A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 40

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen.” Luke 24:1-6

I woke up early on the first day of the week to go visit the tomb. John was up already, and he told me that he was going to go to Peter’s house, and he would meet me at the tomb. When I was getting ready to go, I heard steps outside. I opened the door, and I almost fainted. Jesus was standing in front of me.

I thought I was imagining it, but He held me. “Mother,” he said. “I am here. I am Risen!!!”

“Son, you are here!!! You are Risen indeed!!! I touched His face and His hands, which still had the holes from the nails. I couldn’t stop hugging Him. He was alive. He had resurrected.

I took Him inside and we sat down in the kitchen.

“Jesus,” I told Him. “You are alive. The past two days have been the most painful of my life. I never expected to see You again on this earth. I could not understand why You had to endure such horrific death, why You had to endure so much pain. Why?”

“Mother,” He said. “This was my mission all alone. I had to die in order to save humanity. I carried all their sins to the cross with me. By my blood, they have been redeemed.”

My heart felt like it was going to burst from all the joy and gratitude that I was carrying inside. My Son was alive. All the pain of the crucifixion was now erased in the ecstasy of the Resurrection.

He stayed with me for about an hour. Then, He said that He had to return to the tomb because the women were looking for Him.

“I’ll go with You,” I told Him.

We almost ran back to the tomb. When we got there, I saw Martha, Mary, Salome, Mary of Clopas, Sarah, and a few other women that were always following Jesus talking to two angels. The stone was rolled away from the tomb, and they looked perplexed. 

Jesus approached them, and I stayed behind. At first, they did not recognize Him. But then, Jesus said: “Mary,” and their faces were transformed when they realized it was Him. They all felt down at His feet, and I heard Mary call out to Him: “Teacher, You are alive. You are Risen.”

Then Sarah saw me, and she screamed: “Mother, He is alive. He is Risen!!!”

I ran to them, and we all hugged. 

While we were hugging, Peter and John arrived. They could not believe their eyes. Why were we hugging and laughing and dancing? Then Jesus turned around, and they recognized Him.

Peter ran to Him: “Master,” and he felt at His feet. “I don’t deserve to be your disciple. I denied You.”

“I know, Peter, the body is weak. But I forgive You,” said Jesus. “You will have the mission to build my new church.”

He then turned to John and He hugged him. John was crying like a little boy.

We all went back together to John’s house. Pretty soon, the news that Jesus had resurrected spread throughout Jerusalem like wildfire. People came over to John’s house to see for themselves. Some of His disciples stopped by. Some had left Jerusalem and were not able to hear the Good News until days later. Judas Iscariot, his betrayer, hung himself out of grief for what he had done. Jesus had forgiven him, but he could not forgive himself.

At night, Jesus said that He had to go but that He would return. He told us that the days ahead would be difficult because we would be persecuted. But to be strong, that He would eventually send us His Holy Spirit to guide us, strengthen us and comfort us. “My Spirit will remain with you until the end of times when I will return again,” said Jesus.

I stayed in Jerusalem for a couple of months after the Resurrection. Jesus came to visit me almost daily. Just as He predicted, we were persecuted. The chief priests made sure to spread the word that “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.” (1) But just as He promised, He sent His Holy Spirit and this empowered His disciples to spread the Good News to all four corners of the world.

I eventually moved with John to Ephesus, from where I am finishing this journal, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (2) My Son Jesus is not dead. HE IS RISEN!!! Yes, He is Risen indeed.

Reflection:

Mary has appeared in Lourdes, Fatima and many other places to bring us hope and to guide us to her Son. What do these appearances say about Mary’s love for humanity and her role as “Mother of the Church”?

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. Matthew 28:13
2. John 20:31

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 39

“And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” Luke 23:56

Last night, I must have fallen asleep on the courtyard from cheer exhaustion. John found me, and he took me inside the house. I don’t know how long I slept, until voices woke me up.

I came out of the room, and found Peter and John in the kitchen talking. When Peter saw me, he came running and he hugged me. Then, he began to cry. He was inconsolable. He kept telling me, “I’m sorry. I don’t deserve to be His disciple. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t understand why he was saying that. What did he do? Finally, after he calmed down, he told me that he denied Jesus three times. He said that during the last supper, Jesus had told him: “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” (1) And just like Jesus had predicted, in the courtyard, three times he had been asked if he was one of Jesus’ disciples, and three times he denied it and answered “no.” I now understood why Peter had left the courtyard in such a hurry after I heard a rooster crowing. I told him that Jesus and I forgave him.

I sat down with them in the kitchen. They could not understand why this had happened. They kept telling me: “If He is the Son of God, why would God allow Him to die?” Honestly, I could not answer them because I kept asking myself the same question. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Him to come down from the cross? Wouldn’t that have taught everyone a lesson? Then, they would have had no choice but to believe that He truly was the Son of God.

After Peter left, I went back to my room. I needed to be alone. But that was not going to be possible. A lot of people came to visit me today. Shortly after Peter left, Mary, Martha and Lazarus showed up. It was the Sabbath. All of us should be at the Temple. But nobody cared about the Temple and its customs anymore. They sat with me for about an hour. We didn’t have much to say. We were all in shock. Lazarus kept saying: “If he brought me back from the dead, why couldn’t He save himself?”

While they were still there, my family arrived. Mary and Clopas got there first with all four of their sons, their wives and children. Mary kept hugging me, and asking me to forgive her for all the years that she had treated me badly because she didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Shortly after, Salome, Samuel, their daughters and son-in-law arrived. Salome sat by my side and she held my hand. It seemed like another lifetime ago when she had discovered that I was expecting a Baby from her brother Joseph.

Joseph, dear Joseph. How I wish I could have him by my side, and yet, at the same time, I am so glad that he is not here because he doesn’t have to endure this pain.

Sarah and Luke were the next ones to arrive. “Mother,” cried Sarah when she saw me. She came running to me and she hugged me. She loved Jesus as if He was her own brother. She cried and cried and cried. “Mother, I don’t understand. He performed so many miracles. He cured so many. If He had wanted to, He would not have had to die. Why couldn’t He save Himself?”

“I don’t know, Sarah,” I told her. “All I know, is that this is all part of God’s plan. We may not understand it now, but we have to trust Him.”

Last but not least, John’s parents showed up. I had met them in Capernaum when Jesus started his ministry. Of course, they were in Jerusalem for the Passover. John’s mother sat with me, and she held my hand. She didn’t say much, but this gesture somehow brought me comfort. Only another mother could understand what I was going through.

“How can I live without Him?” I asked her. She just hugged me.

After everyone left, and it was John and me, he said: “Mother, I know that I could never take Jesus’ place. But I want you to know, that I will take care of you as if I was your own son.”

I hugged John. He had always been my favorite of all the twelve disciples. There was an innocence about him. It’s as if he had never grown up and that childhood sweetness had stayed with him forever. He was good inside and out.

I told him to go to sleep, that it had been a long day, and I knew he had hardly slept the previous night.

I stayed by myself a bit longer. I said my prayers, and I asked God for understanding. In the silence of the Sabbath, I wait in faith and hope.

Reflection:

John’s loving care for Mary is a model for us to follow on how to serve others. How do I support those who are suffering a serious loss or grieving the death of a loved one? I thank God for all those who were by my side in times of difficulty or sorrow in my own life.

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. Matthew 26:34

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 38

“When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” John 19:26-27

I feel like my heart is going to break into a million pieces. It simply cannot contain all the pain and sorrow that I feel right now. When Simeon predicted that a sword would pierce my soul, I never imagined that it would tear it apart.

I am sitting in the courtyard of John’s house. Even though I have not slept in over forty hours, I cannot fall asleep. It’s simply too painful. I keep asking myself, “Why? Why did it have to end this way? What was the point of all this?”

But I guess it’s best if I start at the beginning.

After I finally went into the tent past midnight on the day of Passover, I had barely fallen asleep when I was woken up by loud screams. “Mary! Mary!” I heard someone calling me from outside the tent.

When I walked out, I found Martha, Mary, Lazarus and John. They had come running to tell me that Jesus had been arrested. I felt my legs give way. Sarah and Luke who had also woke up with the screams had to grab me. Soon, a lot of people were coming out of their tents to find out why all the commotion.

“Where have they taken Him?” I asked.

“We don’t know but we think that they took Him to the high priest,” said John. “We are on our way to the temple, but we wanted to let you know.”

“I will go with you,” I said.

“I’m going too,” said Sarah, Salome and Mary of Clopas in unison. Salome’s husband stayed behind but Clopas and Luke came with us too.

We practically ran all the way to the Temple. We were carrying torches to light the way, but it was rocky and slippery, and I almost felt twice. Luckily, John and Luke were by my side and they held me.

When we arrived to the courtyard of the high priest, the gatekeeper stopped us. “We are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,” said John. 

“There is no one here by that name,” answered the gatekeeper.

We could see through the gate that there were people inside, and we recognized Peter amongst them. John called out to him: “Peter!” 

Peter came over and told the gatekeeper that we were with him, and the gatekeeper allowed us to go in. Peter told us that they had taken Jesus inside, and they were questioning Him. 

“The slaves and the officers were standing (in the courtyard), having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves.” (1) We approached the fire to keep ourselves warm, and while we waited, John and Peter recounted what had transpired. They told me that after the Passover meal, they had gone to the Garden of Gethsemane. While they were there, Judas Iscariot had come with the officers of the chief priests and they had arrested Jesus.

“Judas Iscariot? His disciple?” I asked.

“Yes,” answered Peter. “He has betrayed Jesus.”

My heart cried for Judas and I asked the Lord to forgive him. 

We waited for what seemed hours. I saw that Peter was talking to some of the slaves and maids that were in the courtyard. Then I heard a rooster crow, and I saw Peter run away from the courtyard without saying a word to anyone. I was going to mention it to John, but then we saw Jesus being taken out. His hands were bounded with ropes behind His back. He looked at me when He passed us, almost like saying “I’m sorry” with His eyes.

We followed them to the Praetorium, where Pilate was. “Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’ They answered and said to him, ‘If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.’ So Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.’ The Jews said to him, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’” (2)

My heart stopped when I heard these words. Put Him to death? What are they talking about? What has my Son done that would deserve a death sentence? I grabbed my sister Mary who was next to me. She hugged me tight.

Pilate went back inside the Praetorium, and he took a long time to come out. We figured that He was questioning Jesus. While we waited, more and more people began to arrive. News had traveled near and far that Jesus had been arrested. It was already morning, so a large crowd had gathered in front of the Praetorium. After what seemed like an eternity, Pilate came out again, and he said to the crowd: “‘I find no guilt in Him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?’ So they cried out again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a robber.” (3)

I could not believe my ears. The same people that had welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with palm branches just five days ago, now wanted Barabbas, a criminal, to be released instead of Jesus who was an innocent man? What was happening, dear God?

Pilate then took Jesus away. I could not see what they were doing to Him, but I could feel every blow in my soul. I walked over to a wall, and I leaned myself against it. I could hear the scourging on the other side of the wall. My Son was being scourged simply for speaking the truth. I could not bear the pain. Salome and Sarah came over, and they held me. I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, and I cried with profound pain.

Then “Pilate came out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.’ Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold, the Man!’ So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, ‘Crucify, crucify!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.’ The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God’.” (4)

“No, Father, no,” I pleaded. “They can’t crucify Him. Please, Lord, don’t allow our Son to be crucified.”

Pilate took Jesus back inside, and they stayed inside for about fifteen minutes. Then they came out once again, and Pilate “said to the Jews, ‘Behold, your King!’ So they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’” (5)

I almost fainted, but Mary and Martha that were with me grabbed me. They both began to cry. And soon, we were all crying. My Son, my Son, He was being taken to the slaughter like a lamb. Pain courses through my soul, just like Simeon predicted all those years ago when Jesus was just a newborn Baby. 

They made Jesus carry His own cross. We followed Him up the hill to Golgotha, where they would crucify Him. I wanted to get near Him, but there was such a big crowd following Him, screaming at Him, insulting Him, that I could not get near Him.

Then John grabbed me, and he took me through a side road. We ran together, trying to get ahead of Jesus. When we reached the top of the hill, before it curved, we ran back to the main road, where we knew Jesus had to pass. We could see Him coming in the distance. He could hardly carry the cross. It was too heavy for Him, and His body was already broken from the scourging. “Oh flesh of my flesh, what have they done to You?” I cried out.

He must have heard me, because He looked up and He saw me. And then, He lost His balance, and He felt. I ran to Him, but the guards stopped me. Someone cried out, “Look, it’s His Mother.” The guard must have felt sorry for me, because He allowed me to get closer to Jesus. He was on the floor, but He lifted His face, and He looked at me. “Mother,” He said. “I wish I could take this pain away from You.” I wanted to kiss Him, but another guard grabbed me, and pushed me out of the way. John held me so I would not fall.

Then, I saw the guards talking amongst themselves, and they grabbed a man from the crowd. He was “a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.” (6) I said a silent prayer of thanks to this stranger for helping my Son carry His cross.

When we reached Golgotha, they crucified Him. I could only look on in anguish, feeling every nail in every fiber of my body. I wanted to run to Him, to wipe the sweat and blood from His face. I don’t know how I held on. I’m not sure who was holding me. At one point, someone asked me if I wanted to leave. But I knew that I had to be there, at the foot of the cross with my Son. I was being crucified with Him. 

At one point, Jesus spoke. I have no idea from where my Son found the strength to be able to say a word. His body was sagging against the cross. But He looked at me, and He looked at John, His only disciple who was there with me at the foot of the cross. “He said to (me), ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” (7)

At that moment, I realized what my Son was doing. By entrusting John to me, He was giving me a new maternal role. He was gifting me, His Mother, to the whole world. He created for me a new family. As He gave His life for the love of humanity, He entrusted all of humanity to me. Oh, but with what painful labor I bore these sons and daughters.

A few minutes later, Jesus “said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (8) And I felt my spirit fly away with Him. At that moment, I collapsed.

I don’t remember much after that. I know that they brought Jesus’ body down from the cross, and they laid Him on top of a stone. I sat down, and began to clean His body, with the help of all the other women that were there present. “Nicodemus also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes. (We) took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, (we) laid Jesus there.” (9)

Somehow they brought me to John’s house. I don’t even remember how I got here. I feel like I am living a nightmare, and I’m hoping that I will wake up soon and it will all be over. But there is a love that is stronger than death, and that is the love of the Father. He is sustaining me.

Reflection:

In what ways is Mary a spiritual mother to me? Have I made a place for Mary in my life like John did? How has my relationship with Mary changed and deepened throughout my life?

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. John 18:18
2. John 18:29-31
3. John 18:38-40
4. John 19:4-7
5. John 19:14-15
6. Matthew 27:32
7. John 19:26-27
8. John 19:30
9. John 19:39-42

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 37

“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Exodus 6:6-7

Today is Passover, my favorite celebration because we celebrate our nation’s freedom from Egyptian bondage. We started our day by attending the services in the Temple. We took our Paschal lamb with us. As soon as we walked into the Temple, the massive gates were closed behind us. When the Passover lamb was slain, the priests blasted their silver trumpets.

After we said our prayers, we returned to the camp to prepare for the celebrations. We were expecting over fifty persons. All our family, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Jesus and His disciples, and other friends and family members that had come to Jerusalem from different parts of the country.

We set various tables with four wine cups, one plate setting and napkins. We placed cushions all around the tables for people to recline more comfortably since we were out on an open mountain. We placed several candles on each table. The unleavened bread, vegetables, bitter herbs and vinegar was all placed on the tables, as well as representative bottles of wine, all labeled for the occasion.

Late in the afternoon, everyone began to arrive. When Martha, Mary and Lazarus arrived, they told me that Jesus would not be coming. He would be spending it with His disciples in a hidden place where the Pharisees could not find Him. I felt an outer joy and an inner sorrow. I was happy because we were celebrating the Passover meal. On the outside, I was smiling and I could have fooled everyone. But on the inside, I was sad because I was missing my Son and I was anxious for Him. Love and sorrow were mixed in my heart like a married couple who can’t be apart but when together, they are always bickering. 

In the past three years, since Sarah’s wedding at Cana, I have felt Jesus detaching Himself from me. It’s as if He’s been preparing me for the sorrow that is to come. It’s almost as if I died to His love at Cana, which makes no sense because I know that He loves me. But when He called me “woman” that night instead of “mother,” I knew that our relationship had shifted. By asking Him to perform that miracle, I had pushed Him away from me. And now, His hour was near. But what did it mean? What was His hour? What would happen to Him?

I didn’t have time to think because there was a lot to do. I went to help the other women to start serving. Once everyone took their place at their respective tables, the first prayer (the kiddush, or prayer of sanctification) was uttered by the head of every family:

“Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. . . . And you, O Lord our God, have given us festival days for joy, this feast of the unleavened bread, the time of our deliverance in remembrance of the departure from Egypt. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to enjoy this season.”

This was followed by the kiddush: “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, . . . who has created the fruit of the vine. . . . Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to enjoy this season.”

Then the first cup of ritual wine was poured and the first verb from Exodus was recited by each father:

“I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”

We drank the first cup of wine, and then the head of every table dipped the bitter herbs into the vinegar. Then the bitter herbs were passed on down the table.

We continued the traditions by pouring the second cup of wine, eating the lamb, breaking the bread, and so on until the last cup of wine was poured and blessed by all. 

It was a long celebration that lasted a few hours between eating, drinking, praying and reciting the scriptures.

By the time we were finished, and everything was picked up, it was almost midnight.

Sarah asked me if I was ready to retire for the night, but I told her that I needed to sit outside for a few minutes in silence. She went inside the tent, and I stayed by myself. I felt very anxious. I tried to calm down by saying my evening prayers, but tonight, not even praying calmed my anxious heart. I had a feeling that Jesus needed me, but I wouldn’t even know where to look for Him. All I could do was entrust Him to the Father.

Please Lord, protect our Son tonight. Don’t allow the Pharisees to arrest Him. You know that He is innocent of whatever it is they are accusing Him of. He is only trying to convert hearts to love You and follow You. Please, Lord, keep Him safe. But not my will, Lord. I trust that anything that happens will be for your glory. I love You, Father. May it all be done according to Your will.

Reflection:

Mary is anxious about her Son. In her anxiety, she turns to the Father. She entrusts her Son to God, the Father. She asks Him to protect Him, but she also accepts that it is not her will that matters, but God’s will. Sometimes, we do not understand God’s will when it doesn’t align with ours. Have I ever been in a situation when my prayers have not been answered? How did I react?

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 36

“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end... In various places there will be famines and earthquakes... But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Matthew 24:6-7, 13

Today, once again we woke up early and we walked to the Temple for the morning services. I ran into Mary and Martha when I entered the women’s section. We sat down together, we listened to the Scriptures, and then we walked out together.

They told me that Jesus had stayed with them last night, and that He was staying away from Jerusalem because the chief priests and Pharisees were plotting to arrest Him to stop Him from preaching. They must have noticed the concern in my eyes because they hugged me and told me to trust God. Then they said that Jesus would meet me at the Mount of Olives before sunset.

I returned to our camp with Sarah, Luke, Salome and Samuel. We had a light meal and then we picked up everything and left the camp set up for our supper. Tomorrow is Passover, and we are expecting a large crowd. We have already started baking the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs are ready. The lamb has already been marinated, and its ready to be cooked. We have enough jars of wine to host hundreds. We are well prepared, and we are looking forward to the celebration.

About an hour before sunset, I headed to the Mount of Olives which was not far from where we were camping. The Mount of Olives is covered with ancient olive trees, and is one mountain north of Mt. Zion with breathtaking views of Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley.

It doesn’t take me long to find my Son. He is preaching to His disciples. I sit on top of a rock, where I can see Him and hear Him, but He cannot see me. I listen to what He is saying. “Be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (1)

I wondered if His disciples even realized that He was talking about Himself. He then continued: “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (2)

Peter asked Him: “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (3) Peter surely knows who my Son is.

Jesus answered him: “After the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (4)

As He was talking, He looked towards where I was sitting, and He saw me. He then concluded His preaching, and He told His disciples that He would be right back. He came over to where I was, and He hugged me. We then went for a walk, like we used to do on the hills of Nazareth. I grabbed His arm, and I told Him that I had listened to His words and that I was deeply touched by what He was saying. I also told Him that I was worried about the fact that the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to arrest Him. He told me to be strong, that even though we would have to endure tribulation, it would all be for the greater glory of God. He told me to trust the Father, that He would not abandon us. And He also said that His disciples would be by my side.

I asked Him if He would join us the following day for the Passover meal, and He told me that it all depended. If He felt that He needed to hide from the Pharisees then most likely He would not be able to join me.

He hugged me again, and He told me: “Promise me, Mother, that You will be strong. My hour is near, but God has a plan, and it will all end up in glory.”

I promised Him that I was the handmaid of the Lord, and that I had always been at His mercy. “I know You have a mission, Son. It is the reason why You came into the world. I will not stand in Your Father’s way. Let it be done according to His will.”

I gave Him a kiss, and I walked back to my tent carrying His words in the silence of my heart. 

Reflection:

The night before Passover was the last time that Mary was able to hug and kiss her Son before He was put to death. How hard for a Mother to stand aside and allow God’s will to be done, especially when there will be pain and tribulation. We can learn a lot from her during these difficult times. How do I react when I experience pain and suffering? Do I trust God that He will turn my pain into glory? I must unite my pain to the cross. Jesus is walking with me, and He is helping me carry my cross.

References:

1. Matthew 24:42-44
2. Matthew 24:4-14
3. Matthew 24:3
4. Matthew 24:29-31

A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 35

“Someone said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.’ But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’” Matthew 12:47-48

The next day, we returned to the Temple for the services. This time, Jesus was present with His disciples. I saw Him from far away because the women had to go to a separate section.

When the services were over, I went looking for my Son. I was hoping that He could spend a few minutes with me so we could talk. I ran into Clopas and his sons who were on their way to the Temple’s courtyard. I asked them if they had seen Jesus, and they told me that Jesus was speaking to the crowds outside of the Temple.

I walked outside with Sarah, Luke, Salome, Samuel, Mary, Clopas and their sons Judas and Simon. We followed the crowd figuring that they would lead us to Jesus. We arrived to a large house with a center courtyard, but it was so crowded that we couldn’t go in.

I saw John, one of Jesus’ apostles whom I had met in Cana at Sarah’s wedding. I had been to his house in Capernaum. I called him and asked him if Jesus was inside. John said that he would let Jesus know that we were “seeking to speak to Him.” (1) By the time that John reached Jesus, we had managed to enter into the courtyard. I could see Jesus, but He was too far for me to reach Him. I saw John approach Him, and say something to Jesus quietly. And then, Jesus stood up, and He said loud enough for everyone to hear: “‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.’” (2)

Sarah looked at me and held my hand. She was worried that Jesus had offended me by His words, but by this time, I knew that Jesus spoke rhetorically. He didn’t mean to offend me, He was just trying to make a point that whomever followed Him were His brothers and sisters and mother.

While He was still speaking, John came over and told me to follow Him. He took me to a room in the back of the house, and He told me that Jesus would meet me there when He was done preaching.

I waited about twenty minutes, and then, Jesus came. He hugged me hard, like He used to do when He was little. He asked me if I had understood what He meant when He said that everyone who does the will of the Father is His brother, sister and mother. I told Him that I understood that everyone who followed God was His family, and not to worry, that I had not been offended. But I wanted to ask Him about the sadness that I had noticed in His eyes the previous day. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to ask Him because we were interrupted by Peter and Andrew who stormed into the room looking for Jesus. When they saw me, they were very apologetic for interrupting us, but they wanted to let Jesus know that some Pharisees were looking for Him.

Once again, I saw a glimpse of worry in Jesus’ eyes. He told me that He needed to leave but that He would try to look for me the following day. He hugged me, gave me a kiss, and told me to take care of myself. And just like that, He was gone.

Sarah and Luke were outside waiting for me, and we walked together back to our camp. I could not shake the worry that I was carrying within me for Jesus. Why were the Pharisees looking for Him? Whatever it was, it was not good. Hopefully, Jesus could explain it to me the following day.

Reflection:

Jesus was not minimizing His relationship with His mother through these words given in response to the crowd, He was expanding it. He wants to include all of us in the family of God. In doing so, He invites us on the journey home. Do I consider the Church my family?

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. Matthew 12:46
2. Matthew 12:48-50

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.