“After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.” John 2:12
The day after the wedding, Jesus asked me to go with Him and His disciples to Capernaum. When His uncle Clopas and His aunt Salome found out that we were going to Capernaum, they decided that they would go with us too.
It was quite a caravan. Jesus, His six disciples and me. Clopas, Mary, their four sons, two daughters-in-law because James and Judas were already married, and their three grandchildren. Salome, Samuel and their two daughters. It took us four days to arrive to Capernaum.
When we reached the top of the mountain, we were surprised by the bright blue of the Sea of Galilee. It was so peaceful that it looked like a lake, yet it was so large that it was called a sea. It was about to become my Son’s World. Here, He would plant the seed for His mission, through His teachings and His miracles.
We arrived to Capernaum on the afternoon. On the seashore, the fishermen were picking up their nets and separating their silver catch. The larger ones would be sold at the market while the smaller ones would be distributed among them. This was a fishing town, and we went directly to John and James’ house.
We were welcomed by their mother. “Shalom! Welcome, welcome. You must be Mary, Jesus’ mother. Come in, come in. Make yourselves comfortable. Zebedee is probably picking up the nets and he will be home soon.” They were a very religious family who lived off the sea. They had various boats and various fishermen who worked for them.
We then went to Peter’s house, where we met his wife and mother-in-law. Soon, Andrew’s wife showed up. They were simple women who took care of their households with joy and responsibility. They all knew Jesus from His previous visits, so now all eyes were on me, the Rabbi’s mother. They were curious about who I was, and they were fascinated with Jesus, especially after they heard what happened in Cana.
Unfortunately, our own family was not that fascinated. They had mixed feelings. On one side, they loved Jesus. He was their nephew, their cousin, but the idea that He was the Messiah confused them. They were between a stone and a hard place. After all, we lived in Nazareth and not all our neighbors were accepting of Jesus. Some thought that He had lost His marbles. And there were also those that were a bit envious of the increasing attention that Jesus was drawing to Himself. This put our family in a difficult position. If they accepted Jesus, it could turn our neighbors against them. During our trip, there were comments packed with puns and sarcasm, to which I responded with my silence. Jesus was also aware, so He decided that it was best if we stayed in Capernaum just a couple of days.
On our last afternoon, Jesus found time to walk with me down to the seashore. He had been very busy preparing for His mission. He told me that the following day, He would begin teaching on the towns around the sea. “I must announce the Kingdom of God and the Good News to the poor,” He told me. “I will perform many miracles and cure a lot of sick people. They will now become my mother and my brothers and my sisters. Some will believe, while others will think I’m nuts. You must return to Nazareth, dear mother, blessed are thou amongst women.”
The sun had set and the wind had picked up. He hugged me, and in that hug, I experienced a torrent of memories of my Baby Boy, my Son, my Everything. It was time to say good-bye. Now the mother had to remain in the shadows. I knew that the angels would continue to protect me, while Simeon’s sword was being sharpened, getting ready to pierce my soul and my heart.
I wanted to say something, but the words evaded me. He told me to go back to the house, that He wanted to stay a little longer by the seashore to pray. As I walked back, holding back the tears, I knew that I would forever carry Him in my heart, snuggled up in my silence and my solitude. That’s how I have always carried Him, since the day that I felt Him wake up within me.
Reflection:
Mary has to let go of her Son as He enters His public ministry. Has God ever asked me to let go of someone who had a significant role in my life? How did I feel? What helped me to be able to do this freely?
Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:
1. The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Live of the Virgin Mother of God by Venerable Mary of
Agreda
2. The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet
4. My Soul Magnifies the Lord: A Scriptural Journey with Mary by Jeanne Kun
All Bible references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise specified.
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