Part 20 - 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.
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>From the book:
The Life of Mary as Seen by Mystics
Compiled by Raphael Brown
TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.
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Summary:
Chap. 20. The Return to Nazareth
Mary and Jesus did not inform St. Joseph about God's decree they learned
while they prayed some time after King Herod's death that they can return
to Israel now. St. Joseph was very sad lately because he had not been
paid for his work and he prayed hard to God for help.
One night, an angel told St. Joseph in his sleep: "Arise, and take the
child and His Mother and go into the Land of Israel, for those who
sought the Child's life are dead."
St. Joseph woke up and told Jesus and Mary about the command. Without
delay, they distributed their furnitures among the poor, packed their
few belongings on their faithful donkey, and said sad good-byes to their
many Jewish and Egyptian friends.
Their trip was again long and burdening. The Child Jesus miraculously
provided strengthening food for them occasionally.
Arriving at Palestine, St. Joseph learned of the new king's cruelty.
So, instead of his original plan of settling in Bethlehem, the Holy
Family proceeded to Nazareth in their former home.
Mary immediately prostrated herself on the ground of their old house.
Then she prayed and thanked God for His blessings throughout their long
exile and hard journeys.
In Nazareth, the Child Jesus became the most poppular boy. Here, He
made good friends with His future Apostles, John and James the Elder.
Jesus always helped out in Mary and St. Joseph's works. He made a
good impression and role model to the other kids that parents would say
to their kids, "What will little Jesus think of you? How sorry He will
be!" Parents sent their kids to Him for counseling and Jesus, simply
and kindly sent them back to apologize to their parents after advising
them not to hurt or disobey their parents anymore. Jesus also encouraged
them to pray to the Lord with Him.
At this time, Jesus was tall for His age. He was slender with a handsome,
clear-complexioned face and radiant health. He had broad and high forehead
and His dark-brown hair parted in the middle, fell to His shoulders.
(exact qoute follows)
Soon after thier return from Egypt, the Lord resolved to test Mary's love
for Him by seeming to treat her coldly and impersonally for a while.
Therefore, without any warning, Jesus began to be very reserved with His
Mother, speaking to her only rarely and very gravely. Most of the time
He avoided her company and when she came to Him or when they were at
meals together, He would neither speak to her nor even look at her.
Naturally, Mary was deeply disturbed, for with her usual humility she
feared that somehow she had offended God through some fault. She therefore
examined her conscience minutely and racked her memory for some evidence
of ingratitude. Although she could find not even one slight venial sin,
nevertheless she humbled herself more than ever and acknowledged that she
deserved such treatment. Yet with ardent longing, she begged the Lord in
unceasing prayer to pardon her and restore her to His favor. This trial
lasted 30 days. Then one day as Mary knelt at the feet of Jesus, He
said to her with great tenderness:
"Arise, My Mother."
And His words had such a profound effect on her that she was rapt into a
prolonged ecstasy, in which many divine mysteries were revealed to her.
When she came out of her trance and adored her Son, she was again
privileged to contemplate His holy soul, as before. Henceforth, until
the time of His public ministry, Jesus regularly taught her the truths
of the Christian religion which He was later to give to His Church.
(end qoute)
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___ ___
(__ \/ ) 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..."
*