To-day Mary and Joseph arrive at their journey's end. We think of them
footsore, weary, homeless; we think of the discouragement and rebuffs
that they meet with as they hear on all sides that there is no room for
them; but do we think enough of the intense joy that reigned in Mary's
heart, a joy communicated to her by her Son? He is rejoicing that His
hour is come; the very refusals of His people to receive Him and His
Mother are to Him a sign that His work has begun and is already being
opposed. Mary shares His joy; she is absorbed by one thought--soon she
will look upon His Face--and that thought is so great that there is
scarcely room for any other in her heart. And Joseph? Can we imagine him
anxious and disturbed and worried? No, it is impossible--he is with
JESUS and Mary, he has lived his life close to them for nine months, he
has imbibed their spirit. If his joy is not as intense as theirs, his
_peace_ is unruffled; he has brought the Mother with her Child to
Bethlehem as he was told to do, and he knows that God will take care of
His own.
My first lessons, then, for to-day are apparent. In the morning I shall
see His glory; the point of Advent is reached, my preparation is nearly
over. I was told to get ready for Him, I was told to come to Bethlehem,
I have been trying to do so, trying to keep up with Mary and Joseph on
their journey; often, I am obliged to admit it, it has been a following
afar off, but still by God's grace, I _am_ following and I know that
to-day He is coming to save us and that to-morrow I shall see His glory
for He will come to me in Holy Communion. He will be born again in my
heart and make me understand once more that He is incarnate for me. Are
my joy and my peace so great that nothing has the power to touch them?
There are many occupations that must of necessity claim my time and my
attention to-day, as there were many coming and going on the roads that
led to Bethlehem; there are many things to be thought about in my last
preparations for Christmas--it was so with Mary and Joseph too. Almost
certainly I shall have to-day, as they had, things that try and weary
me, perhaps suffering, temptation, slights and even insults. Shall I
receive them as last and most precious opportunities for adding the
finishing touches to my preparation, for gaining a victory where I have
perhaps so recently lost one, for making reparation to my King and for
uniting myself more closely to Him and His Mother? Will the thought that
He is coming be so absorbing that the difficulties of the way are hardly
noticed or are welcome as a reminder that I too am journeying to
Bethlehem? If I cannot aspire to the joy of JESUS and Mary, I can at
least aim at the peace of St. Joseph.