A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 4

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” Matthew 2:1-2

It turns out that the huge commotion we heard outside the cave last night, was not the shepherds like I expected. Joseph went to check what was happening, and he came back to say that there were three men who claimed to be Kings of the East. They were dressed with colorful clothing, and had come riding camels all the way from Persia to adore our Child.

I could not believe what I was hearing, but I didn’t have much time to think about it because the three Kings of the East entered the cave. I must confess that I was a bit scared so I grabbed the Baby and held Him in my arms.

At the sight of the Son of God, they prostrated themselves upon the earth, and in this position they worshiped and adored the Infant, acknowledging Him as the true God and man, and as the Saviour of the human race. Arising, they congratulated me, and they said that I was their Queen because I was the Mother of the Son of the eternal Father; and they approached to reverence me on their knees.

I told them that I did not deserve their reverence. I told them that the only King in that cave was my Baby Boy, the Son of God. Therefore, they prostrated themselves anew, this time in front of the Baby, in profound humility. “They fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (1) Gold because He is a King; frankincense, an allusion to His Divinity; and myrrh signifies that my Child has been born in order to die.

I once more realized that my Son does not belong to me, He belongs to the world. And not just to our people, the Israelites, since these Kings were not of Jewish descent. These Wise Men were the first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation.

After they worshipped my Infant Boy, they introduced themselves. The youngest is Caspar. He represents the dawn of innocence. Balthazar, with the maturity of middle age, represents the noontime of life. And the oldest, Melchior, represents the setting sun. They brought with them faith, hope and charity.

The Wise Men told us that they would stay in Bethlehem for a few days. By this time, they had attracted the attention of the shepherds and many others. They were led to town to find shelter, and once more, we were left alone to marvel at the strange company that our Baby Boy draws to Himself.

Reflection:

Adoring Jesus was the sole purpose of the Magi’s journey. What is my sole purpose during this Lent? Toward what goal in my life do I direct all my energy?

References:

1. Matthew 2:11

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.

A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 3

“And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.” Matthew 2:6

Writing on my journal has been very difficult inside the cave because of the lack of light. During the day, I have no time. My days are filled with taking care of Jesus. I don’t want to waste a single minute that He’s awake doing anything other than attend to Him. I spend at least thirty minutes feeding Him. He sleeps about two hours between feedings. But that time just slips away from me between keeping the cave clean, preparing our meager meals and talking to Joseph about our future.

The shepherds have found us a family that is willing to give us shelter until we are ready to return to Nazareth. Apparently, it’s a young couple who also has a newborn baby, about a week older than Jesus. Tomorrow, Joseph is going to go visit them. After he meets them, we will decide whether it’s a good idea to move in with them.

Joseph has been so accommodating with me. He knows how much I enjoy writing on my journal, therefore, he brought me some parchments and charcoal ink so I could continue writing our experiences.

Tonight, our cave is full of light. There is a bright star that has positioned itself directly above the cave, and its light filters in through the holes on the roof. I have never seen such a bright star before.

I hear a big commotion outside. It must be the shepherds that have come to visit us again. I guess my writing must wait until tomorrow.

Good night my sweet Child.

Reflection:

Imagine Mary’s interaction with the shepherds during her days in the cave where she gave birth to Baby Jesus. How do you think this event affected Mary?

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 2

“And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” Luke 2:21

All the shepherds that came to meet our Baby asked us “what is His name?” In our Jewish tradition, the name is more than a name. The name is the person. We have learned, from generation to generation, that every child that comes into the world is not just a child. Every child inherits the promises given by God to our Father Abraham. And that is why, the name given to each child is very important because it carries all the traditions of his ancestors.

The name of our Child had been given to me by the angel before He was even conceived in my womb. His name is Jesus, or Yeshua, which means to deliver or to rescue. That name has accompanied me from the very moment that my life was forever altered. It had also been revealed to Joseph when the angel appeared to him in his dream and told him: “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (1)

The circumcision ceremony was simple, just as I had anticipated. I could see on the priest’s face that the rudeness of our dwelling astonished and somewhat disconcerted him, but I welcomed him with grace and humility, and soon, he did not pay attention to his surroundings. He was also surprised when Joseph told him that I wanted to save the Baby’s blood on a white linen cloth, but of course, the priest did not know that this was God’s sacred blood. 

I held my Baby Boy in my arms while the priest performed the rite. I could not hold back the pain when my Son’s blood was spilled for the first time. True to His human nature, my divine Infant shed tears as any other child, and I felt the pain in my heart as if the knife had cut me instead of Him. But I kept repeating His name within me, sure that He had a great mission to accomplish and many would repeat His name for generations to come: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

In the meantime, the priest asked us what name we wished to give to our Child in Circumcision; by divine interference, both Joseph and I answered at the same time: “JESUS is His name.” The priest replied: “The parents are unanimously agreed, and great is the Name which they give to the Child”; and thereupon he inscribed it in the tablet or register of names of the rest of the children.

It did not matter to us that we did not have a big celebration. But just like every previous day, a group of shepherds appeared in the cave, just as the priest was cleansing his hands after the ceremony. Joseph had gotten some wine for the occasion. We shared it with the shepherds. They were so simple and clumsy, that one of them spilled all the wine over his beard. “This is a sign of joy,” Joseph said while laughing hysterically. “This Baby Boy is always going to be associated with wine.”

We also had another group of guests during the ceremony, but it seemed that only I could see them. The cave filled up with angels when the priest began to perform the circumcision. They had palms in their hands and crowns upon their heads and emitted a greater splendor than many suns. The holy angels divided into two choirs in the cave, keeping their gaze fixed upon the King and Lord being held in my arms. I distinguished the angel Gabriel amongst them. He held in his hands the most holy name of JESUS, written in large letters on something like a card of incomparable beauty and splendor.

The angel Gabriel approached me, as I held my Baby Son, and he said these words to me: “Lady, this is the name of your Son, which was written in the mind of God from all eternity as the signal of salvation for the whole human race; establishing Him at the same time on the throne of David. He shall reign upon it, chastise His enemies and triumph over them, making them His footstool and passing judgment upon them; He shall raise His friends to the glory of His right hand. But all this is to happen at the cost of suffering and blood; and even now He is to shed it in receiving this name, since it is that of the Saviour and Redeemer; it shall be the beginning of His sufferings in obedience to the Will of His eternal Father. We all are come as ministering spirits of the Most High. We are to accompany Him and minister to Him until He shall ascend triumphantly to the celestial Jerusalem and open the portals of Heaven.” I listened to his words filled with heavenly joy and admiration, and I pondered them in silence within my heart. 

It is now evening, and my Baby Boy is sweetly sleeping on the manger. I applied to the wound caused by the knife an ointment that Joseph was able to obtain from a mother whose child was circumcised a week ago. The ointment seemed to alleviate the pain. 

I now rest next to Joseph, while tears of joy run down my face as I recall all the joyful moments of this day.

Reflection:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Repeating her Son’s name, brought comfort to Mary’s heart when she felt pain. What do I do when I feel pain within my heart? Do I call out to Jesus or do I try to find comfort in the world?

References:

1. Matthew 1:21

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.

A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 1

“Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

It’s been a week since my Baby Boy was born. I keep all the memories of this first week like treasures within my heart. Every single day, shepherds come into the stable to adore my Child. I ponder all this within my soul. But my most fondest memories are all the kisses and hugs that I give Him constantly. I cannot stop myself. I am so in love with Him.

We have hardly slept since He was born. Even though He’s a really good Baby, He still cries like any other infant, and He wakes up every four hours to be fed. When He grabs my breast, I feel as if He is grabbing the entire earth with His tiny hands. Even though He cannot speak, I feel as if He communicates with me with His eyes. And I feel such joy when I am breastfeeding Him. I tell Him secrets that only He can hear, even if He cannot yet understand me.

I have never felt such peace like the peace I felt on the night that He was born when it was just the three of us. The invisible had become visible. I did not have to believe in what I had not seen, all I had to do was look into His tiny face to believe. Nobody would have found out about His birth but the angels wanted the whole world to know. The shepherds have made sure to spread the news.

In the midst of all the joy, I also began to ponder upon the labors and sufferings in store for my sweet Son. I read the Scriptures profoundly while I was expecting Him, trying to understand all the mysteries contained therein. And I began to foresee and prepare with incomparable compassion for all that He is to suffer for the Redemption of Man.

Even Joseph is worried about the future. “Mary, we have to return to Nazareth as soon as possible,” he tells me. “As soon as the Baby is a little stronger, we will go.” I try to calm him down with soothing words: “Don’t worry, Joseph, have faith. It will all be well.”

The first pain that I know my Baby will need to undergo is the pain of circumcision. My maternal love and compassion longs to exempt my sweet Child, if possible, from this suffering. I know that circumcision is a rite instituted for cleansing the newborn children from original sin, whereas my divine Infant is entirely free from this guilt, not having contracted it in Adam. And yet, I know that my Son is also human and therefore, we have to abide by the customs of our Jewish traditions.

Tomorrow is the eighth day, so I told Joseph that the time appointed by law for the circumcision of our Child has arrived. According to our Jewish laws, the circumcision must take place no later than the eighth day. It can be performed by the father, but most of the time, it is performed by a priest. I want to follow the law, just like my parents taught me, and keep up with the traditions of our ancestors.

My dearest Joseph answered with the greatest modesty and discretion. He wished in all things to conform himself to the divine Will manifested in the common law; that, although as God the incarnate Word was not subject to the law, yet He was now clothed with our humanity, and, as a most perfect Teacher and Savior, no doubt wished to conform with other men in its fulfillment. Then he asked me how I wanted the circumcision to take place.

I told him that the circumcision should be performed in the same way as it is performed on other children, but that I will be the one to hold our Baby in my arms. I also asked Joseph to procure a glass vessel for preserving the sacred relic of the circumcision of our divine Child. In the meantime, I prepared some linen cloth to catch the sacred blood, which was now for the first time to be shed for our rescue, so that not one drop of it might be lost or fall upon the ground.

I then asked Joseph to inform the priest and request him to come to the cave to perform the rite of the circumcision. Joseph did, and it will take place tomorrow.

Normally, the circumcision is followed by a big feast. But we are in Bethlehem, living in a cave, and we practically don’t know anyone here. Therefore, there will be no celebration. It will just be a quiet ceremony with just us as witnesses. But I do not care, because I am enjoying this quiet and peaceful time with my Son, which I know won’t last forever. I treasure every moment, pondering all these memories in my heart.

Reflection:

What have I done since Christmas to get closer to Jesus? Lent begins today. Jesus is giving me another opportunity to get to know Him better. I can spend the next 40 days doing the same pointless things that I do every day, or I can look within my heart and get to know Him intimately, the way that Mary knew Him. It is my choice. What route will I choose?

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.

A Lenten Journey with Mary, from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.

“His mother treasured all these things in her heart.“ Luke 2:51

During Advent, we took a journey with Mary. Our journey began in Nazareth, when the angel appeared to Mary, and announced that she would be the mother of the Son of God. We then walked with her to Ein Karem to visit her cousin Elizabeth. We were with her when Joseph learned that she was with child. We were guests at their wedding. And our journey finished in Bethlehem where we witnessed the Nativity.

Many of you told me that you wished that the journey had continued beyond Bethlehem. You wanted to be with Mary when the Magi arrived at the stable. You wished you had been with Mary when she presented the infant Jesus to God in the Temple. You wanted to know how she felt when she was not able to return to Nazareth and instead had to flight into Egypt. I have good news for you. We will continue our journey with Mary during Lent. This Lent, you are invited to take a peek at the second part of Mary’s Journal: A Lenten Journey with Mary, from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. 

I must be honest that when God entrusted me with this mission, I resisted. “I did this during Advent because I had all the time in the world,” I told Him. “You know how hectic life is for me during Lent. I’m at the peak of tax season, and I barely have time to breathe.” But after I finished writing chapter 21 of “the project”, I felt like a hypocrite turning my back on God’s call. If He is calling me, in the midst of my busy life, to look beyond my busy-ness and finish Mama Mary’s journal, who am I to say “NO?” I know that He will open the time for me to do so, even if He has to wake me up at three in the morning.

This journal will cover the 33 years of Jesus’ life. I do not know at this point if I will share every single day during the 40-day Lenten Journey. All I can promise is to pick certain important events of Jesus’ life, and share those pages from Mary’s journal. It may be 25 pages or it may be 40 pages. I will place myself in God’s hands and allow the Holy Spirit to lead the way.

If you signed up to receive the meditations by email during Advent, you do not need to sign up again. But if you didn’t, and you would like to receive the meditations by email, sign up directly on the blog’s web version (it doesn’t work on the phone view). Input your email address where it says “Receive New Posts by Email.” This will then take you to a form where you have to mark that you are not a robot, and hit “complete subscription request.” You will then receive an email from “Feedburner Email Subscriptions.” If you don’t receive it, look in your junk folder. You must follow the link in order to activate the email subscription. Once you see the message: “Email Subscription Confirmed,” you are signed up and you should start receiving the meditations on Ash Wednesday, February 26th. The meditations may not be daily like they were during Advent, but hopefully you should receive one every two or three days.

I wish it to be understood, that all I will write on this journey is a product of my imagination, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and with the help of the references that I mention below. My words are limited and my mind is too small to be able to fully comprehend what Mary experienced from the Birth of Jesus until His Death and Resurrection. I place myself in God’s hands and I will let Him reveal some of Mary’s experiences to us.

References for this Journey:

1. New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2. 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
3. The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen
4. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet 
5. My Soul Magnifies the Lord: A Scriptural Journey with Mary by Jeanne Kun