“If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph; if anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph; if exasperation or hatred seizes you, think of the love of Joseph, who was the first man to set eyes on the human face of God in the person of the Infant conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Let us praise and thank Christ for having drawn so close to us, and for giving us Joseph as an example and model of love.” — Pope Benedict XVI
Good afternoon God.
We have been on this journey three days. The caravan that we started with originally, left us behind because we could not keep up with them due to Mary’s condition. This would have been a huge problem under normal circumstances, but since there are so many persons traveling, we were not alone for very long.
Now, we are traveling with a group that is going to Jerusalem. Bethlehem is further, but we are sure that we will find another caravan. In this one, there is another lady with child just like Mary. Her name is Miriam, and she’s in her sixth month. They are traveling at a slower pace because of Miriam so we have been able to keep up.
We stopped to eat, and we are now resting until we head out again. We took cover inside a cave because today is a particularly cold day. Mary and I brought bread, fruit and some fishes for our journey. We also brought water stored in wine skins. We now share them with the other travelers, and they in turn, share what they brought with us. Therefore, our meal is quite varied. In addition to what we brought, we are eating goat cheese, olives, almonds, pistachios, honey, figs, dates, grapes, and pomegranates.
Mary is now talking to Miriam. Even though Miriam is older than Mary by a few years, they have bonded over their pregnancy. Miriam confided to Mary that this is her third pregnancy. She lost the first two. The last one was especially painful because she was already in her third trimester. She is very worried that this trip will cause her to lose this pregnancy too. Mary is trying to reassure her that everything will work out fine. Please, Lord, protect Miriam and her baby, just like You are protecting Mary and your Son.
While Miriam and Mary talked, I made a ball with wood sticks and string, and I covered it with leather. I gathered all the children, sat them down in a circle, and we started tossing the ball around. I then began to sing, and told them: “When I stop singing, whomever has the ball in their hands will have to sing next.” None of them wanted to sing, so they were passing the ball around really fast, as if it was a hot piece of coal. The children were laughing and having a wonderful time. This kept them entertained for a while, and gave their parents an opportunity to rest.
Later, Mary told me: “You are going to be a wonderful father to our Son, Joseph.”
A while back, I had confided to her that when the angel appeared in my dreams, and told me that she was expecting the Messiah, I was terrified at the great responsibility that God was asking of me. I told her that I did not feel that I was worthy of the task, that I thought that there were many other men that could do a much better job at protecting and educating the Son of God, your Son, Lord, because after all, I am just a simple carpenter. Mary told me that if You, God, had chosen me, it was because You knew that I was the right man for the job. She gave me the confidence that I’ve been lacking.
After resting for an hour, we must now continue our journey. We are carrying with us the Treasure of Heaven, and the whole court of celestial angels is marching with us.
Reflection:
Joseph trusted and obeyed God, in spite of the fact that he did not feel worthy of the task. God was pleased to entrust him with such a great responsibility for His Son and for Mary. What can I learn from Joseph’s example? When has God asked something of me, and I have answered “no” because I did not feel worthy of the task? God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. I must trust that if God entrusts me with a great responsibility, He will turn my ordinary abilities into extraordinary gifts.
Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
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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