25 Days with St. Joseph: From Nazareth to Bethlehem-Day 21

“Everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary.“ Luke 2:3-5

Good evening God:

I woke up very early today. When I walked into the kitchen, Mary was already there. The kitchen smelled like apples because just yesterday, Mary had brought them in from the garden. We sat in the kitchen for a few minutes, and ate a quick breakfast of dry bread, apples and figs. 

We then walked out, I covered Mary with a blanket, and helped her climb on top of the donkey. Lucky donkey who would be carrying once again Your Son. 

As we began to walk away, I looked at our home for one last time. I had a feeling it would be a while before we returned. It got smaller and smaller as we walked away, until it was just a white dot in the distance.

We walked in silence for a while until we united ourselves to another group. Finding a caravan this time was not difficult, because there were so many people journeying between towns. Everyone in Israel seemed to be on the roads, walking towards their cities of origin to register for the census. 

As we walked, I reflected that we can plan all we want to, but in the end, You, Lord, have the final word. This trip could not have come at a most inconvenient time for us, but I recalled the scripture words from the prophet Isaiah: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.” (1)

The sun began to rise behind the mountains, just like it did every single day, as if nothing was different. Oh, but it was so different for us. The donkey kept walking slowly, lifting the dust in its path. I found solace in the fact that You were walking with us, hidden within Mary’s womb. This most sacred cargo is the fulfillment of Your promise to Your people. Israel’s long awaited Redeemer was with us. 

We have now stopped for our first night in the wilderness, but I am confident that You, God, are taking care of us during this trip. We never walk alone. You are traveling with us. And Mary shared with me that she can see angels walking with us. Even though I cannot see them, I know God that You have sent Your army to protect us. You are with us. You have not abandoned us.

Reflection:

The trip to Bethlehem for the census came at a most inconvenient time for Mary and Joseph; yet it fulfilled God’s purpose. When did I have difficulty with God’s timing? How did I deal with it? Did it fulfill God’s purpose?

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. Isaiah 55:8

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. Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet 

All Bible references are from the New American Revised Edition Bible (NAREB) unless otherwise specified.

25 Days with St. Joseph: From Nazareth to Bethlehem-Day 20

“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.” Luke 2:1

Good evening God.

Even though I should be sleeping because in a few hours we will be on the road again, I just can’t fall sleep. It is now midnight, and I am wide awake sharing my most intimate thoughts with You.

I’ll start with the simple things. I had been crafting a wooden cradle for Jesus, the name that You have given the Child. It took me a while because of my other responsibilities, but I was finally able to finish it last week. I brought it home to Mary, and she was overwhelmed with joy. 

We placed the cradle in her room, next to her bed. Right away, she dressed the cradle with the blanket that she has sewn with so much care. She also put in there the swaddling clothes and coverlets that she had already finished.

Unfortunately, I had to return to Sepphoris the following day. I was not getting many new orders from Nazareth, so I had to go to the capital where it is urgent that I finish the big assignment that has been commissioned to me. Even though I do not like to leave Mary alone, I didn’t have a choice. While I was gone, Mary kept herself busy finishing up the swaddling bands for the baby, and taking care of the household chores. 

This morning, I returned from my trip to Sepphoris. I was exhausted, and on edge. Mary must have noticed the worry in my face because she asked me: “What’s wrong, Joseph?”

“I didn’t want to tell you, Mary, because I did not want you to worry,” I answered. “But as I was returning from Sepphoris, a group of Roman soldiers in horses made their way into Nazareth. They gathered at the square, and the centurion read the following decree: ‘By order of Caesar Augustus, General Quirinius, governor of Syria, all inhabitants of the earth must register for the census, each in his own city, and within the month.’ When the soldiers left, the rabbi read the decree. As you can imagine, everyone is very upset. The object of this census is to make all the inhabitants acknowledge themselves as vassals of the emperor, and to pay a certain tax to their temporal lord.”

“What are we going to do, Joseph?” Mary asked me. “The baby is due to arrive in just a few weeks.”

I tried to calm her down, but I was very concerned too. I am from Bethlehem, a five day trip in Mary’s condition. We conferred with each other about the course of action to be pursued, and we decided that the best thing would be to leave right away. Hopefully, we would have enough time to go, register, and return before the baby is born.

“Mary, we will leave tomorrow,” I told her. 

In the afternoon, we went to visit our families to let them know that we would be departing to Bethlehem the following day. Unfortunately, Mary has no choice but to go with me because the decree also stated that both the head of the family and the spouse had to be present for the registration. Otherwise, I would have left her with her aunt and uncle. 

We are not the only ones in this situation. A lot of people in Nazareth have to go to other cities to fulfill the requirements of the decree, and register for the census in their birth places. There is a lot of commotion in the entire town, as people are getting ready to depart.

I am very nervous, Lord, I cannot deny it. For Mary to have to travel, in the advanced stage of her pregnancy, is a huge risk. She was also counting on the help of her aunt, my sisters, and other ladies from our town to be by her side when she gives birth. She found peace knowing that her son, Your Son, would be born in our home, surrounded by people that we know and love. I also imagined him safe in the cradle that I built for him, with my own hands and with so much love. Now, we have to pack just the bare necessities, and travel for five days not knowing what we will encounter on the way nor once we get there. 

This decree has turned our world upside down, Lord. I guess that when we both gave you our “yes,” it was a prolonged “yes,” and it covers anything that You ask of us. You have a plan, and whether we like it or not, we have to accept it. If You want us to go to Bethlehem, You must have your reasons, and who am I to question them? But I cannot help but worry.

We are packed and ready to go with our faithful donkey. The plan is to go to Bethlehem, and as soon as we register, depending on how Mary feels, return to Nazareth or go to Ein Kerem which is much closer. At least, I am relieved that if we have to stay in Bethlehem, we should be able to find shelter with some of the family that I still have over there. 

Tonight, I find refuge in the knowledge that you, God, will not abandon us. I will try to sleep, even if just for a few hours.

Reflection:

Separation, grief, loneliness, and depression are no strangers to this season of Advent. Hope may be in short supply during this time. I need Joseph’s inspiring example of courage and trust in the face of uncertainty more than ever. How can I use Joseph’s remarkable and inspiring example of courage in the face of adversity, patience in the face of uncertainty, and hope beyond hope to believe that the impossible is indeed possible?

Copyright © 2024 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. Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet 

All Bible references are from the New American Revised Edition Bible (NAREB) unless otherwise specified.

25 Days with St. Joseph: From Nazareth to Bethlehem-Day 19

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Good evening God. 

Last week, we received a huge surprise. Zacharias, Elizabeth and John came to visit us. They stayed with us for one week. John is already five months old. He is a robust and healthy baby. His eyes are deep and wise. I can tell that You have an important mission for him. Zacharias said it when he was born: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways.” (1) John’s destiny is definitely intertwined with that of your Son.

Mary reprimanded them for taking such a long journey with an infant, but interiorly, I know that she was so happy with their visit. It was good for her to have her cousin by her side for this one week. I know that Mary would have liked for Elizabeth to stay until the Child is born, just like she was able to be with her for the birth of John, but Zacharias has responsibilities as a priest, and there is so much unrest in our country that it would have been unsafe for Elizabeth and John to return by themselves. Therefore, Mary was thankful for the one week that they were able to spend together.

Elizabeth wanted to take over the household chores, but Mary only allowed her to do menial chores. Even in her eighth month, Mary is much more stronger than Elizabeth. She looked very fragile to me. The pregnancy and birth of John have taken a toll on her. And caring for an infant is no easy feat, so it’s been more difficult for her because of her advanced age.

I took advantage of their visit, to go to Sepphoris, the capital, from where I have received a big assignment that would help our diminishing coffers tremendously. Leaving Elizabeth and her family with Mary while I was gone, was a huge relief. They kept her company during the day, and she did not have to ask her aunt to come stay with her at night. 

The days are now growing shorter, so there are not enough hours to finish all the work I have pending. For Mary, on the other hand, they seem interminable, even if she occupies her time working on the swaddling clothes and coverlets for the Baby. Elizabeth’s visit helped to make her days pass faster. 

After Elizabeth and her family left, Mary shared with me that she had told Elizabeth her concerns regarding people’s expectations of the Messiah. Elizabeth is a wise woman, and this was her insight:

“God hates the sin and violence and injustice that have rendered gloomy His beautiful world, and therefore He comes into that world as a warrior, ready to fight. But He arrives stealthily, clandestinely—sneaking, as it were, unnoticed behind enemy lines. The King comes as a helpless infant, born of insignificant parents in a small town of a distant outpost of the Roman Empire. He will conquer through the finally irresistible power of love, the same power with which He made the universe.” (2)

I asked Mary: “What did she mean by insignificant parents?” She told me that by “insignificant” Elizabeth meant humble and poor. She said that “most people are expecting a King, of royal blood. God definitely has a sense of humor, because instead of choosing a queen with power, He chose a queen with a huge heart.” Elizabeth told Mary: “You are a queen, Mary, even if the world does not consider you one. But God is sneaky, and therefore, He chose you because people would not notice you. He doesn’t want to arrive with noise and fanfare, He wants to sneak into our world unnoticed, so that He can reveal His plan in His time, not ours.”

Tonight I ponder Elizabeth’s words, and I must agree with her. Your Son is indeed a King, but not the kind of King that people are expecting. And Mary, His Mother, is a queen.

Little Emmanuel, pray for us.

Reflection:

How did Jesus conquer with love, and where am I called to do the same? How is God using me, an insignificant servant, to spread His seeds of love in my small corner of the world?

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. Luke 1:76
2. Bishop Robert Barron Reflection 12-18-19

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. Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet 

All Bible references are from the New American Revised Edition Bible (NAREB) unless otherwise specified.

This Season, Focus on the Eternal

"The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven, and will help bring about everlasting peace on earth." - Saint Mother Teresa

Recently, I was asked by someone from this group who will remain nameless: “How do you find time to do all the things that you do?” It was a good question, and honestly, I didn’t have an answer. Sometimes, I feel like there are not enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything that I would like to do. Therefore, I steal hours from the night.

December is probably the busiest month of the year. Most of us are feeling overwhelmed by this time… too many parties, decorations to be put up, Christmas cards to be written, gifts to be bought and wrapped, food to be made… and if you add a trip to the mix, then it’s a recipe for insomnia.

Yesterday, in the midst of my busyness, I decided to pay a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Normally, I only stay five minutes, but when I stopped at the Church of the Little Flower on my way home from a doctor’s appointment, the Blessed Sacrament chapel was empty. Nobody was keeping Jesus company. Therefore, I stayed for half an hour. And in that half an hour, I wrote today’s Advent Journey’s meditation. I think it helped that the Blessed Sacrament chapel is named after St. Joseph, and I sat in front of the St. Joseph statue. He definitely helped me write the meditation.

Did I have half an hour to spare? Definitely not. But I always heard that when we give Jesus our time, He multiplies it. And He definitely did that for me yesterday. I accomplished more in an afternoon than I normally do in one full day. By 3 o’clock, I had crossed out everything from my “To Do” list. I even had time to write tomorrow’s Advent Journey’s meditation. I’m usually behind, now I’m one day ahead.

While at church, I also grabbed a copy of the Sunday Bulletin. I read Father Manny’s column, and this sentence caught my eye: “All too often we get bogged down with the superfluous and the mundane this season instead on focusing on the eternal.” It’s so true, and I can see it on the dwindling numbers on our Advent Journey. Even though I cannot see who reads my meditations, I can see how many people open it. On the first day, 142 people opened the meditation. It doesn’t mean they read it, but at least they were curious. Yesterday, only 34 people opened the meditation. Somehow, in just 17 days, we lost 108 people. It could be that the journey has gotten boring, but I have a feeling that the busyness and craziness of the season is the culprit. We are allowing “the mundane” to take over and we have lost sight of “the eternal.” Our agendas are so packed that “we don’t have any room in the inn for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.”

We have one week left until Christmas so it’s time to refocus our attention on the reason for the season. I will finish by borrowing Father Manny’s words: “Don’t delay! The light from the Advent wreath is getting brighter. The Advent calendar is getting shorter. It’s time to right the ship and make room for the joy and light of Christ this Christmas.”

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

25 Days with St. Joseph: From Nazareth to Bethlehem-Day 18

“Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Emmanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 

Good morning Jesus. 

Mary is entering her eighth month, and I am amazed at her strength and courage. She is only fourteen, and she has accepted her mission of bringing your Son into the world with such grit and determination. I know that you have been preparing her for this task since the moment she was conceived. You selected her, and that is why she is so pure and so immaculate. If I loved her before we were married, that love has now multiplied a hundred fold.

I, on the other hand, I’m very nervous with the responsibility you have entrusted me. I feel so unprepared for such an important task. This is just not any Child. This is your Son, Lord. I must take care of Him and protect Him with my own life.

I also need to provide for Mary and for Him, but currently, we are experiencing tremendous economic pressures. Rome is demanding all of us to pay a tribute to the Empire. We also have to pay taxes to Herod. And all of this is in addition to the tithes and offerings to the Temple. Many of our village families are falling into debt and are faced with loss of their family inheritance of land.

I am trying to make ends meet as best as possible. My reputation as a carpenter has expanded outside of Nazareth, so I am receiving requests for work not just from our town but from the surrounding towns in Galilee, and even from the region of Judea. But if Herod keeps increasing our taxes, soon it will not be sufficient to maintain our little family of three.

I am trying to keep my concerns about the economy from Mary, but of course, it’s impossible. It seems that’s the topic of conversation everywhere we go. Just last night, we were invited to dinner at my family’s home. My brother Clopas got into a discussion with our father Jacob:

“I cannot put up anymore with these Romans,” my father was saying. “They think they own everything. But they will pay the price when the Messiah comes. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

“The Messiah? And when is he going to come?” replied Clopas. “While we wait for him, these bastards are bleeding us dry. I’m tired of waiting for a Messiah that is simply not coming.”

As I listened to them, I thought: “What will be the true mission of Emmanuel, the Messiah?”

Isaiah spoke of a “virgin (who) will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Emmanuel.” (1) Emmanuel means “God is with us.” I had heard the rabbi read this scripture in the synagogue many times. Now, knowing that Mary was that virgin, I would refer to our Son as Emmanuel.

According to our tradition, the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, gain sovereignty over the land of Israel, gather the Jews there from the four corners of the earth, restore them to full observance of Torah law, and liberate Israel from the slavery to foreign rulers. Most people in Galilee were waiting for a Messiah that would liberate them from the Roman rulers. In other words, they were waiting for a political leader. They knew how Isaiah referred to the Messiah: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (2) And thus, they awaited the arrival of the blessed and anointed Chosen One.

As we walked back to our home, Mary said: “Will our Son arrive with sword in hand ready to avenge His people?” I could hear the anxiety in her voice. “I cannot reconcile that image with the peace that I feel within me” she continued. “The title “Prince of Peace” seems more in line with what I feel. If they are expecting a warrior, they will not be happy with a Messiah that was born right next door from a poor peasant girl.” I tried to calm her fears by telling her that you, God, have a plan, and we just have to wait until it all unravels.

Lord, you have chosen to come into our world as an innocent Child. Even though I don’t tell Mary so as not to worry her even more, I myself have so many questions that keep me up at night. How will people react? How will my family feel when they find out the truth? Will they believe that our Son is truly the Messiah? 

I also keep asking myself why you chose me of all people. The only qualification I seem to have is that I come from the line of David. But is that enough? I guess we will soon find out. I just pray that I will not let Mary down, that I will not let you down.

Reflection:

It is in the life of a teenage girl, in a hidden town in Israel, that God enters the world directly. What else is God doing in hidden places, right now? What is God doing in the hidden part of my heart, the one that I don’t share with anyone?

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. Isaiah 7:14
2. Isaiah 9:6

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. Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet 

All Bible references are from the New American Revised Edition Bible (NAREB) unless otherwise specified.