“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.” Luke 22:1
“Mother! Mother” I heard Sarah calling me from outside, “are you ready?”
I couldn’t believe that it had been three years already since she got married in Cana. Her father, Jacob, passed away a few months ago. Sarah, her husband Luke and their two-year-old son, Elias, moved from Cana into Jacob’s house. Sarah’s brother was living with his wife and family in Jerusalem, and he didn’t want to return to Nazareth. Therefore, Sarah inherited the house.
Sarah came to pick me up because today we leave to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. I’m very excited because I will get to see Jesus. It’s been a year since I last saw him, also in Jerusalem for the same celebration.
I grabbed the basket that I prepared for the trip with bread, olives, cheese, figs, almonds and raisins. I’m also taking a shawl because at night, the temperatures drop and it can get very cold.
I walked outside and Sarah hugged me. She is truly like a daughter to me, and she considers me the Mother that she lost when she was just a little girl. Ever since she moved to Nazareth, my life has taken a turn for the better. She brings joy to my lonely days. And little Elias is like a little ball of energy. I take care of him when Sarah has errands to run or she when she helps her husband out in the fields. Sarah is leaving Elias with some friends because he is still too little to go to Jerusalem with us.
We walked down the hill together, and met the rest of the caravan that is heading towards Jerusalem. It’s a large group of men, women and children. It reminded me of another Passover, when Jesus was twelve-years-old and we took Him with us for the first time. Twenty years have passed since that trip. But to me, it seems like it was only yesterday.
We begin our trip praying and singing with joy. Luke brought two donkeys, one for Sarah and one for me. Salome, Samuel, and their daughters are also part of the caravan. One of the daughters has already gotten married and she is expecting her first baby. Mary, Clopas, two of their four sons with their wives and children are also part of our group. Their other two sons are part of Jesus’ disciples, and will meet us in Jerusalem.
I couldn’t wait to see my Son. I know that I have to share Him with the whole world. Everyone in Israel knows who Jesus is. He is the Messiah, the Christ, but to me, He is my Son. Even if all I get is a glimpse of Him, it will be enough. I know that when a child becomes a man, a Mother has to let Him go. It may be because He gets married or because He has a mission to accomplish. Jesus is not married, but He is carrying a huge mission on His shoulders. He has to fulfill His Father’s will. I knew it since the angel appeared to me. Jesus has also told me many times, since His first trip to Jerusalem when He stayed behind in the Temple. But I’m just a woman, not a goddess. Many people think that I am strong, but I am not. I am fragile, always waiting to hear some news of my Son, and trying to decipher the mystery that has always surrounded Him.
We have stopped for the night, and it’s best if I rest and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long journey, and I’m not as strong as I once was. I say my nightly prayers, and I ask the Father to protect us on our pilgrimage. “Protect our Son, too, dear Father. And give me the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Him.”
Reflection:
Mary missed her Son, but she knew that He had a mission to accomplish and she could not stand in His way. When those I love have a mission that they need to complete, am I an obstacle that stands in their way, or do I step aside? Do I trust that the Lord has a plan for everyone and that I need to be an instrument not a stumbling block?
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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