“During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah.” Luke 1:39
Good afternoon Lord.
I was not able to talk to You this morning because I received a surprise visit from Mary. I was at the carpentry shop putting the finishing touches on the neighbors’ wooden cradle when she walked in. I was surprised to see her as it is not her custom to visit me at the shop. I was immediately worried that something might have happened. But she reassured me right away.
“No, Joseph,” she told me. “Nothing serious has happened, however, I have found out that my cousin Elizabeth whom everyone thought was barren, has conceived in her old age and is now in her sixth month. I feel that it is my responsibility to go to Ein Kerem to help her. Even though Elizabeth is old enough to be my mother, she is like a sister to me. We are very close. But before I go, I would like your permission, and your blessing, for me to go on such a long journey.”
Even though I was concerned that she would go on such a long trip without me, I said to her: “Mary, if you feel you must go, then I will not stand in your way. Just be careful and take care of yourself during the journey. The dirt path that wounds through the mountainous region is a popular place for bandits, who could surprise unsuspecting travelers. I would be more comfortable knowing that you are going with persons that we know.”
Ein Kerem is twenty-six leagues (1) distant from Nazareth. It will take at least four days to get there, and the greater part of the way is very rough and broken, unfit for a young Virgin Maiden. Even for a man, it would be quite dangerous. Therefore, for protection, we travel in groups. But unless Mary could find a group from Nazareth planning a trip to Ein Kerem, she would need to travel with complete strangers. I wish I could go with her, but I have a lot of work right now that I must finish. However, I will drop everything in a heartbeat if she doesn’t find a safe caravan to accompany her on the journey.
I was thinking along those thoughts when she hugged me, and told me that I was the most generous and caring man on earth. She explained that her uncle had left the house early in the morning in search of anyone who would be going towards Ein Kerem in the next few days. As it turned out, a family we know well is leaving to Ein Kerem tomorrow morning to visit a sick relative. When her uncle told her, she rushed out of the house to find me. She will leave with them, and return just as soon as Elizabeth is able to care for the baby on her own.
“The next three months will be the most difficult, and I can help her with the household chores,” Mary said to me. “I will stay four months at most, and my aunt with all her lady friends will continue with the wedding preparations while I’m gone. I promise you that there will be no delays, and as soon as I return, the wedding can take place as planned.”
I took her hands, and said to her: “I trust you, Mary. I know that you will return, and soon I will be able to take you into my house as my wife.”
She looked at me with joy in her eyes, but at the same time I caught a glimpse of worry. It was just a second, but I felt as if she was keeping something from me. She then approached the cradle that I was working on, and she caressed it with her soft hands: “You make beautiful work, Joseph. One day, you will make a similar crib for our child.”
I smiled, and figured that the concern I had seen in her eyes was due to the distress of the journey she would have to take to reach Elizabeth. I asked her if she had any trouble convincing her aunt and uncle to allow her to go by herself. Mary told me that she had broken the news to them the previous day, and that her aunt said the following words to her:
“Mary, you are always thinking of others before you think of yourself. You have always been a special girl with a very big and generous heart. But Mary, you are betrothed to Joseph. The wedding will take place in just a few short months. If you are gone for four months, this may cause a delay in the preparations. Joseph may not be happy with this news. Elizabeth has plenty of relatives that live nearby that can help her. Please, reconsider and don’t be too hasty with your decision.”
Mary told me that before she responded to her aunt, she said a silent prayer to the Holy Spirit to put the proper words in her lips so she could convince them. This was her reply to her dear aunt:
“I agree with you that Elizabeth has plenty of relatives that can help her, but they all have their responsibilities, and none are as close to her as I am since they are all on Zacharias’ side of the family. Elizabeth has always been like a sister to me, and I know that she will feel much more confident having me by her side. As far as my wedding, there is no reason to delay it. You and the other ladies of our town are doing such a great job with the preparations, that you don’t need me to be present. I trust your judgment completely, and I know that you will make all the right choices for the festivities. As for Joseph, I will speak to him, and I am certain that he will understand.”
At that point in our conversation, she thanked me for understanding. I smiled at her, and told her that I knew nothing would hold her back once she had made up her mind, but that I was more relieved now that I knew that she was going with people we knew. I then asked her about her uncle’s reaction.
“This is what he said to me,“ Mary told me. “Mary, when my dear brother Joachim was on his death bed, I promised him that I would look after you and your mother. And when your mother Anna got sick two years ago, I made the same promise to her. A journey to Ein Kerem is very dangerous, and I would not be honoring the promise that I made to your parents if I were to allow you to go with complete strangers. Let me talk to our neighbors tomorrow, and if it just so happens that someone is going in that direction, I promise that I will allow you to go, but only, if Joseph agrees and does not get upset with your decision.”
Mary told me that she thanked her uncle for always looking out for her, and at night, she prayed that her uncle would find a family to accompany her to Ein Kerem, or at the very least, to Jerusalem which is not far from Ein Kerem, just two leagues distant.
Mary´s prayers were definitely answered. She has now returned back to her home to prepare her few belongings for the arduous journey. And now, I must go too because there is something that I would like to provide to Mary for her journey. Lord, please help me to be on time.
Reflection:
Joseph was worried that he could not accompany Mary on her journey to visit Elizabeth, but he placed Mary’s desires above his own. Do I think of others first or do I place myself above others? If I am worried about something, do I hand it to God in trust that He will take care of the situation or do I try to take matters into my own hands? During this Advent, let’s pray for trust.
Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
(1) A league is an ancient unit of measurement derived from the Celtics. One league was the distance that a person could walk in about one hour. A land league is approximately three miles.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment