Our Holy Father John,

Archbishop of Constantinople,

Chrysostom

Discourse on the Holy Gospel of Matthew

The Nativity of Jesus Christ was like this.

Tell me, what kind of birth are you talking about? You have already spoken about ancestors. I wish, says the Evangelist, to speak also about the manner of birth. Do you see how he aroused the attention of the listener? Since he intended to narrate about the wondrous mystery of being born of a virgin, he first depicted the genealogy and, wishing to cover this mystery, mentioned Mary's husband, Joseph. Now it tells about the birth itself.

After the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph.

He did not say "to the Virgin," but simply, "To the Mother," so that his speech would be clearer. But having first brought the listener to expect to hear something ordinary, and having kept him in this expectation, he suddenly amazes him, depicting the extraordinary.

Before they were united, it turned out that She was with child of the Holy Spirit.

He did not say, "Before she was brought into the house of the bridegroom," for she was already living in his house, since the ancients were in the habit of guarding the betrothed in their own house, of which even now we can still see examples. In the same way, Lotov's sons-in-law, after their betrothal, lived with him in his house. So Mary lived in the same house with Joseph.

Question: Why did She not conceive in the womb before the betrothal?

Answer: It is not in vain that I have said that these reflections are by nature very profound. We have already said why the Evangelist describes the genealogy of Joseph, who did not participate in the birth of Jesus Christ in the least. Now it is necessary to reveal another mystery, which is more mysterious and intimate than the first.

Question: What is this secret?

Answer: (God) did not want the Jews to know at the very birth that Christ was born of a Virgin, and that the Virgin suffered from them. However, do not be dismayed, if what I have said is strange to you, I am not speaking here my own words, but the words of our fathers, wondrous and famous men. If Christ initially concealed many things, calling Himself the Son of man, if He did not everywhere clearly reveal to us His equality with the Father, then why should we be surprised if He covered even this, arranging a wondrous and great mystery?

Question: What is wondrous here, you will say?