Chapter 12. Joseph Is Appointed Husband of the Virgin.
4th September 1944.
I see a rich hall with a beautiful
floor, curtains, carpets and inlaid furniture. It must be still part
of the Temple: there are priests in it, including Zacharias, and many
men of every age, from twenty to fifty approximately.
They are all talking in low but
animated voices. They seem to be anxious about something I do not
know. They are dressed in their best clothes, which seem to be new or
just recently washed and they are obviously dressed for some special
feast. Many have removed the piece of cloth covering their heads,
others still wear it, particularly the elder ones, whereas the young
people show their bare heads, some dark blond, some brown, some
black, only one auburn. Their hair is mostly short, but some wear it
long down to their shoulders. They do not all know one another,
because they observe one another inquisitively. But they seem to be
akin somehow, because it is clear that they are all concerned with
the same matter.
In a comer I can see Joseph. He is
talking to a hale and hearty elderly man. Joseph is about thirty
years old. He is a handsome man with short and rather curly hair,
dark brown like his beard and his moustache, which cover a well
shaped chin and rise towards his rosy-brown cheeks, which are not
olive-coloured as is normal in most people with a brown complexion.
His eyes are dark, kindly and deep, very serious and perhaps somewhat
sad. But when he smiles, as he does now, they become gay and young
looking. He is dressed in light brown, very simple but very tidy.
A group of young Levites comes in and
they take up position between the door and a long narrow table, which
is against the same wall as the door, which is left wide open. A
single curtain hanging down to about twenty centimetres from the
floor is drawn to cover the empty space.
The curiosity of the group increases.
It grows more so when a hand pulls the curtain to one side to admit a
Levite, who is carrying in his arms a bundle of dry branches on which
one in blossom is gently laid: it looks like a light foam of white
petals, with a vague pinkish hue that spreads softer and softer from
the centre to the top of the light petals. The Levite lays the bundle
of branches on the table very gently to avoid detracting from the
miracle of the branch full of flowers among so many dry ones.
Whispering spreads in the
hall. They all stretch their necks and sharpen their eyes to see.
Zacharias, who is near the table with the other priests, also
endeavours to see. But he can see nothing.
Joseph, in his comer, gives
a quick glance to the bundle of branches and when the man he was
speaking to says something to him, he shakes his head in denial as if
to say: « Impossible » and smiles.
A trumpet is heard beyond
the curtain. They all become quiet and turn in an orderly way towards
the door, which is now completely clear as the curtain has been
pulled to one side. The High Priest enters surrounded by elders. They
all make a deep bow. The Pontiff goes to the table and begins to
speak, standing up.
« Men of the race of David,
gathered here at my request, please listen. The Lord has spoken,
glory be to Him! From His Glory a ray has descended and, like the sun
in springtime, it has given life to a dry branch which has blossomed
miraculously, whereas no other branch on earth is in bloom to-day,
the last day of the Feast of Dedication, and the snow that fell on
the mountains in Judah has not yet melted and everything is white
between Zion and Bethany. God has spoken and has made Himself the
father and the guardian of the Virgin of David Who has Him alone as
Her protection. A holy girl, the glory of the Temple, She deserved
the word of God to learn the name of a husband agreeable to the
Eternal One. And he must be very just to be chosen by the Lord as the
protector of the Virgin so dear to Him! For this reason our sorrow in
losing Her is alleviated and all worries about Her destiny as a wife
cease. And to the man appointed by God we entrust with full
confidence the Virgin blessed by God and by ourselves. The name of
the husband is Joseph of Jacob of Bethlehem, of the tribe of David, a
carpenter in Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph: come forward. It is an
order of the High Priest ... »
There is a lot of
whispering. Heads move round, eyes cast inquisitive glances, hands
make signs: there are expressions of disappointment and relief.
Someone, particularly amongst the older people, must be happy that it
was not his fate.
Joseph, blushing and
embarrassed moves forward. He is now near the table, in front of the
Pontiff, whom he has greeted reverently.
« Everyone must come here
to see the name engraved on the branch. And everyone must take his
own branch to make sure that there is no deception.»
The men obey. They look at
the branch gently held by the High Priest and then each takes his
own: some break it, some keep it. They all look at Joseph. Some look
and are silent, others look and congratulate him. The elderly man to
whom Joseph was speaking before, exclaims: « I told you, Joseph! Who
feels less certain, is the one who wins the game! » They have all
now passed before the Pontiff.
The High Priest gives Joseph
his branch in bloom, he lays his hand on his shoulder and says to
him: « The spouse the Lord has presented you with, is not rich, as
you know. But all virtues are in Her. Be more and more worthy of Her.
There is no flower in Israel as beautiful and pure as She is. Please,
all go out now. You, Joseph, stay here. And you, Zacharias, since you
are Her relative, please bring in the bride.»
They all go out, except the
High Priest and Joseph. The curtain is drawn once again over the
door.
Joseph is standing in a very
humble attitude, near the Priest. There is silence, then the Priest
says to Joseph: « Mary wishes to inform you of a vow She made.
Please help Her shyness. Be good to Her, Who is so good.»
« I will put my strength
and my manly authority at Her service and no sacrifice on Her behalf
will be heavy for me. Be sure of that. »
Mary enters with Zacharias
and Anna of Phanuel.
« Come, Mary » says the
Pontiff. « Here is the spouse that God has destined to You. He is
Joseph of Nazareth. You will therefore go back to Your own town. I
will leave You now. May God give You His blessing. May the Lord
protect You and bless You, may He show His face to You and have mercy
on You. May He turn His face to You and give You peace. »
Zacharias goes out escorting
the Pontiff. Anna congratulates Joseph and then she goes out, too.
The betrothed are now facing
each other. Mary, full of blushes, is standing with Her head bowed.
Joseph, who is also red in the face, looks at Her and tries to find
the first words to be said. He eventually finds them and a bright
smile lights up his eyes. He says: « I welcome you, Mary. I saw You
when You were a little baby, only a few days old... I was a friend of
Your father's and I have a nephew, the son of my brother Alphaeus,
who was a great friend of Your mother. He was her little friend,
because he is only eighteen years old, and when You were not yet
born, he was only a little boy and he cheered up Your sad mother who
loved him so much. You do not know us because You were only a little
girl when You came here. But everyone in Nazareth loves You and they
all think and speak of Joachim's little Mary, Whose birth was a
miracle of the Lord, Who made the barren old lady blossom
wonderfully... And I remember the evening You were born... We all
remember it because of the prodigy of a heavy rain that saved the
country and of a violent storm during which the thunderbolts did not
damage even a stem of heather and it ended with such a large and
beautiful rainbow that the like has never been seen again. And
then... who does not remember Joachim's happiness? He dandled You
showing You to his neighbours... As if You were a flower that had
descended from Heaven, he admired You and wanted everyone to admire
You, a happy old father who died talking about his Mary, Who was so
beautiful and good and Whose words were so full of wisdom end
grace... He was quite right in admiring You and in saying that there
is no other woman lovelier than You are! And Your mother? She filled
Your house and the neighbourhood with her songs and she sang like a
skylark in springtime when she was carrying You, and afterwards when
she held You in her arms. I made a cradle for You. A tiny little
cradle, with roses carved all over it, because Your mother wanted it
like that. Perhaps it is still in the house... I am old, Mary. When
You were born I was beginning to work. I was already working... I
would never have believed that I was going to have You as a spouse!
Perhaps Your parents would have died a happier death if they had
known, because they were my friends. I buried Your father, mourning
over his death with a sincere heart, because he was a good teacher to
me.»
Mary raises Her face, little
by little, taking heart, as She hears Joseph speak to Her thus, and
when he mentions the cradle She smiles gently and when Joseph speaks
of Her father, She holds out Her hand to him and says: « Thank you,
Joseph. » A very timid and gentle « thank you.»
Joseph holds Her little
jasmine hand in his short and strong hands of a carpenter and he
caresses it with an affection that expresses more and more
confidence. Perhaps he is waiting for more words. But Mary is silent
once again. He then goes on: « As You know, Your house is still
intact, with the exception of the part that was demolished by order
of the consul, to build a road for the waggons of the Romans. But the
fields, what is left of them -You know that because of Your father's
illness much of the property had to be disposed of- have been rather
neglected. For over three years the trees and the vines have never
been pruned and the land is untilled and hard. But the trees that saw
You when You were a little girl are still there, and if You agree, I
will at once take care of them.»
« Thank you, Joseph. But
you have your work ... »
« I will work in Your
orchard in the morning and in the evening. The days are getting
longer and longer. By springtime I want everything to be in order for
Your happiness. Look: this is a branch of the almond tree near the
house. I wanted to pick it -the hedge is so ruined that one can enter
anywhere, but I will remake it solid and strong- I wanted to pick it,
because I thought that if I should be the chosen one, You would have
been pleased to have a flower from Your garden. But I was not
expecting to be the chosen one as I am a Nazirite and I have obeyed
because it is an order of the Priest, not because I wish to get
married. Here is the branch, Mary. With it I offer You my heart,
that, like it, has bloomed up till now only for the Lord and is now
blooming for You, my spouse.»
Mary takes the branch. She
is moved and looks at Joseph with a face that has become more and
more confident and bright. She feels certain of him. When he says to
Her « I am a Nazirite (1) », Her face becomes bright and She takes
courage: « Also I am all of the Lord, Joseph. I do not know whether
the High Priest told you ... »
« He only told me that You
are good and pure, that You wish to inform me of a vow, and that I
must be good to you. Speak, Mary. Your Joseph wants You to be happy
in all Your desires. I do not love You my with body. I love You with
my soul, holy girl given to me by God! Please see in me a father and
a brother, in addition to a husband. And open Your heart to me as to
a father and rely on me as on a brother ... »
« Since My childhood I have
consecrated Myself to the Lord. I know this is not the custom in
Israel. But I heard a voice requesting My virginity as a sacrifice of
love for the coming of the Messiah. Israel has been waiting for Him
for such a long time!... It is not too much to forgo the joy of being
a mother for that! »
Joseph gazes at Her as if he
wanted to read Her heart, then he takes Her tiny hands which are
still holding the branch in blossom and he says: « I will join my
sacrifice to Yours and we shall love the Eternal Father so much with
our chastity that He will send His Saviour to the world earlier, and
will allow us to see His Light shining in the world. Come, Mary. Let
us go before His House and Nazareth to prepare everything for You, in
Your house, if You wish to go there, or elsewhere if You wish so.»
« In My house... There was
a grotto down at the bottom... Is it still there? »
« It is, but it is no
longer Yours... But I will build another one for You where it will be
cool and quiet during the hottest hours of the day. I will make it as
much as possible identical to the older one. And tell me: whom do You
want with You? »
« Nobody. I am not afraid.
Alphaeus' mother, who has always come to see Me, will keep Me company
during the day. At night I prefer to be alone. No harm can befall
Me.»
« And now I am there, too.
When shall I come and get You? »
« Whenever you wish,
Joseph.»
« Then I will come as soon
as the house is ready. I will not touch anything. I want You to find
it as Your mother left it. But I want it to be bright and clean, to
receive You without any sadness. Come, Mary. Let us go and tell the
Most High that we bless Him.»
I do not see anything else.
But I feel in my heart the sense of confidence that Mary feels.
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(1) Hebrew who had taken special vows of abstinence, see Numbers, 6.
(1) Hebrew who had taken special vows of abstinence, see Numbers, 6.
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