TELLING THE BEADS
An Imagining of the Life of Jesus
This is a story of real people.
It is also a story of angels and dreams, of journeys and visits -
of birth and death and of resurrection.
It began, around two thousand years ago, with the appearance of a new star,
rising in the east and settling above a stable in Bethlehem.
The name of that star is Jesus and he is still shining today,
for all to see if they should but look for him.
The story is taken from the bible and from the long-held traditions of the Christian faith, such as the names of Mary’s parents and of the three wise men. All ideas and imaginings of my own and from other sources are in italics.
I have tried to weave the threads of the stories in each of the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles into one seamless garment. All I can say is that it has been a privilege, a joy and sometimes a struggle.
My abiding desire has been to make Jesus and the stories of his life ‘real’. I can only hope and pray that in some small way, I have managed to do so.
Bead 1 - of Angels and Dreams
Episode 1 - Mary’s Story
Mary was a lovely girl. Everyone said so. She lived in a small village in Palestine with her mother, Anne, and her father, Joachim. She had been betrothed to Joseph, the village carpenter, for some time. She had known him all her life because he was a close friend of her parents. They were an older couple, having waited quite a long time for the gift of their beloved child. Joseph was also older than Mary but Anne and Joachim were more than happy to give her into the care of such a good man.
All through her childhood, she had popped in and out of his workshop and he had spent many a happy evening in their home, chatting and laughing, a part of the family. Joseph had loved Mary for as long as he could remember and she had grown to love him deeply in return. They were looking forward to the day when they were to be joined in marriage and set up their own home.
One morning in early spring, Mary happened to be alone in the house. On entering her room at around midday, she became aware of an atmosphere of stillness and peace. As she gazed around the room, she saw a vision of light and knew at once that she was in the presence of an angel. She had been taught and had read the sacred scriptures of her Jewish faith from her earliest years so was familiar with the things of God.
The angel began to speak to her. "Mary, my name is Gabriel and I have been sent by God to bring you a joyful message.” At first, Mary was taken aback, wondering what this could possibly mean but the angel spoke again in such a kindly way that she began to feel reassured. "Don't be afraid, Mary. You are so completely full of love and goodness that God is always with you and has chosen you to be the mother of his Son.
‘’You are to have a baby and to name him, Jesus. He will be known as the Son of God and will succeed to the throne of King David.” David was the very much loved King who had reigned a thousand years earlier, first over Judea in the south of the country, and then, jointly, over the northern kingdom of Israel.
Mary was puzzled by these words at first and asked how this could happen because she wasn’t married but the angel explained that it would be by the power of God that this would come about and also told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, was expecting a son who would be born in three months' time, showing that nothing is impossible for God.
The last part of the message was wonderful news for Mary because she and her cousin had always been close even though she was much younger than Elizabeth. Mary knew it was a source of deep sorrow for Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, that they had never had a child. After many years of waiting and praying, they had given up all hope or expectation that they ever would.
Mary then replied to Gabriel, with absolute humility and trust. "I have always wanted to serve God, so let whatever is God's will be done." And it was! From that moment on, she found herself enwrapped and enfolded in the love of God, cocooned in the knowledge that she was carrying God's child within her. No matter what might befall her, no matter how she would be viewed in the eyes of the world, nothing could take away the inner joy that she would know forever.
Slowly, the presence of the angel Gabriel, with all the stillness and beauty of the vision, began to ebb away. As Mary sat quietly, reflecting on everything that had happened and been said, she heard her mother's voice calling out to her on her return from the market. She called back and Anne went to her room. She knew immediately that something momentous had happened.
They sat together, Mary recounting everything, and Anne, at first bemused, as she struggled to take in the reality of the situation, then, full of wonder and awe; also overjoyed to hear that Elizabeth and Zechariah were expecting a baby. Gradually, being the wise and sensible woman she was, she began to reassure her daughter and to marvel at the miracle of the precious gift to their family.
She would talk to Joachim and together, they would decide what to do next. Throughout the afternoon, they talked everything through. Over the evening meal, they praised and thanked God and prayed for guidance. It was decided between them that Joachim would go to Joseph's house after the meal to tell him everything that had happened.
As Mary and her mother sat together, talking over the day's events and awaiting the return of Joachim, they, of course, felt deeply concerned for Joseph, wondering how he would feel and react to the news but were also full of gratitude for the goodness of God. In her heart of hearts though, Anne held another joy. Not only was her daughter going to have a baby, but she herself was going to be a grandmother. She would hold the baby in her arms, a baby who was God's Son, yes, the long-awaited Messiah, but also, her grandson.
