“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:
- Isaiah 7:14
- Isaiah 9:6
Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:
- 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
- Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
- 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.
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