Eternally, Jesus is the Son of the Father. Luke’s Gospel brings out the Father’s
role even in the human conception of Jesus: “”The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
the power of the Most High shall overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). Matthew and Luke
emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in the conception of Jesus. The child is conceived
“by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:18, 20).
In his Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Thomas Aquinas seeks
reasons why the conception is attributed to the Holy Spirit, “…the Holy Spirit is love. But
this is the greatest sign of love, that God willed his Son to be incarnate: ‘God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son’ (Jn 3:16)” (Commentary on Matthew, 18).
Another reason for Thomas is that “Grace is attributed to the Holy Spirit: ‘There
are varieties of graces but the same Spirit” (1 Cor 12:4).’”
Thomas adds an additional reason from human experience. We have a “word of
our heart,” which is the interior thought in our mind. This word is hidden within us. When
the word is spoken, it becomes the word of the voice.
In a similar way, the eternal Word was hidden with the Father. But the Word
became incarnate and was manifested to us and was thus the word of the voice. But the
word of the heart is only joined to the voice by the breath. Thomas concludes: “…the
incarnation of the Word, through which He appeared visible to us was made through the
medium of the Holy Spirit” (Commentary on Matthew, 18).
Thomas believes that it is most appropriate that Jesus was born of a virgin.
“Christ was the principal teacher of chastity: ‘There are eunuchs who have made
themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven’ (Mt 19:12)” (Commentary
on Matthew, 18). In other words, Mary’s virginal conception is best understood in the
context of being consecrated to God in virginity and chastity as seen in Jesus’ example
and teaching.
Thomas is impressed with Joseph’s “wisdom and kindness.” Joseph was
disturbed by finding his engaged wife to be already pregnant. Nevertheless, he sought
to act in a right way, which Thomas sees as a sign of his wisdom: “Wisdom, indeed, in
the fact that he deliberated before he acted: ‘Take heed to the path of your feet’ (Pr
4:26), i.e., do nothing without the judgment and deliberation of reason.” Frequently, we
act in impulsive ways, even in delicate matters that affect other people.
Thomas is struck by Joseph’s kindness: “There was kindness in his not divulging
her deed: this is the opposite of many who want to make public at once whatever they
have in their heart: ‘A man without self-control in speaking is like a city broken into and
left without walls’ (Pr 25:28)” (Commentary on Matthew, 20).

Thomas reflects that, because of Joseph’s wisdom and kindness, God sent an
angel to instruct and console him, “as though God’s help was before his eyes.” God
sends others into our lives who instruct and console us (Commentary on Matthew, 20).
Thomas asks why God didn’t inform Joseph about the true meaning of the events
before he became disturbed. Thomas compares Joseph’s experience to that of the
apostle Thomas, after the Resurrection:
For just as the Lord permitted the apostle Thomas to doubt his resurrection, so
that while doubting he would feel [the wounds], and feeling he would believe, and
believing would remove the wound of unbelief in us, so the Lord permitted
Joseph to doubt Mary’s purity, so that while doubting, he would receive the
revelation from the angel and, after receiving it, believe more firmly (Commentary
on Matthew, 20).
At certain times, God has given us insights that throw light on the meaning of
events in our lives. He has uncovered for us our mistaken judgments and the difficulties
that have come as a result of some of our decisions. We might ask why God didn’t stop
us from these decisions or why He didn’t give us the insights we have come to after a
long time of confusion.
The insights that God gives us are always graces, which are gifts. We might not
have appreciated them until we lived with the consequences of our own choices. We
might not realize our own resistance to God’s graces all along. While we might wish that
the graces had come sooner, the fact that these graces have been given to us at all is a
wonderful gift. God’s interventions in our lives are tremendous gifts. We may treasure
these graces all the more because we know what it is like to live without them.
God’s words to the prophet Habakkuk may apply to such situations: “For the
vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait
for it, it will surely come, it will not be late” (Hab 2:3). God’s graces always come on
time.
Thomas points out that the angel addresses Joseph by name in order to have his
full attention:
He calls him and draws his attention, so that he will listen, and to recall him to
himself. This is common in Scripture, namely, that when an appearance which
concerns higher things is about to occur, it required in the hearer a certain
elevation and attention of the mind: “Son of man, stand upon your feet and I will
speak with you” (Ez 2:11)… (Commentary on Matthew, 20).
We are often distracted when we come to pray. We think of prayer as what we do
and forget that God wants to communicate with us, usually not in an overwhelming way
but, as Elijah experienced, through a “small whispering sound” (1 Kgs 19:12), that
requires our attention.

The angel tells Joseph not to fear. Thomas notes that every appearance of an
angel, good or bad, causes some fear because “it puts a man outside himself.” We are
frightened because we are not in control of the experience. The difference, Thomas
explains, is that an evil angel leaves us in terror and the initial fear from the appearance
of a good angel turns to consolation (Commentary on Matthew, 20).
There is the “fear of the Lord” that causes us to reverence God. Thomas grants
that even a “servile fear” of God can help us obey God but the better fear is the “filial
fear” by which mature children fear to offend the parents whom they love (2a2ae. 19, 2).
Thomas points out that the angel declares that the child will be named Jesus, “for
He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus saves the people from their sins since
they are “a people acquired by his blood… Hence, they are the people of God by faith:
‘You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a purchased people’ (1 Pt 2:9)…”
Thomas affirms that remitting sin is something “which God alone can do.” Jesus’
forgiveness of sin is an indication of His divine nature: “In order that you may know that
the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Lk 5:24). Thomas asserts: “Hence,
since God alone can forgive sins, it is necessary to say that this man is God, and that
the attributes of God belong to Him in the truest sense” (Commentary on Matthew, 21).
Through the sacraments, especially the sacrament of Penance, the forgiveness
of sin, has become a part of our lives. We may forget that no Old Testament prophet
ever spoke as though he had the power to forgive sins, a power only God has.
Contemporary Christologists often call attention to Jesus’ assertion that He has this
power.
Matthew makes reference to the prophecy of Isaiah that “a virgin shall conceive”
(Is 7:14). Thomas explains that Matthew is using this text, “to show that the Old
Testament is about Christ: ‘All the prophets bear witness to him, that those who believe
in him receive forgiveness of their sins’ (Acts 10:45).”
Thomas acknowledges that Isaiah’s prophecy had a meaning in its time
regarding King Ahaz’s situation. However, as Thomas notes, Isaiah addresses the
“house of David,” “as if the prophet were saying: ‘The Lord will help you against that
king, because he [the child to be born] will do much greater things, because he will be
the liberation not only of him [Ahaz] but of the whole world.”
Thomas understands Isaiah’s words that “a virgin shall… give birth to a son”
according to the Patristic belief that Mary would remain a virgin even in giving birth,
“because in bearing, her virginity was not impaired in any way” (Commentary on
Matthew, 23).
According to Thomas, Jesus is to be called “Emmanuel” (“God is with us”) for
four reasons:

 by assuming our nature: “The Word was made flesh” (Jn 1:14);
 by a conformity with our nature, because alike in all things: “Being born in

the likeness of man” (Phil 2:8);

 by His bodily presence: “After this He appeared on earth and lived among

men” (Bar 3:37);

 by His spiritual presence: “Behold I am with you all days, even to the
end of the world” (Mt 28:20) (Commentary on Matthew, 23).
Thomas comments on Joseph’s obedience to the angel: “Note that because we
lapsed into sin by the disobedience of the first man —‘By the disobedience of one man
many were made sinners’ (Rom 5:19)— obedience is proposed at the beginning of our
restoration” (Commentary on Matthew, 24).
Matthew says that Joseph “rose from sleep,” which Thomas thinks can be
understood as “from laziness and doubt.” The Letter to the Ephesians states: “”Awake,
O sleeper, and arise from the dead.” Joseph’s obedience was quick: “Do not delay from
day to day, do not put off being turned to the Lord…’ (Sir 5:8)… he did at once as the
angel commanded him” (Commentary on Matthew, 24).
Joseph did as he was instructed: “that not only what is commanded is done, but
the way in which it is commanded. Hence, it says here as he had commanded him.”
Joseph’s obedience was discerning: “… that it be discerning, so that one obeys
the person who should be obeyed and in matters in which he should be obeyed, in
order that nothing be done against God…. ‘Do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone forth into
the world’ (1 Jn 4:1)” (Commentary on Matthew, 24).
Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.
The quotations from St. Thomas Aquinas’ Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew
were done by R.F. Larcher, O.P.