Last night, I heard God’s voice in my dreams. He said to me: “My Dove, do not fear, for I will assist you and guide you, directing you in all things necessary for the service of my Only-Begotten Son. And do not worry about Joseph, when the time comes, he will believe you.”
With this promise, my first action was to prostrate myself on the earth and adore my holiest Son, God and Man, conceived in my virginal womb. Once I finished my morning prayers, I began my preparations for my journey to Ein Kerem to visit my cousin Elizabeth.
Ein Kerem is twenty-six leagues (1) distant from Nazareth, and the greater part of the way is very rough and broken, unfit for a young Virgin Maiden. It will take me at least four days to get there, therefore, my first responsibility was to convince my aunt and uncle to allow me to go by myself. Well, not precisely by myself. A woman is not allowed to travel alone. Even for a man, it would be quite dangerous. We travel in groups. But unless I could find a group from Nazareth planning a trip to Ein Kerem, which was unlikely, I would need to travel with complete strangers.
Late in the afternoon, I sat with my aunt and uncle. I told them that news had reached me that my cousin Elizabeth was expecting a child. They were surprised at the news because Elizabeth was already passed the child-bearing age. I told them that she was already in her sixth month, and being that she was older, I felt it was my duty to go and help her. “I will spend three to four months with her,” I said. “The next three months will be the most difficult, and I can help her with the household chores.”
My aunt and uncle looked at each other, and it was my aunt that spoke first: “Mary, you are always thinking of others before you think of yourself. You have always been a special girl with a very big and generous heart. But Mary, you are betrothed to Joseph. The wedding will take place in just a few short months. If you are gone for four months, this may cause a delay in the preparations. Joseph may not be happy with this news. Elizabeth has plenty of relatives that live nearby that can help her. Please, reconsider and don’t be too hasty with your decision.”
Before I responded to my aunt, I said a silent prayer to the Holy Spirit to put the proper words in my lips so I could convince them. “My dear aunt,” I replied, “I agree with you that Elizabeth has plenty of relatives that can help her, but they all have their responsibilities, and none are as close to her as I am since they are all on Zacharias’ side of the family. Elizabeth has always been like a sister to me, and I know that she will feel much more confident having me by her side. As far as my wedding, there is no reason to delay it. You and the other ladies of our town are doing such a great job with the preparations, that you don’t need me to be present. I trust your judgment completely, and I know that you will make all the right choices for the festivities. As for Joseph, I will speak to him, and I am certain that he will understand.”
Now, it was my uncle’s turn to speak. He said to me: “Mary, Mary. When my dear brother Joachim was on his death bed, I promised him that I would look after you and your mother. And when your mother Anna got sick two years ago, I made the same promise to her. A journey to Ein Kerem is very dangerous, and I would not be honoring the promise that I made to your parents if I were to allow you to go with complete strangers. Let me talk to our neighbors tomorrow, and if it just so happens that someone is going in that direction, I promise that I will allow you to go, but only, if Joseph agrees and does not get upset with your decision.”
I thanked my aunt and uncle for looking after me all these years, and I told them that I would speak to Joseph tomorrow.
I am now in my room. I just finished reading the Scriptures. After I was done, I prostrated myself on the floor, and I asked my Lord to allow my uncle to find an acquaintance that will accompany me to Ein Kerem. “Dear God, if you want me to take this time to be with Elizabeth, you need to pave the way for me. It’s in your hands, Lord. I place myself at your service.”
Tomorrow, I will speak to my dear Joseph, but I have a feeling that convincing him will be much easier than it was to convince my aunt and uncle.
Reflection:
Do I think of others first or do I place myself above others? How do I act when I know that someone could use my help? Do I act in haste or do I take time to ponder what is the proper way to help? Do I consult with others to make sure that my decision is the correct one? I must place myself at the service of others with kindness and humility, but first I must make sure that my decision will not hurt anyone else.
Copyright © 2019 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
1. A league is an ancient unit of measurement derived from the Celtics. One league was the distance that a person could walk in about one hour. A land league is approximately three miles.
Late in the afternoon, I sat with my aunt and uncle. I told them that news had reached me that my cousin Elizabeth was expecting a child. They were surprised at the news because Elizabeth was already passed the child-bearing age. I told them that she was already in her sixth month, and being that she was older, I felt it was my duty to go and help her. “I will spend three to four months with her,” I said. “The next three months will be the most difficult, and I can help her with the household chores.”
My aunt and uncle looked at each other, and it was my aunt that spoke first: “Mary, you are always thinking of others before you think of yourself. You have always been a special girl with a very big and generous heart. But Mary, you are betrothed to Joseph. The wedding will take place in just a few short months. If you are gone for four months, this may cause a delay in the preparations. Joseph may not be happy with this news. Elizabeth has plenty of relatives that live nearby that can help her. Please, reconsider and don’t be too hasty with your decision.”
Before I responded to my aunt, I said a silent prayer to the Holy Spirit to put the proper words in my lips so I could convince them. “My dear aunt,” I replied, “I agree with you that Elizabeth has plenty of relatives that can help her, but they all have their responsibilities, and none are as close to her as I am since they are all on Zacharias’ side of the family. Elizabeth has always been like a sister to me, and I know that she will feel much more confident having me by her side. As far as my wedding, there is no reason to delay it. You and the other ladies of our town are doing such a great job with the preparations, that you don’t need me to be present. I trust your judgment completely, and I know that you will make all the right choices for the festivities. As for Joseph, I will speak to him, and I am certain that he will understand.”
Now, it was my uncle’s turn to speak. He said to me: “Mary, Mary. When my dear brother Joachim was on his death bed, I promised him that I would look after you and your mother. And when your mother Anna got sick two years ago, I made the same promise to her. A journey to Ein Kerem is very dangerous, and I would not be honoring the promise that I made to your parents if I were to allow you to go with complete strangers. Let me talk to our neighbors tomorrow, and if it just so happens that someone is going in that direction, I promise that I will allow you to go, but only, if Joseph agrees and does not get upset with your decision.”
I thanked my aunt and uncle for looking after me all these years, and I told them that I would speak to Joseph tomorrow.
I am now in my room. I just finished reading the Scriptures. After I was done, I prostrated myself on the floor, and I asked my Lord to allow my uncle to find an acquaintance that will accompany me to Ein Kerem. “Dear God, if you want me to take this time to be with Elizabeth, you need to pave the way for me. It’s in your hands, Lord. I place myself at your service.”
Tomorrow, I will speak to my dear Joseph, but I have a feeling that convincing him will be much easier than it was to convince my aunt and uncle.
Reflection:
Do I think of others first or do I place myself above others? How do I act when I know that someone could use my help? Do I act in haste or do I take time to ponder what is the proper way to help? Do I consult with others to make sure that my decision is the correct one? I must place myself at the service of others with kindness and humility, but first I must make sure that my decision will not hurt anyone else.
Copyright © 2019 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
1. A league is an ancient unit of measurement derived from the Celtics. One league was the distance that a person could walk in about one hour. A land league is approximately three miles.
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