The Story of Mary: Catholic Version IV – Death and Beyond – Ch. 24 – Wakened in the Passover Night –

NOTE: THESE CHAPTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN A MUCH IMPROVED, EXPANDED BOOK, "A SWORD SHALL PIERCE YOUR SOUL" from FriesenPress

Mary awoke with a start. Someone was pounding on the door of her parents’ house and calling for her! Mary listened to see if her father would respond, for she as a woman should not go to the door of her first, especially at night. Then she heard him moving towards the door. Understandably, she could hear a little annoyance in his voice as he asked what all the fuss was about in the middle of the night. She could not hear everything that was said but then she heard him approach where she was sleeping and call out tersely, “Mary, this man at the door says Jesus has been captured by the temple police and taken for trial before the Sanhedrin! They took him to Governor Pilate who has sent him to King Herod! He says his name is John. He thinks you will want to join him and his friends, that you will want to be there.”

Mary could see the anguish in her father’s eyes. She herself felt as if she was going to faint. Her head spun and she clutched at her clothes. First John, her cousin, and now her son! “Oh, Jahweh,” she cried in her spirit, “help your maidservant! Protect your son! Oh, what can I do?” 

It seemed as if her prayers were heard. She was able to pull herself together and try to get up. Her father saw her unsteadiness and helped her to her feet and supported her as she walked out to meet John. Yes, he was the kind young man she had taken a liking to ever since meeting him those years ago in Cana. 

John bowed slightly as Mary approached, “Mother, he began,” addressing her politely. “We had to let you know what has happened to your beloved son. I volunteered to come and tell you. Do you want to come with us?”

What else would she do? “Of course,” Mary said. 

“But Mary,” her father interjected, “Will it be safe? Let me come with you.”

“No, father,” she said, looking lovingly at her elderly parent, “It will be too much for you.” She knew how much he cared for his grandson and thought of how this must also be affecting him. “Stay here with mother. I will let you know what happens.” 

Mary turned to go with John and then impulsively turned back and embraced her father and kissed him, “You can pray for us, please?” 

“Of course,” father said and then Mary was gone with the young man. 

John took Mary’s hand to make sure she was OK. Mary clutched her cloak tightly around her as she hurried through the chill of the dark night with John, praying earnestly in her heart for her beloved son’s welfare. Then John began to fill her in on what had happened.

“We had gone with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives after we finished seder,thinking we would continue on to Bethany for the night. Jesus seemed unusually troubled and went off by himself to pray, which you know is not that unusual for him. He did ask us to pray with him – more than once. We were so tired we kept falling asleep. I feel so bad now that we did not do that, or what happened next might have been avoided (Mathew 26:36-46). We had fallen asleep again when suddenly this crowd of noisy men with torches and clubs came storming across the valley and into the garden. And Judas was leading them! He took them right to Jesus (Matthew 26:37-50).”

‘Judas,’ Mary thought, ‘I never really had liked that one-’

John was continuing, “Jesus said something to Judas about betraying him and the next thing we knew Jesus was in the hands of these men and being led away, back towards the city.  Then what had happened at sedermade more sense. Jesus was talking about one of us betraying him but the idea seemed so preposterous. We all asked him if he meant one of us. He said it was the one to whom he would give a piece of bread after he had dipped it, and gave it to Judas. When Judas asked him whether he meant him, Jesus had said, “You said so (Matt. 26:20-25, John 13:21-26).” Then he told Judas to do quickly what he was going to do and Judas left us. We thought he had sent Judas to take care of some bill or something (John 13:27-30).”

“Where are we going?” Mary interrupted John.

“To King Herod’s palace, as that is where they took Jesus after taking him to the council and then the governor (Luke 23:1-12). Mary shuddered. She did not want to imagine what would happen in front of Herod. She had never forgotten what this king’s father had done all those years ago to all those innocent babies in the Bethlehem area when he could not find her own son (Matthew 2:16-18). And then there had been the beheading of John. Poor John. And now? Now? Would it be Jesus’ turn? Mary’s heart felt a sharp pang of pain and she remembered another happening from the past, the words of Simeon in the temple when they had dedicated Jesus: “as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul as well (Luke 2:25-35)!” How often those words had troubled her. What did they mean? Now, she realized, she was going to find out.

When they neared the palace, all seemed quiet there but they could hear a growing roar of voices from the governor’s quarters beyond that. When they got nearer, all Mary could hear was “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 

‘Oh no, Mary thought, ‘What is wrong with these people? What has happened? What has Jesus done wrong?’

When they arrived at the edge of the crowd, Mary instinctively covered her face. She did not want to be recognized and get into trouble. But John saw some of his friends, Jesus’ followers, and steered Mary in their direction. Mary saw that some of the women she was just getting to know were there too. There were Joanna, Clopas’ wife, Susanna, Salome and Mary from Magdala (Mark 15:40, Luke 8:15). There was another woman Mary was to learn later was Veronica, the one Jesus had healed of a bleeding problem that had plagued her for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34). 

They were all weeping but they all hugged Mary when they recognized her with John and expressed their distress at what they were seeing through their tears. Then they all turned to see what was unfolding before them when they saw their beloved Jesus at the entrance to the governor’s quarters. There was something that looked like branches wrapped around his head and blood dripping down his face. Beside him was a man with a white toga they all knew instinctively must be the hated governor, Pilate. A number of Roman soldiers flanked the two men. Mary knew this was not good. Part of her wished she had not come to this place to see this.

The Story of Mary III - Chapter 29 – Wakened in the Passover Night

NOTE: THESE CHAPTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN A MUCH IMPROVED, EXPANDED BOOK, "A SWORD SHALL PIERCE YOUR SOUL" from FriesenPress

Mary awoke with a start. Someone was pounding on the door of Uncle Benjamin’s house and calling for her! Mary listened to see if Uncle Benjamin would respond, for she as a woman should not go to the door of her host first, especially at night. Then she heard him moving towards the door. Understandably, she could hear a little annoyance in his voice as he asked what all the fuss was about in the middle of the night. She could not hear everything that was said but then she heard him approach where she was sleeping and call out tersely, “Mary, this man at the door says Jesus has been captured by the temple police and taken for trial before the Sanhedrin! They took him to Governor Pilate who has sent him to King Herod! He says his name is John. He thinks you will want to join him and his friends, that you will want to be there.”

Mary felt as if she was going to faint. Her head spun and she clutched at her clothes. First John, her cousin, and now her son! “Oh, Jahweh,” she cried in her spirit, “help your maidservant! Protect your son! Oh, what can I do?” 

It seemed as if her prayers were heard. She was able to pull herself together and try to get up. Benjamin saw her unsteadiness and helped her to her feet and supported her as she walked out to meet John. Yes, he was the kind young man she had taken a liking to ever since meeting him those years ago in Cana. 

John bowed slightly as Mary approached, “Mother, he began,” addressing her politely. “We had to let you know what has happened to your beloved son. I volunteered to come and tell you. Do you want to come with us?”

What else would she do? “Of course,” Mary said. 

“But Mary,” Benjamin interjected, “Will it be safe? Let me come with you.”

“No, Uncle Benjamin,” she said, looking lovingly at her aging uncle, “It will be too much for you.” She knew how much he cared for his nephew and thought of how this must also be affecting him. “Stay here with Aunt Hannah. I will let you know what happens.” 

Mary turned to go with John and then impulsively turned back and embraced her uncle and kissed him, “You can pray for us, please?” 

“Of course,” Benjamin said and then Mary was gone with the young man. 

John took Mary’s hand to make sure she was OK. Mary clutched her cloak tightly around her as she hurried through the chill of the dark night with John, praying earnestly in her heart for her beloved son’s welfare. Then John began to fill her in on what had happened.

“We had gone with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives after we finished seder,thinking we would continue on to Bethany for the night. Jesus seemed unusually troubled and went off by himself to pray, which you know is not that unusual for him. He did ask us to pray with him – more than once. We were so tired we kept falling asleep. I feel so bad now that we did not do that, or what happened next might have been avoided (Mathew 26:36-46). We had fallen asleep again when suddenly this crowd of noisy men with torches and clubs came storming across the valley and into the garden. And Judas was leading them! He took them right to Jesus (Matthew 26:37-50).”

‘Judas,’ Mary thought, ‘I never really had liked that one-’

John was continuing, “Jesus said something to Judas about betraying him and the next thing we knew Jesus was in the hands of these men and being led away, back towards the city.  Then what had happened at sedermade more sense. Jesus was talking about one of us betraying him but the idea seemed so preposterous. We all asked him if he meant one of us. He said it was the one to whom he would give a piece of bread after he had dipped it, and gave it to Judas. When Judas asked him whether he meant him, Jesus had said, “You said so (Matt. 26:20-25, John 13:21-26).” Then he told Judas to do quickly what he was going to do and Judas left us. We thought he had sent Judas to take care of some bill or something (John 13:27-30).”

“Where are we going?” Mary interrupted John.

“To King Herod’s palace, as that is where they took Jesus after taking him to the council and then the governor (Luke 23:1-12). Mary shuddered. She did not want to imagine what would happen in front of Herod. She had never forgotten what this king’s father had done all those years ago to all those innocent babies in the Bethlehem area when he could not find her own son (Matthew 2:16-18). And then there had been the beheading of John. Poor John. And now? Now? Would it be Jesus’ turn? Mary’s heart felt a sharp pang of pain and she remembered another happening from the past, the words of Simeon in the temple when they had dedicated Jesus: “as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul as well (Luke 2:25-35)!” How often those words had troubled her. What did they mean? Now, she realized, she was going to find out.

When they neared the palace, all seemed quiet there but they could hear a growing roar of voices from the governor’s quarters beyond that.  When they got nearer, all Mary could hear was “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 

‘Oh no, Mary thought, ‘What is wrong with these people? What has happened? What has Jesus done wrong?’

When they arrived at the edge of the crowd, Mary instinctively covered her face. She did not want to be recognized and get into trouble. But John saw some of his friends, Jesus’ followers, and steered Mary in their direction. Mary saw that some of the women she was just getting to know were there too. There were Joanna, Clopas’ wife, Susanna, Salome and Mary from Magdala (Mark 15:40, Luke 8:15). There was another woman Mary was to learn later was Veronica, the one Jesus had healed of a bleeding problem that had plagued her for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34). 

They were all weeping but they all hugged Mary when they recognized her with John and expressed their distress at what they were seeing through their tears. Then they all turned to see what was unfolding before them when they saw their beloved Jesus at the entrance to the governor’s quarters. There was something that looked like branches wrapped around his head and blood dripping down his face. Beside him was a man with a white toga they all knew instinctively must be the hated governor, Pilate. A number of Roman soldiers flanked the two men. Mary knew this was not good. Part of her wished she had not come to this place to see this.

Mary’s story - Chapter 13 Home Again

NOTE: THESE CHAPTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN A MUCH IMPROVED, EXPANDED BOOK, "A SWORD SHALL PIERCE YOUR SOUL" from FriesenPress

Mary had enjoyed and been blessed by the visit with her aunt in Judea. However, she was glad to be home in Nazareth again with Joseph and his parents. She realized how it had barely begun to sink in to her before she had taken off for Judea that now she was actually a married woman, living with her husband in the home of his parents. She was learning how she fit into the family and how she could work together with her new mother-in-law. Of course, it was wonderful to see Joseph after work every day and to be able to send him off again in the morning with a lovingly prepared lunch for the day.

She had barely been home too though when she had gone to visit her parents and tell them all about the trip. They were pleased for their kinfolk in Judea, although they too felt sorry for what had happened to Zechariah.

However, what still awed them was the story Mary repeated about how Elizabeth’s pregnancy had come about and what the angel who had spoken to Zechariah had told him about the future of their own son. They had heard some of this from the messenger they had sent to Judea earlier but to hear it from their own daughter, with more conviction and detail continued to deepen their puzzlement at what was occurring. Hearing all this news from Judea anew only added to their increasing concern. Sometimes they were even fearful about what was going on with their families. 

Mary told them again, but in more detail, how angel had told Zechariah that he was to name his son John (Luke 1:13). This sounded strange as it was not the name of anyone in the family.The angel had also told Zechariahthat “joy and gladness” would come to them, and “many would rejoice at his birth, for he was going to be great in the sight of the Lord (Luke 1:14-15).” Zechariah had been told that John “must never drink wine or strong drink, and that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth! (Luke 1:15)” Then there was the message about what would become of this son. Evidently, the best way they could understand it, was that he would become something of a prophet. He was going to “turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God (Luke 1:16).” And he was to go as “a forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him (Luke 1:17).” They had heard some of this before but the full import of it had not really begun to sink in as it began to now on hearing things again. 

This was most astounding! All faithful Jews knew that prophet Elijah was to return and prepare the way for the Messiah. This sounded just like what the prophet Malachi had said years before: “Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lordarrives. He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me. (Malachi 4:5-6a)” Was this saying that John was the resurrected Elijah? Mind you, the words were “in the spirit of,” not that he was Elijah. 

There was particularly the phrase, “A forerunner before the Lord (Luke 1:17).” That certainly sounded like Messianic predictions they were familiar with. Did it really mean? Could it really be true? That this child in Mary’s womb was the Messiah? The only qualification they could think of was that they were descendants of David. But beyond that, they could not imagine how they could be part of something so magnificent.

As these developments continued to occupy their minds, Joachim and Jacob’s conversations frequently turned to what all of this meant for Israel and especially for their families. Naomi and Anna had their thoughts and questions too. This should be something to rejoice about, a story too great to hold back. However, there were also too many reasons to keep quiet. There was the concern about the young couple, although they were now married, so that was less of an issue. However, the greater concern was what might come their way from their neighbours, their leaders, if they really learned that these two families believed that from them would come the Messiah. Who would believe it? And that was not even considering what the court of that murderous Herod, let alone the cruel Romans, would do with those who told such stories. Sometimes their hearts were heavy with the seeming responsibility of all this.

Joseph and Mary mostly just listened, trying to take it all in, wondering what it all meant. They heard their parents’ concerns and knew of their vailidity.  Yet, they both felt strangely at peace and often shared with each other how they felt this way. This mutual sense of the story they found themselves in only strengthened their belief that they were becoming an important part of God’s incomprehensible plans for his people. 

Lament for Ramah [Rachel]

Last year in Palestine-Israel I wrote a poem called Lament for Lifta, the abandoned Palestinian village on the slopes of the outskirts of Jerusalem.

This year I was inspired to write Lament for Ramah:

Lament for Ramah

                   (Gen. 35:16-20, Jer. 31:15-17, Mt. 2:16-18)

Israel wept

Mourning the loss

Of his beloved Rachel

Dying in childbirth

Rachel wept

Mourning the loss

Of being able to mother

Her beloved Ben-oni

Ramah wept

Mourning the loss

Of her beloved children

Being taken into exile

Rachel, Ramah wept again

Mourning the loss

When Herod

Slaughtered the Innocents

Rachel 

Weeps no more

Secure in her

Walled-off tomb [see photo below]

While the slaughter 

Of the Innocents continues