Kitchen Catechism: Featured Articles

. . . It was the day before Christmas

by Lois Donahue

…and guess who I sat next to on the bus-stop bench that morning…I know you'll never guess so let me tell you about her. She said her name was Mary, that she was a widow just visiting in our area. Nothing unusual, right? Well wait 'till you hear the rest.

When I asked where she was from, she told me she spent a good part of her life in Nazareth, comparatively short periods in and around Jerusalem and had once traveled as far south as Egypt. Hearing those words, must have put a puzzled look on my face and I'm sure she knew I thought of her as a bit deranged. "I'm not surprised that you are suspicious" she said, "but it really is me - Mary - you know, the wife of Joseph the carpenter and the mother of Jesus." Somehow I was convinced. She was Mary, the read-about-her- in-the-bible-Mary. That's all it took, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer and I blurted out, "Tell me about Jesus. Did he cry when he fell? Did he do chores? Did he have a favorite food?" Before I could go on - and on - and on, she touched my hand and said, "You can be sure that the young man who wept over Jerusalem also shed his share of the usual tears that accompany falls, cuts and bruises and you can be just as certain that he did chores - I was that kind of a mother.

As to his favorite food, I can't remember anything specific. However, I very clearly remember trying to wash out the red stains he got on his clothes when he ate pomegranates. But, probably I can best sum up answers to any 'did-he' questions you might ask, by reminding you that Jesus was a truly human little boy who grew up on this earth in a certain time and place and culture and who maintained his humanity throughout his life."

She must have sensed my disappointment with her answer's lack of specifics because she continued. "While there are certainly a great many day-to-day things I would enjoy telling you about my son, considering the limited time we'll have before our buses come, I really want to remind you of some of the things I DIDN'T KNOW about him." She ignored my look of disagreement and went on.

"First, you must remember that when, thanks to St. Luke, you probably first met me, I was no more than a simple, young girl living in the village of Nazareth. I had comparatively little education and my parents were raising me according to the beliefs and practices of the Jewish faith. That was about it and then came the most astonishing moment of my life."

"I don't have to remind you of the strangely unusual circumstances surrounding my unexpected pregnancy. Although the Angel tried to explain it all to me, I was "troubled", I "pondered", I even asked, "How?". The words of Elizabeth really didn't clarify things for me nor did the angels, the shepherds or the magi. Neither did what Simeon and Anna had to say later when we presented Jesus in the Temple. So you can see that right from the beginning there were things I DIDN'T KNOW about Jesus."

"Then remember when he was twelve and worried us sick by staying in Jerusalem. As you know, his response to our concern was, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" Needless to say, Joseph or I DID NOT KNOW he had to be in his father's house and for sure we 'did not understand' what in the world he meant."

"After many comparatively normal years, with the to-be-expected joys and sorrows, came Canna. Truthfully, because of his apparent lack of concern, I didn't have any idea what, if anything, would happen when I told the servants at the wedding to 'Do whatever he tells you' and how he changed water into wine was as much a mystery to me as bread and wine being changed into his body and blood must be to you."

"Along that same line, had I been at what you now call 'The Last Supper' when Jesus said to his Apostles 'I am in the Father and the Father is in me' or later when he said 'the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father', I wouldn't have had the vaguest idea or could have in any way explained what he meant…but I believed. So it is with you, I'm sure, as you deal with the mystery you now refer to as the Most Holy Trinity."

"I think what I am trying to tell you is that you don't have to KNOW or even to UNDERSTAND. I was able to live with 'not knowing' because I had been given faith - the same gift you were given at Baptism. I believed because I was taught to pray and I prayed often. Jesus has given you His Church to help you to know and understand to whatever extent is possible. Through His Church, too, He offers you grace for strength and perseverance. Looking back, I wish I would have had the help and guidance of His Church."

Evidently realizing time was slipping away, she grinned and said, "Now what kind of a mother would I be if I didn't give you some advice before I left." Then came these very serious words, "When you are tempted not to 'believe', not to 'trust' - when you encounter things you don't know or don't understand which might tend to weaken your faith in Him, test your love for Him or, worse yet, to question His love for you, -- remember that the devil tempts us all.

I know he tempted me but I learned to fight back - to, as you would say, "hang in there". I would pray and hope and pray and hope and pray some more. Even beyond that I would remind myself over and over and over of the promises God has made to those who believe.

It wasn't always easy for me and it won't be for you - especially since you never heard His voice, never felt the touch of His hand, never watched Him in silence, looked into His eyes, or heard Him laugh. I hope at times like that you will remember today and understand why I wanted not only to tell you about my 'not knowing' but to tell you something I DO KNOW, from personal experience and beyond ----- God always keeps his promises!"

"Oh-Oh, here's my bus." She gave me a quick hug, stepped into the bus, waved goodbye and shouted "have to get back home…we've got a birthday to celebrate tomorrow".

O.K. so it didn't really happen but WOW!, what a stop-and-think Christmas experience it would have been.

[ to top ]

"Nothing should
frighten or grieve you.
Let not your heart be troubled. Am I, your Mother,
not here with you?"

"Nothing should
frighten or grieve you.
Let not your heart be troubled. Am I, your Mother,
not here with you?"

FEATURED ARTICLE
Catholic Culture and New Evangelization. Read
WORDS OF WISDOM
You don't have to do it all alone - God is always there for you. Read
FEATURED PRAYER
Mary, Undoer of Knots (A favorite prayer of Pope Francis) Read
EYE ON THE POPE

Words of a Future Pope. Read