Part 11 - Life of Mary
Marida Ignacio
DISCLAIMER: This compilation was based on saints, blesseds,
visionaries (4 in all) accounts of the "Life of Mary" as
"revealed" to them. It is NOT officially approved by the
Church as essential to our faith and belief. It is up to
individual reader's discretion to believe it or not.
This is here for simple contemplation on what "Holy life of
Our Blessed Virgin Mother" was and what virtues we can derive
from it.
=============================================================
>From the book:
The Life of Mary as Seen by Mystics
Compiled by Raphael Brown
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary:
Chap. 11. Mary and Joseph in Nazareth
Ever since Joseph new that Mary carries the Son of God in her womb, he
would not allow her to serve him. Mary prayed to God in protest of
this. And so God sent an angel who told St. Joseph to let Mary serve
him and interiorly give her the reverence as the Mother of the Lord of
all creation. They will do this so as to teach to world the value of
humility.
Their house had 3 rooms: one for St. Joseph, one for his workshop, and
one for Mary. Whenever St. Joseph came to talk with Mary in her room,
he often found her either in ecstasy raised above ground, conversing
with her angels or prostrated on the floor in the form of a cross.
And he would hear heavenly melodies as well as smell sweet fragrance
that filled him with deep spiritual joy.
They often talked about the prophecies in Holy Scripture of the coming
of the Redeemer. St. Joseph with tears flowing from his eyes because
of joy and awe, regrets that they are poor. Mary explained that the
Lord was coming to redeem the world and guide all men to eternal life
and this had to be done by means of humility and poverty. He had to
be born to live and to die, to break the chains of greed and pride in
the hearts of men.
Mary taught St. Joseph on the various virtues and in the love of God.
She guided him to accept his manual labor as a way to practise and
apply these virtues. They worked and gave services to others and
their employees but they asked minimal pay in exchange. Often they
gave services out of charity.
Due to poverty, sometimes Joseph and Mary did not have food on their
table to eat at mealtime. Mary prayed not for herself but for her
husband Joseph that she asked supply from God. God let their neighbors
sometimes give them gifts and food. St. Elizabeth sometimes send them
gifts which Mary always gave something in return.
Mealtime, one day that they had no food to eat, they decided to retire
in each of their room to pray. While they were there, God sent His
angels who prepared a bountiful meal for them on their table. St. Joseph
and Mary saw this and they sang hymns of praise to God for thanks.
When the pregnancy was far advanced, Mary prepared the swaddling clothes
and she asked St. Joseph to find woolen cloth of soft texture for the
other coverings she would like to prepare for their Son. St. Joseph
worked on his trade and one day, in exchange for his services, he was
given two woolen cloths of best quality.
While St. Joseph and Mary prayed for guidance in treating and rearing
Him worthily, they heard Him say: "I have come from Heaven to earth
in order to exalt humility and discredit pride, to honor poverty and
scorn riches, to destroy vanity and establish truth, and to enhance
the value of labor. Therefore, it is My will that exteriorly, you
treat Me according to the humble position which I have assumed, as if
I were your natural child, and that interiorly you love and revere Me
as the Man-God, Son of My Eternal Father."
One day, St. Joseph heard a proclamation of a Roman edict that ordered
all heads of the family to be registered on the tax lists in their
native cities.
St. Joseph told this to Mary and felt sad to tell her that he would
not want to be away from her especially that the baby's delivery
would come any time soon and at the same time, he is troubled by
the idea of bringing her with him and the Nativity would occur that
may cause inconvenience he may fail to alleviate.
Mary prayed to God on what to do and God told Mary to come with
Joseph to Bethlehem. God said that He would assist her in any
sufferings and other secrets that would come with the birth of the
Redeemer. And so, setting out on this journey, Mary simply said to
Joseph: "My master, I will accompany you with great joy. And we will
make this journey as poor people, in the name of the Lord, for He will
not despise poverty, which He has come to seek with so much love.
Relying on His help, we will go with confidence to Bethlehem."
--
___ ___
(__ \/ ) His Peace through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marida
* )XxXx/
* | / "Human-kind: Where protection of valuable life starts and
* ) / takes off."
* \/ Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..."
*