That’s how it all started. An angel impressed a girl under twenty years old and asked her if she agreed to have a child in a way that was surprising to her, “the Holy Spirit will overshadow you.” The angel had greeted her upon arrival as “full of grace and the Lord is with you.” She became confused, and the angel tenderly reassured her: “Do not be afraid, Mary.”
Logical! She was confused by the angel’s appearance and her greeting. Then he helped confuse her with the revolution of his message (“a son by the Holy Spirit”). It was the proposal that the angel made to her on behalf of God. The girl, very young, first calmed down, then thought (something we do very little, think about important things, those in our lives, and what comes next).
The girl thought and accepted God’s proposal, saying the most important words of all humanity: “Let it be done to me as you say”, because at that moment everything began, at that moment God began his life among us. That’s where each person’s story also began, although we don’t realize it much.
Having said these words, the angel left. Where to? To tell Joseph, her husband? No. She did not say anything to Joseph, who was already Mary’s husband, although they did not yet live together (the marriage of the Jews had two phases, in the first the authentic marriage took place, in the second, they began to live together). . That day in the afternoon, Joseph went to see Mary, and she quickly realized that he didn’t know anything. And she began to suffer. Logical. She had a son in her womb and her husband knew nothing.
The angel, in passing, had told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, was going to have a son, and she was in her sixth month. For Mary, the information was important. They called him John, and he prepared the way for Jesus. Mary, who was already the mother of God, the most important woman of all, made the first surprising decision of her life: she would go to see Elizabeth, to help her in her last months of pregnancy, to wash, clean, help throughout. It was a four-day cart trip to the little town where Elizabeth lived. Important decision. Everyone else first! Is it the same thing we do?
Since there were no phones or cell phones, Mary appeared suddenly. The meeting of the two women is very interesting. They scream with enthusiasm! Elizabeth screamed with joy, and Mary too. Logically, we imagine them shouting and talking at the same time. How is normal! Elizabeth, illuminated from above, said the mysterious thing about “the mother of my Lord has come to visit me” and Mary responded with another expression of enthusiasm called “Magnificat.” Surely the two hugged each other, laughed and the affection flew at a mile an hour.
And Joseph, where was he? Who knows! Some believe that he accompanied Mary and turned back as soon as he arrived. Others think that he stayed at his job and that someone he trusted accompanied Mary on the trip. For Joseph, Mary was everything in his life, his treasure, the love of his life, the reason for his life.
It took about three months of washing, cleaning and helping. To serve Elizabeth and her family. That was what the most important woman of all did, the One who “we call blessed all generations,” the Queen of the angels, and of the prophets, and the Queen of Queens.
Mary returns to her city. Some quick ladies guess the pregnancy and congratulate Joseph. The catastrophe! Joseph ran to Mary. Her eyes are very clear, but she doesn’t say anything. Joseph, he doesn’t even remotely think of a deception. He suffers. He soon comes to think that God is involved, and he is superfluous. Likewise, he decides to leave. It is the destruction of his life. He doesn’t know what he will do, but he decides to get out of the way, not to hinder God’s plans. It is what God was waiting for, that supergenerous, heroic, small and big decision at the same time. Like so many of our decisions. That night, an angel explains everything to him. An immense joy invades all of José. He runs to the girl. And immense joy also invades Mary.
That’s how it all started. Then many things happened with the three of them, which you know more or less, and your life and mine, which were lost, changed to total success and the certain hope of heaven. Big change, for the better! But that is only if each person wants the total happiness that God offers them! Let’s not be so crazy as to reject it! Lord, yes I love her!
And what has happened before in our lives? Everything. Joys, illusions, shadows, doubts, pain, as in Joseph’s life and as in the girl’s life.
The 19th is the feast of Saint Joseph, the twenty-year-old, the craftsman of Nazareth, the whiz, the genius, the one I want to imitate!
We believe that the great success of each one is to earn a lot of money (which is very good), we believe that it is to have everything I want (which is also good), it is to trust completely in God, I say it again, to trust completely in God.
And then inside there is a very great joy. Much greater than that joy that money and things give. Money and things, one’s job, one’s family, are good, small joys (sometimes they seem big to us), that can fit within that big joy, and it is very good to learn to fit it in or that they can hide it. It would be the biggest mistake we can make. Let’s not commit it!
The girl under twenty and the twenty-something. A great adventure that can also be mine. And I want that adventure!
It all started with a yes, yes, let it be done!, from that little girl. And everything continued with the large category of the twenty-something. Mary and Joseph, two small and big lovers at the same time. A woman and a man on whom we all lean.
While we live, we have time to do great things!!!!
In time for what? To be like them, and to be like each of us wants to be.
