Patricia Saint John,
the Christian writer,
described how, in childhood,
she climbed to the top
of a beech tree
with her brother
and a family friend, Nora.

From this towering vantage point
Patricia could see her mother
doing something
at the foot of the tree
and called out,
“What are you doing
down there?”

“Praying that, if one of you falls”,
replied her mother,
“it’s not Nora!”

Patricia’s mother obviously felt
the weight of responsibility
that comes with
looking after someone else’s child.

This comes to mind today
as I pray The Finding in the Temple
while saying my Rosary.
I find myself wondering
how Our Lady must have felt
when Jesus went missing –
the terror of having lost
her own son,
coupled with the weight of responsibility
that comes with looking after
the long-awaited Messiah,
the Son of God!

But then Our Lady
was no ordinary woman –
she was a woman like no other,
specially chosen by God
and she had Saint Joseph
by her side.
Was he the voice of reason,
urging Our Lady to stay calm,
retrace her steps
and place her trust in God?

Our Lady and Saint Joseph –
two extraordinary people
chosen by God
to look after His son.
And now, when I think about it,
I reckon that God really couldn’t have chosen
more capable people
to bear the awesome responsibility
of caring His son,
now could He?

© Claire Murray, March 2024

Recently
there’s been talk on corners.
Mary is expecting a baby,
you see,
before she has begun
to live with Joseph.

“Oooh,
some people just can’t wait!”
smirks someone.
Mary passes by,
head bowed down.

“Bringing shame on the family!”
whispers another
as Mary approaches.
Mary hurries past.

“Bring back stoning,
that’s what I say!”
rasps someone else.
Mary lowers her head
and blinks away tears.

Harsh words
to cut, to humiliate, to hurt
and to terrify.

Mary hurries off
to a town in the hill country
to visit Elizabeth.

What a reception
she receives –
welcome, warm embrace
and smiles all around.
Even Elizabeth’s unborn child
leaps for joy!

Here, Mary can hold her head high
and reveal at last
her true feelings –
“My soul glorifies the Lord!”

Three months in the hill country
with Elizabeth –
where Mary feels
known, loved, accepted
and understood.

A hope that,
by the time she returns home,
the talk on corners
will have ceased.

© Claire Murray, 12th January 2023

Recently
there’s been talk on corners.
Mary is expecting a baby,
you see,
before she has begun
to live with Joseph.

“Oooh,
some people just can’t wait!”
smirks someone.
Mary passes by,
head bowed down.

“Bringing shame on the family!”
whispers another
as Mary approaches.
Mary hurries past.

“Bring back stoning,
that’s what I say!”
rasps someone else.
Mary lowers her head
and blinks away tears.

Harsh words
to cut, to humiliate, to hurt
and to terrify.

Mary hurries off
to a town in the hill country
to visit Elizabeth.

What a reception
she receives –
welcome, warm embrace
and smiles all around.
Even Elizabeth’s unborn child
leaps for joy!

Here, Mary can hold her head high
and reveal at last
her true feelings –
“My soul glorifies the Lord!”

Three months in the hill country
with Elizabeth –
where Mary feels
known, loved, accepted
and understood.

A hope that,
by the time she returns home,
the talk on corners
will have ceased.

© Claire Murray, 12th January 2023