Christmas - Mary Letter 23

Jesus said, "Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Matthew 23:34-39 





Dear Aunt Elizabeth,

Our little baby boy has arrived, healthy and hungry! I am grateful for the midwife and the wise women  our landlady found, for learning how to care for him and feed him has been a struggle. We thought we had plenty of diapers, but it became clear in the first hours that we were totally mistaken. The women have also helped me understand how to feed him, helping me relax into the whole process. Phoebe and Luke, the innkeepers here, have also been so kind and generous. They were gruff and suspicious at first, but somehow the presence of this child has softened them. There have been many people who come and marvel at this child! As if there aren't babies born everyday! Somehow, people know there is something different going on and the star overhead at night seems to help affirm that.

Oh, Auntie, I so wish you were here to show me the ropes. I wrote Mama yesterday but I have kept the hard parts from her. She doesn't need to know the worst of our journey. Yet, I wish she was one of the elder women gathered around. Her soft voice and kind heart always have helped me in the past. Now, I have to be brave and be a mother to this remarkable boy without her instruction. I want to hold him and protect him always. I wish he could stay small and cling to me forever, yet I know he cannot. He is getting bigger and stronger by the minute!

Sending love always,

Mary