Welcome back to the Jesse Tree on the Catholic Sprouts podcast.

Today is Monday of the third week of Advent.

At the time of Jesus, a Jewish boy's relationship with his father was critical.

From his father, a boy learned not only his profession, but also how to read and write, and most importantly, how to know and worship God.

Therefore, God selected a very special man to be Jesus' earthly father.

We know him as St. Joseph.

Remarkably, the Gospels don't record a single word spoken by St. Joseph, and yet we see through

his decisive, faith-filled actions that he was very close to God and righteous in all that he did.

Listen now to the story of God preparing St. Joseph to become the earthly father of Jesus Christ,

found in the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 1, 18 through 25.

Now the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, took place in this way, when his mother his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, an unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of a Lord

appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your

wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name

him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet.

Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means God is with us.

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took

her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had born a son, and he named him Jesus.

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