous

man a just man will not judge until he

has all the evidence and all the

circumstances weighed out this is why

Christ says judge not lest you be judged

you're not supposed to judge rashly or

hastily and so St Joseph sees Mary's

pregnant and St Joseph knows I didn't do

it and St Joseph knows that Mary is

incredibly pure and chased so Joseph

takes these pieces of information and he

can't reconcile them he can't so he's

essentially completely bewildered and

you can only imagine if this is the case

how incredibly

difficult those days must have been for

Joseph before Mary or excuse me before

the angel reveals that Mary is pregnant

of the Holy Spirit can you imagine how

difficult those days must have been

incredible and the third Theory and this

is the one St Thomas holds and this is

the one that I personally like the most

is called the reverence

Theory this theory states that St Joseph

knew that Mary was pregnant and knew the

prophecy of the Messiah being born of a

virgin he knows that he knows that his

wife is pregnant and a virgin and he

knows that the Messiah is going to be

born of a virgin because he's very well

acquainted with the scriptures and he

knows the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 7

so what does he do well your wife is

going to be the mother of the Messiah

and the mother of God and you're a

carpenter St Joseph looks at that

situation and realizes Lord I am not

worthy to be the spouse of the the

mother of God lord I am not worthy to be

the Foster father of the Son of God and

so St Joseph plans on putting his wife

away quietly because of his humility and

he sees his own defects and he sees his

own weakness and he thinks Lord there is

no way that I can accomplish this task

and that's why God has to send the angel

to reassure him and to say Joseph do not

be afraid to take Mary your wife into

your home so those are the three

theories the first is that Joseph

suspected Mary of adultery this is held

by St Augustine it's personally my least

favorite Theory the second theory is

complete bewilderment Joseph did not

know how to reconcile the pieces of

information that he was getting and the

third is reverence that St Joseph knew

exactly what was going on and did not

consider himself worthy to be the father

of Jesus Christ the Earthly father of

Jesus Christ so those are the three

theories as to why St Joseph behaved

Saed the way that he did so here we go

but while he s on these things behold

the angel of the Lord appeared to him in

his sleep saying Joseph son of David

fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife

for that which is conceived in her is of

the Holy Ghost and she shall bring forth

a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus

for he shall save his people from their

sins pause for a second

Joseph

Joseph

names

Jesus Joseph the carpenter the nobody

from

Bethlehem

names God this is incredible we read

this verse and we read it probably

quickly and we think oh I've heard this

a thousand times during Advent and

Christmas let's just go on to the good

stuff the stuff I don't remember the

stuff I haven't seen yet pause for a

second do you realize what just

happened do you realize what just

happened happened the angel comes to

Joseph and says Thou you shall call his

name Jesus what's going on here look

back at the Book of Genesis to name

something is a sign of having authority

over it this is why you name your

children and I can't name your children

this is why you name your children and

your children don't name you because you

have authority over your children and

the authority that you have you exercise

it by naming them in Genesis in the

beginning of Genesis we see that Adam

names all of the animals Adam does

showing that Adam has dominion and

authority over the animals then we see

Adam naming his wife he actually does it

twice Adam names woman generically when

he says at last this one is bone of my

bone and Flesh of My Flesh this one

shall be called woman so Adam is

exercising his authority over woman man

is showing his authority over Woman by

name her and then specifically he is the

one who names her Eve because she

becomes the mother of the living so to

name something is a sign of authority

over it and what's going on

here Joseph names Jesus Christ Joseph is

the one who gives Jesus the name above

all names Jesus on the eighth day at his

circumcision it is the singular

privilege of Joseph to bestow the name

above all names the Holy Name at which

every knee shall bend on Earth above the

Earth and below the Earth Jesus upon his

Earthly

son this is absolutely incredible what

does this mean well Jesus being a good

Jewish boy would have known The Ten

Commandments and he would have known the

fourth Commandment honor thy father and

mother Jesus Christ the son of God was

obedient to Joseph in all things Joseph

had the authority to command God this is

an incredible thing that no man sense

and no man ever will accomplish again

this is a singular privilege of Saint

Joseph which is why St Joseph Towers

over all of the other Saints in heaven

he has a singular Grace that second only

to the Blessed Virgin Mary so this may

strike you and this may come across as

me coming on a little too strong with my

theology maybe you don't think St Joseph

deserves this much honor and this much

praise maybe you think okay I'm

comfortable with saying those things

about Mary but stretching this to Joseph

that's a little too far Cameron let's

just take a break let's take a pause and

let's think about this okay remember God

gives people

offices and then gives them the grace to

fulfill that office office God never

puts somebody in a situation where

they're not able to win and to win big

so whenever God chose Joseph to be the

spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary he

chose him knowing the incredible

tremendous Graces that he was going to

give him so that he was a fit Foster

father of Jesus so that he was fit to

have this authority over Jesus God would

not have chosen Joseph if Joseph were

not able to handle the task God would

not have chosen him he would have chosen

somebody else or else made them fit for

the task so this is incredibly important

and it's incredibly important especially

for young men we need to have a Devotion

to Joseph we're living in a time where

there is an absolute crisis of

fatherhood absolute crisis so what do we

do we turn to the father we turn to

Joseph who is more in the image and

likeness of the father than any other

human being we see in heaven the Father

the Son the Holy Spirit the Holy Trinity

in heaven we see on Earth Christ Mary

and Jes Joseph we see Jesus Mary and

Joseph as an Earthly Trinity and in that

Earthly Trinity Joseph corresponds to

the father so how do we heal these

wounds that we have how do we overcome

this sort of gaping hole in our culture

right now where masculinity is

completely

completely lost it's just lost it's gone

nobody knows what it means to be a man

anymore this is how we fix it we turn to

Joseph and we have seen an incredible

incredible increase in Devotion to St

Joseph over the past 5 years ever since

Pope Francis in my opinion this is the

one of one of the best things he's done

with his pontificate it but the year of

St Joseph that Pope Francis declared

opened up the door and now I think we

are seeing more St Joseph devotion than

ever before and I think that God is

going to use St Joseph to restore

fatherhood to restore authentic

masculinity I think that's the way that

it's going to go so if anyone here does

not have a Devotion to St Joseph I would

encourage you find a simple prayer a

short prayer to St Joseph and memorize

it one of my personal favorites is the

Litany of St Joseph I memorized that a

few years ago and I've been praying it

daily ever since I highly highly

encourage you to do that that has been

one of the most powerful devotions that

I have found in my entire spiritual life

going on here to verse 24

now it says and Joseph rising from sleep

did as the angel of the Lord commanded

him and took unto him his wife and he

knew her not until she brought forth her

firstborn son and he called his name

Jesus notice he Joseph called his name

Jesus beautiful absolutely beautiful

this verse is very important for

apologetics Protestants will say this

look right here at the end of Matthew

chapter 1 and he knew or not until she

brought forth her firstborn son

therefore after she brought forth her

firstborn son

they had other children and Mary was not

perpetually a virgin blasphemy absolute

blasphemy absolute hogwash completely

false none of the church fathers thought

that none of them none of them first

linguistically I want to take a look at

this till she brought forth her

firstborn son in Latin in Greek and even

in English the word till or until does

not necessarily imply a change in state

after the appointed time let me give you

an example make this Crystal Clear could

not be clear if I am about to go on a

date with my wife and we're going to go

out to dinner and maybe watch a movie

and then come back about you know 10:30

11:00 and I go up to my 2-year-old

daughter and I say to her Seline listen

Daddy loves you be good until I get home

and then I go to the movies what do I

not mean by that what I do not mean is

Seline be good until I get home and then

stop being good and be a little monster

that that is not what I mean what I mean

is be good until I get home and then

continue to be good so the word UN in

English in Latin and in Greek does not

necessarily imply a change in state

after the appointed time so whenever

Matthew says he knew her not till she

brought forth her firstborn son what

he's emphasizing is that the birth of

Christ was not brought about by St

Joseph that's the point that he's trying

to make and he's not insinuating either

way as to if her virginity remained

intact afterwards but you can see from

the other gospels and from the church

fathers that Mary was perpetually a

virgin a couple apologetic notes if you

need them is Jesus would have broken the

Jewish law by giving his mother to St

John in John chapter 19 whenever Jesus

is hanging on the cross he sees the

disciple who he loves and he sees his

mother and he says 'woman behold your

son behold your mother and he thereby

gives his mother to St John if Jesus had

other brothers he would be breaking the

Jewish law and would be a bad Jew and he

wouldn't be fulfilling the law he would

be breaking the law there are several

other apologetic notes that you can see

about that but for this I really want to

focus Less on apologetics and more on

the theology the rich rich theology that

is in Matthew's gospel