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From: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

The Ancestry of Jesus Christ (Continuation)

[16] And Jacob, (was) the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of
whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

The Virginal Conception of Jesus, and His Birth

[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His
mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together
she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; [19] and her
husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame,
resolved to send her away quietly. [20] But as he considered this,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
"Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; [21] she will bear a
son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people
from their sins." [24] When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the
angel of the Lord commanded him.

Commentary:

16. Jewish genealogies followed the male line. Joseph, being Mary's
husband, was the legal father of Jesus. The legal father is on a par
with the real father as regards rights and duties. This fact provides
a sound basis for recognizing St. Joseph as Patron of the whole Church,
since he was chosen to play a very special role in God's plan for our
salvation; with Joseph as his legal father, Jesus the Messiah has David
as his successor.

Since it was quite usual for people to marry within their clan, it can
be concluded that Mary belonged to the house of David. Several early
Fathers of the Church testify to this--for example, St. Ignatius of
Antioch, St. Irenaeus, St. Justin and Tertullian, who base their
testimony on an unbroken oral tradition.

It should also be pointed out that when St. Matthew comes to speak of
the birth of Jesus, he uses an expression which is completely different
from that used for the other people in the genealogy. With these words
the text positively teaches that Mary conceived Jesus while still a
virgin, without the intervention of man.

18. St. Matthew relates here how Christ was conceived (cf. Luke
1:25-38): "We truly honor and venerate (Mary) as Mother of God, because
she gave birth to a person who is at the same time both God and man"
("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 4, 7).

According to the provisions of the Law of Moses, engagement took place
about one year before marriage and enjoyed almost the same legal
validity. The marriage proper consisted, among other ceremonies, in
the bride being brought solemnly and joyously to her husband's house
(cf. Deuteronomy 20:7).

From the moment of engagement onwards, a certificate of divorce was
needed in the event of a break in the relationship between the couple.

The entire account of Jesus' birth teaches, through the different
fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 (which is expressly quoted in
verses 22-23) that: 1) Jesus has David as His ancestor since Joseph is
His legal father; 2) Mary is the Virgin who gives birth according to
the prophecy; 3) the Child's conception without the intervention of man
was miraculous.

19. "St. Joseph was an ordinary sort of man on whom God relied to do
great things. He did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do, in each
and every event that went to make up his life. That is why Scripture
praises Joseph as `a just man'. In Hebrew a just man means a good and
faithful servant of God, someone who fulfills the divine will (cf.
Genesis 7:1; 18:23-32; Ezekiel 18:5ff.; Proverbs 12:10), or who is
honorable and charitable toward his neighbor (cf. Tobias 7:6; 9:6). So
a just man is someone who loves God and proves his love by keeping
God's commandments and directing his whole life towards the service of
his brothers, his fellow men" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 40).

Joseph considered his spouse to be holy despite the signs that she was
going to have a child. He was therefore faced with a situation he
could not explain. Precisely because he was trying to do God's will,
he felt obliged to put her away; but to shield her from public shame he
decided to send her away quietly.

Mary's silence is admirable. Her perfect surrender to God even leads
her to the extreme of not defending her honor or innocence. She
prefers to suffer suspicion and shame rather than reveal the work of
grace in her. Faced with a fact which was inexplicable in human terms
she abandons herself confidently to the love and providence of God.
God certainly submitted the holy souls of Joseph and Mary to a severe
trial. We ought not to be surprised if we also undergo difficult
trials in the course of our lives. We ought to trust in God during
them, and remain faithful to Him, following the example they gave us.

20. God gives His light to those who act in an upright way and who
trust in His power and wisdom when faced with situations which exceed
human understanding. By calling him the son of David, the angel
reminds Joseph that he is the providential link which joins Jesus with
the family of David, according to Nathan's messianic prophecy (cf. 2
Samuel 7:12). As St. John Chrysostom says: "At the very start he
straightaway reminds him of David, of whom the Christ was to spring,
and he does not wish him to be worried from the moment he reminds him,
through naming his most illustrious ancestor, of the promise made to
all his lineage" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 4).

"The same Jesus Christ, our only Lord, the Son of God, when He assumed
human flesh for us in the womb of the Virgin, was not conceived like
other men, from the seed of man, but in a manner transcending the order
of nature, that is, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the same
person, remaining God as He was from eternity, became man, which He was
not before" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 4, 1).

21. According to the Hebrew root, the name Jesus means "savior". After
our Lady, St. Joseph is the first person to be told by God that
salvation has begun.

"Jesus is the proper name of the God-man and signifies `Savior'--a name
given Him not accidentally, or by the judgment or will of man, but by
the counsel and command of God" [...]. All other names which prophecy
gave to the Son of God--Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace (cf. Isaiah 9:6)--are comprised in this one
name Jesus; for while they partially signified the salvation which He
was to bestow on us, this name included the force and meaning of all
human salvation" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 3, 5 and 6).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22

The Example of Abraham (Continuation)

[13] The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should
inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the
righteousness of faith.

[16] That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may
rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the
adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham,
for he is the father of us all, [17] as it is written, "I have made you
the father of many nations"--in the presence of the God in whom he
believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the
things that do not exist. [18] In hope he believed against hope, that
he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So
shall your descendants be." [22] (But) the words, "it was reckoned to
him," were written not for his sake alone.

Commentary:

13-14. God made this promise to Abraham about his having countless
descendants (cf. Genesis 15:5-6) centuries before the Mosaic Law was
given to the people of Israel through Moses. Therefore, the promise
made to Abraham was not linked to the Law but rather to the Patriarch's
faith. That is why the heirs of the promise are those who follow the
faith of Abraham.