“After being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’.” Matthew 2:22-23
As soon as we entered the town of Nazareth, we were recognized by our old neighbors and friends. Everyone wanted to know why it had taken us so long to return. Soon, word reached Clopas, Joseph’s brother, and Mary, his wife. They came running to welcome us back.
“Blessed be the Lord that you are back. How was the trip? We received news of you from caravans that came through our region. We were very scared when we heard of Herod’s slaughter of the babies. There were rumors that he did it because the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem and he wanted to get rid of Him. Imagine that. The Messiah... in Bethlehem of all places. Thank God you left to Egypt when you did, otherwise baby Jesus... I can’t even imagine it.” My sister-in-law, Mary, could not stop talking. She had a tendency to do that when she was nervous. Then she saw Jesus who had been hiding behind me. “You must be Jesus. Oh, but how big and good looking you are. Come with me. You have to meet your cousins: James, Judas, Joseph and Simon.”
“Joseph and Simon?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she answered. “Of course, you don’t know them. They were born during your absence. They are six and five years old.”
Joseph asked them about our home. “Everything is just like you left it, Joseph, don’t worry about it. We have taken care of your gardens, and since Mary’s aunt and uncle passed away, we go once a week to clean it.”
I had received news about my aunt and uncle’s passing while we lived in Egypt. I was sad that I had not been able to be by their side to bid them good-bye and to give them a proper burial. Now, the only family I had was Joseph and Jesus. And of course, Joseph’s extended family was mine too, but it was not the same because they were not blood relatives.
Mary and Clopas accompanied us to our house, and on our way there, we stopped by their house to pick up their boys. The older two barely remembered us, and the younger two obviously didn’t know us. But soon, they were all playing with Jesus.
When we reached the house of my childhood, I felt a knot on my throat. I saw my mother’s smile as she waited for me at the door. I heard my father’s voice calling out to me. I remembered the day I was visited by an angel when he announced to me that I was going to be the mother of the Son of God. His words were engraved in my heart: “Do not be afraid, Mary.” I had repeated them to myself so many times during the past seven years. But now we were back, and I felt such peace.
We opened the door, and we entered. And Mary was right. Everything was just like we had left it, except for the peculiar smell of a house that has been empty for far too long. Jesus’ first crib was there as a reminder of our hurried departure to Bethlehem before He was born. He never even got to sleep on this crib. And my mother’s chest with all the blankets and clothing that I had prepared for Jesus’ birth. It saddened me that He never got to use any of it. The chair where I spent so many hours praying and meditating by the window was there too. It’s like time had not moved within these walls, and everything was just waiting for our return.
We sat with Mary and Clopas outside, and they brought us up to date on all the town gossip. Salome, Joseph’s younger sister and my dear friend, had married Samuel, the son of Ananias, the potter, and they had two little girls. Mary mentioned the names of everyone that had died, updated us on who had gotten married, and told us about all the new children that had been born during our absence.
When they finally left, Jesus had already fallen asleep, exhausted from playing with his cousins. Joseph and I stayed a few more minutes, watching the sun set behind the mountains. We held hands as both of us remembered the day that he came to this very place and made me his bride. It seemed like centuries had passed, even though it was just eight years ago.
At night, before going to bed, I praised the Lord for all the blessings that He had bestowed upon us.
Reflection:
Mary lived her life as normal as possible without bragging to anyone that she was the mother of the Son of God. But she always remember to praise the Lord for all His blessings. How do I praise God for His actions 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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