Sunday, July 31, 2005

An Extraordinary Woman Among Women


Mary was the only woman to have looked down upon our Lord, whilst she was nurturing the baby Jesus, holding him in her safe and loving Motherly arms, and again as her beloved Son and God was lifted down from the Cross, she held Him close to her as her own heart was pierced and her anguish as she rocked Him in her loving arms.
But let us reflect on her life as we journey with Mary Most Holy. There is the Tradition that Mary as a young girl spent years serving in The Temple, as she prayed like many others for the coming of the Messiah which would free her people from the tyranny and persecutions which faced them all. So when the Archangel Gabriel visited Mary with the astounding news that it would be she who would be the Mother of God, Mary gave her FIAT and most humbly accepted God's Will, in a spirit of obedience.
But this was also a troubling time for Mary as her espoused Joseph grappled with what he could see happening to her, it was obvious to him that Mary was with child, but how could this be for this most humble and honourable of men had not touched one so pure as Mary, yet he also recognised that Mary was most pure and chaste, he was in utmost confusion. Joseph also knew the Law and wished no harm to come to his beloved betrothed, Mary, so Joseph in deep anguish decided to divorce Mary quietly so as to protect her from harm. It was as he was making this agonising decision that an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him of the 'Good news' that Mary had conceived a Son through The Holy Spirit and the Son should be named Jesus who would save people from their sins. Joseph was deeply humbled that he was to be entrusted with the day to day care of one so Holy as Mary and his Savior Jesus, this most righteous of men was also an obedient servant of God.
Whilst Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant with her son, the baby within Elizabeths womb leapt within her upon recoginsing his Savior Jesus, and she greeted Mary with these words, "Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the child you will bear"....Elizabeth was stunned that one so Holy as Mary would go to be with her, the cousins embraced each other, as Mary sang her Praise of God in the Magnificant, her soul rejoiced in God her Savior...Mary returned home 3 months later to an overjoyed and relieved Joseph her chaste spouse.
Elizabeth would name her child John even though noone in her family had used this name nor in Zechariah's family but under the Inspiration of God, both parents chose John as the name, a sign of what was to unfold....
As Mary and Joseph Prepared for the imminent birth of their son and Savior a decree was announced by Caesar Augustus, that a census would be taken, Joseph then made preparations to take a heavily pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. This must have been a very uncomfortable journey for Mary, as Jesus birth was upon her, it also must have concerned Joseph who wished to provide the best he could to help Mary and protect her as much as possible in full trust that God would help him with what he needed. So both Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem......

Peace of Christ to you ALL
Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

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