Sharing from a Sister who attended the watchmen retreat”.
Peace be with you all.
I’ve not been very watchful during Advent. Yet our Lord in His loving mercy, doesn’t allow me to run away.
I am prompted to share the following with you all. It is rather long but I’m unable to shorten it though I tried. 👇🏻
If Jesus had really been born on 25 Dec, then today Mother Mary and Joseph would be travelling around in Bethlehem.
Contemplating the situation, I imagined how tiring and uncomfortable it must have been for Mother Mary, a pregnant lady nearly due for delivery. I also thought of St Joseph’s anxiety as he went from inn to inn to find a room; how he would have felt as a young man who simply wanted his wife to have a comfortable bed to deliver her baby. And Mary our Mother, she must have prayed to our Father to provide a solution.
Why did God our Father allow the Mother of His Son to experience such discomfort and anxiety? If His plan was for Jesus to be born in a manger, then just lead them there, or tell Joseph in a dream. It would be easier and less stressful. After all, when we do His Will, aren’t things supposed to fall into place smoothly?
As I wondered what thoughts Mary might have had at that point of time and how she might have felt, I was reminded of Ecclesiasticus 39: “All the works of the Lord are good, and he will supply every want in due time. You must not say “This is worse than that” for everything will prove its value in time ”
With that scripture, I was awakened.
It is not for me to question; instead, I must dwell on the awesomeness of our Father who chose simple shepherds as the first witnesses of His Son’s birth and I must wonder at the faith of these shepherds who were blessed to hear the first Gloria sung by “a great throng of heavenly hosts” and who acted without hesitation to do as asked. When the shepherds told Mary what they had heard, she treasured what they said and “pondered them in her heart”.
As I sing the Gloria tonight it will be with greater conviction than ever before because I believe in my heart, that all the heavenly hosts and especially Mary our Mother will be there with us singing and praising our Lord and our God. And I praise Him for awakening me to watch and to grow.
Fellow watchmen, let’s all rejoice as the shepherds did, glorifying and praising God our Father for all we have heard and seen.
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