Early Life of Mother Mary - Part 3
Early Life of Mother Mary - Part 3
Let us look then at the life of Mary.
According to the histories of the twelve tribes of Israel, Joachim was a very wealthy man. He brought his offerings twofold to the Lord, saying to himself, "This from my abundance will be for all the people, and this which I owe as a sin offering will be for the Lord God as a propitiation for me."
Now the great day of the Lord drew near, and the children of Israel brought their offerings. Reuben stood up and said "It is not permissible for you to bring your offerings first, for you did not produce offspring in Israel."
Deeply ashamed, Joachim left the city. In the desert he pitched a tent, saying, "I shall fast and do penance until the Lord deems me worthy." He went into the desert and fasted for 40 days and nights. Anna wept to see her husband go.
All alone, she went into the garden and sat down beneath the laurel tree. Looking toward the heavens, she saw a nest of sparrows in the tree. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. How she longed to have a child of her own. Anna entreated the Lord, saying" Woe is me! To what am I likened? I am not likened to this earth, for even the earth brings forth her fruit in its season and blesses you, O Lord."
And behold an angel of the Lord appeared, saying "Anna, the Lord God heard your prayer, and you will conceive and give birth, and your offspring shall be spoken of in the whole inhabited world." Anna said, "As the Lord my God lives, if I give birth, whether male or female, I will present it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall be a ministering servant to him all the days of its life.": And behold two angels came saying to her "Behold your husband Joachim is coming with his flocks." Anna ran and throw her arms around his neck saying "Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me very greatly, for behold the widow is no longer a widow, and she who was barren has conceived."
Anna gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, in gratitude to the Lord, Joachim vowed that once the child turned three years old, she would be sent to the Temple to be educated.
When she was six months old her mother stood her on the ground to see if she could stand. Walking seven steps, she came to her mother's bosom. Anna held the baby to her and said, "As the Lord is my God, and He has sent me a miraculous child." Anna then caught her up, saying "as the Lord my God lives, you shall not walk on this earth again until I bring you to the Temple of the Lord". Then she made a sanctuary in her bedroom and prohibited everything common and unclean from passing through it.
When the child was three years old, Joachim said, "let us call the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews and let each one take a torch and let them be burning in order that the child not turn back and her heart be misled out of the Temple of the Lord". Thus they did, until they had gone up into the Temple.
The priest received her, and kissing her he blessed her and said, "The Lord God has magnified your name in all generations, in you at the end of todays will the Lord God manifest his deliverance to the children of Israel". He set her on the third step of the alter, and the Lord God gave grace to her, and she danced with her feet, and all the house of Israel loved her. At last it was time for Mary to climb the steps to the Temple. A halo of light encircled the blessed child and filled with joy, she began to dance. The child's bright spirit could not be contained anymore than the sun can be kept from rising. Her parents returned marvelling and giving praise and glorifying the Lord God that the child did not turn back.
Aji Thomas David
Let us look then at the life of Mary.
According to the histories of the twelve tribes of Israel, Joachim was a very wealthy man. He brought his offerings twofold to the Lord, saying to himself, "This from my abundance will be for all the people, and this which I owe as a sin offering will be for the Lord God as a propitiation for me."
Now the great day of the Lord drew near, and the children of Israel brought their offerings. Reuben stood up and said "It is not permissible for you to bring your offerings first, for you did not produce offspring in Israel."
Deeply ashamed, Joachim left the city. In the desert he pitched a tent, saying, "I shall fast and do penance until the Lord deems me worthy." He went into the desert and fasted for 40 days and nights. Anna wept to see her husband go.
All alone, she went into the garden and sat down beneath the laurel tree. Looking toward the heavens, she saw a nest of sparrows in the tree. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. How she longed to have a child of her own. Anna entreated the Lord, saying" Woe is me! To what am I likened? I am not likened to this earth, for even the earth brings forth her fruit in its season and blesses you, O Lord."
And behold an angel of the Lord appeared, saying "Anna, the Lord God heard your prayer, and you will conceive and give birth, and your offspring shall be spoken of in the whole inhabited world." Anna said, "As the Lord my God lives, if I give birth, whether male or female, I will present it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall be a ministering servant to him all the days of its life.": And behold two angels came saying to her "Behold your husband Joachim is coming with his flocks." Anna ran and throw her arms around his neck saying "Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me very greatly, for behold the widow is no longer a widow, and she who was barren has conceived."
Anna gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, in gratitude to the Lord, Joachim vowed that once the child turned three years old, she would be sent to the Temple to be educated.
When she was six months old her mother stood her on the ground to see if she could stand. Walking seven steps, she came to her mother's bosom. Anna held the baby to her and said, "As the Lord is my God, and He has sent me a miraculous child." Anna then caught her up, saying "as the Lord my God lives, you shall not walk on this earth again until I bring you to the Temple of the Lord". Then she made a sanctuary in her bedroom and prohibited everything common and unclean from passing through it.
When the child was three years old, Joachim said, "let us call the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews and let each one take a torch and let them be burning in order that the child not turn back and her heart be misled out of the Temple of the Lord". Thus they did, until they had gone up into the Temple.
The priest received her, and kissing her he blessed her and said, "The Lord God has magnified your name in all generations, in you at the end of todays will the Lord God manifest his deliverance to the children of Israel". He set her on the third step of the alter, and the Lord God gave grace to her, and she danced with her feet, and all the house of Israel loved her. At last it was time for Mary to climb the steps to the Temple. A halo of light encircled the blessed child and filled with joy, she began to dance. The child's bright spirit could not be contained anymore than the sun can be kept from rising. Her parents returned marvelling and giving praise and glorifying the Lord God that the child did not turn back.
Aji Thomas David
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