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.