“When you invoke St. Joseph, you don’t have to speak much. You know your Father in heaven knows what you need; well, so does his friend St. Joseph. Tell him, ‘If you were in my place, St. Joseph, what would you do?’” — St. André Bessette
Good evening God.
Thank You for responding to my plea for help. You did not answer in the way that I would have liked, but You must have your plans and who am I to question You.
Mary was exhausted after sitting on top of the donkey for hours, while we unsuccessfully attempted to find shelter. Even though she did not utter a word of complaint, probably to prevent me from worrying more than I already was, I could tell that she needed to get off the donkey. I had to find a place for her to sit down, and just rest. All the noise and the smells were probably making her dizzy too.
A man must have noticed that she did not look well because he came towards us with a jar filled with water and he offered her a drink. I will never forget the smile in her face when the water reached her throat. I tried to give the man a coin, but he did not accept it. I knew that Mary’s grateful smile meant more to him than a single denarius.
He told me that there was a cave outside of town where we could find a warm shelter for the night. “It won’t be clean, and it won’t smell good since shepherds use it to shelter their flock, but at least it will be quiet and it will be warm,” he said. He gave us directions on how to find it, and we headed there. As we made our way in the shadows of the night, I felt that every bone in my body was in pain, so I could only imagine how Mary felt in her condition.
As we left the village, the outskirts of town were deserted. I was afraid, I must confess, even though I knew You were with us. I helped Mary to climb down from the donkey. I hugged her with compassion and love. “We will be fine, Mary,” I told her, even though I wasn’t sure of what awaited us.
We found the neglected cavern. It was formed entirely of bare and coarse rocks, without any natural beauty or artificial adornment; a place intended merely for the shelter of animals. It was inside a mountain that overlooked a peaceful valley. We went inside, and I cleaned the cave, which was filled with animal excrement, as best I could. I prepared a place for Mary within the hay, and I went back outside to get the blankets we had packed. I laid them over the hay, and I settled Mary over them. I looked around me, and said a silent prayer to You, Lord: “Please, don’t let your Son be born in this place, surrounded by spiderwebs, insects, and the smell of animals. Surely, You must have a better plan for Him to come into the world.”
Mary was so exhausted that she just laid down on top of the blanket, while I went to find wood to light a fire. When I returned, Mary had dozed off. While she slept, I stayed awake keeping guard in the night. I could see the stars through a hole on a side wall.
Lord, I do not understand why You have brought us to this place. But I am filled with joy that the long expected Savior of Israel is with us, and will be born soon. Help me to prepare my heart for His coming. Help me to be a worthy earthly father to Him.
Reflection:
May we, like Joseph, prepare our hearts for the birth of Baby Jesus. May we open our hearts to receive all that He wants to give us.
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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