Lydia Gillen
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances 2007/8/9, 2011 , 2012/13/14. C.F 2015
Camino Portugues 2017,2018,2019
volunteering
As I make last minute preparations for Christmas I reflect on the camino being made by Mary and Joseph.
I am convinced that they expected to have registered in Bethlehem and be home in Nazareth before the expected birth. I base this on the fact that no young girl wants to leave their own women folk the week their first child is due. Did the baby come early beacause of the long walk or the bumby ride on a mule?
Also Mary had no baby clothes with her. Can we imagine that she who later on would weave a seamless cloak for Jesus , surely she would have prepared little baby clothes for him. I can almost imagine them in a basket.
We know that the night is freezing cold in Bethlehem. were they afraid that the baby would die of cold ? Did Joseph take out his knife and cut and tear strips off his own cloak and then wrap them around the tiny arms and legs so that Jesus would not die of cold before the light and heat of day.
Why did Mary put Jesus into the manger?. Why did she not hold him close to her body within the warmth of her cloak?. This would have been far more natural. Why did she not lie down with the baby on the straw ? I have pondered about this for years and the only logical conclusion I can come to is this; there was nowhere clean on the floor where she could sit down. So she put the baby in the manger safe from the hooves of the animals.
How did Joseph feel about his beloved wife having to give birth in these circumstances?
"God so loved the world that He sent his only begotton Son....."
We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Do we try to make this little planet a good place for all to live in?
I am convinced that they expected to have registered in Bethlehem and be home in Nazareth before the expected birth. I base this on the fact that no young girl wants to leave their own women folk the week their first child is due. Did the baby come early beacause of the long walk or the bumby ride on a mule?
Also Mary had no baby clothes with her. Can we imagine that she who later on would weave a seamless cloak for Jesus , surely she would have prepared little baby clothes for him. I can almost imagine them in a basket.
We know that the night is freezing cold in Bethlehem. were they afraid that the baby would die of cold ? Did Joseph take out his knife and cut and tear strips off his own cloak and then wrap them around the tiny arms and legs so that Jesus would not die of cold before the light and heat of day.
Why did Mary put Jesus into the manger?. Why did she not hold him close to her body within the warmth of her cloak?. This would have been far more natural. Why did she not lie down with the baby on the straw ? I have pondered about this for years and the only logical conclusion I can come to is this; there was nowhere clean on the floor where she could sit down. So she put the baby in the manger safe from the hooves of the animals.
How did Joseph feel about his beloved wife having to give birth in these circumstances?
"God so loved the world that He sent his only begotton Son....."
We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Do we try to make this little planet a good place for all to live in?
