“The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40
It did not take us long to settle into our old routine once we returned to Nazareth. Joseph found work in Sepphoris which was being rebuilt after Herod’s men destroyed it. I continued with my sewing and my knitting, and soon, I was teaching my sister-in-laws and my neighbors how to create beautiful tapestries.
Every morning, I would bake the bread in the tannur, just like I used to do before Jesus was born. Then I would clean the house, wash the clothing, and prepare the food. The afternoons, I dedicated them to sewing or to teach Jesus how to read or to just simply spend time with Him.
Mary and Salome always brought their children when they came over. Jesus had become good friends with all his cousins. He loved playing with them. Salome, direct as always, asked me if Joseph and I were planning to have more children. I answered her that it was in God’s hands. Of course, I knew that would not be possible since Joseph and I had both taken a vow of chastity, but I could not reveal this to them.
Joseph normally arrived at the seventh hour, and we would recline ourselves at the table to eat. Our food usually consisted of the bread that I had baked in the morning, figs, dry fruits and olives. We only ate meat and drank wine on festive occasions.
Joseph always blessed the food and gave thanks to God before our meal. That always impressed Jesus, and one day, he asked Joseph if He could do the blessing. Joseph said yes, and Jesus said a beautiful prayer. After the blessing, Joseph would always break the bread in three pieces, and we would divide all the rest of the food among us. And while we ate, we shared stories about our day.
Whenever Joseph had small jobs to do in our town, he would take Jesus with him. He was starting to teach Him the carpentry trade. On one afternoon that Joseph went to Sepphoris, I took Jesus with me to pick up some wheat from the fields. I was explaining to Him that the grain that I use to make the bread every morning came from the wheat. In some places, there was some tares growing together with the wheat. He asked me about them and I told Him that even though they looked alike, we could not eat the tares because the grain that came from the tares was poisonous.
“And how come they don’t cut it off?” Jesus asked me.
“If they were to cut it off,” I replied, “they could make a mistake and uproot some of the wheat as well. It’s better to wait until the harvest when it’s easier to distinguish them. At that point, the reapers will gather the tares in bundles, and burn them.”
Jesus remained quiet for a moment looking at the wheat. Then he said: “I want to be a wheat, mother. I do not want to be a tares.”
Sometimes he said things that took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I just hugged him and kissed him. Yes, my boy was going to be a very good wheat, and he would spread good grain wherever He went.
At night, I sat in Jesus’ bed to read Him the scriptures. He loved to listen to them as He felt asleep. I kissed Him good-night: “Sleep well wheat of my soul.”
“Good night Mother.” And just like that, He was sound asleep.
How peaceful my Boy looks when He sleeps. If only I could stop time and keep Him like this forever. But I know that the selfish part of me is the one who wishes this. He doesn’t belong to me, and I have a job to educate Him and prepare Him for His future mission. But for now, I can cherish this peaceful and quiet time.
Reflection:
Whenever things are going well in my life, I wish for time to stop. But I cannot stop the river of life from continuing its course. How can I find happiness even when things are not going well in my life?
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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