Caesarius of Arles, on Gen 37:3

“Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.”

“When the Christian people devoutly come to church, of what benefit is it that they hear how the holy patriarchs took their wives or begot their children, unless they perceive in a spiritual sense why these things happened or what the facts prefigured? Behold, we have heard that blessed Jacob begot a son and called his name Joseph and that he loved him more than the rest of his sons. In this place blessed Jacob prefigured God the Father; holy Joseph typified our Lord and Savior. Therefore Jacob loved his son because God the Father loved his only-begotten Son, as he himself said, "This is my beloved Son."”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.