The Virgin Will Conceive And Bear A Son, And HE Will Be Called EMMANUEL

 "This is how JESUS CHRIST was born: Mary HIS mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy.  He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to disgrace her.

While he was pondering over this, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son.  You shall call HIM 'JESUS' for HE will save HIS people from their sins.'

All this happened in order to fulfill what the LORD had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and HE will be called EMMANUEL, which means: GOD-with-us.  When Joseph awoke, he did what the angel of the LORD had told him to do, and he took his wife to his home.  He did not have any marital relations with her.  When she gave birth to a son, Joseph gave HIM the name JESUS." - Matthew 1:18-25 

(The wording of verse 16 should be noted.  JESUS is not the son of Joseph.  The beginning of the paragraph intends to remind us that JESUS is both a legitimate son of David through Joseph and the Son of GOD conceived through the Holy Spirit by a virgin-mother.

These short and almost bashful sentences do not dare to unveil the mystery of Mary, the virgin through whom life on earth touches GOD and offers itself as an oblation.  A messenger breaks through the night and speaks with silent words: the world is open to the active presence of GOD.

Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy.  The Gospel is not precise as to his reasons for so doing.  In any case it is unthinkable that people might have doubted Mary's fidelity.

The intervention of the angel in the Gospel is not to reassure Joseph but to inform him of his role in the plan of GOD: You shall call HIM 'JESUS', and you will receive HIM as your "son."  Joseph was a "descendant of David" and JESUS adopted by Joseph would be a legitimate descendant of David.)

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