Telling the Beads Bead 3 - Episode 1 Born in Bethlehem

Bead Three - Born in Bethlehem

B3 - E1 The Birth

Although Mary's time with Elizabeth had passed quickly, she and Joseph were happy to be back in their own home, picking up the threads of their new life together. Anne and Joachim were delighted to have their daughter near at hand again, eager to hear the news of her visit and of the new baby; Anne, especially, wanting to know all the details of who he looked like and how the new parents were coping.

As the time approached for Mary's baby to be born, they were both full of excitement and expectation and then the news broke! Far away in Rome, the Emperor, Augustus, issued a decree stating that all people throughout the Roman Empire had to register in a census in their home town. Joseph was descended from the family line of King David which meant that he and Mary would have to journey to Bethlehem, David’s birthplace.

This was, of course, a blow. Mary was so close to having the baby and Bethlehem was quite a distance away so, instead of the warmth and safety of their own home with her parents nearby, Mary would have to undertake a long journey with Joseph, not knowing when and where she might give birth. However, there was nothing to be done but to prepare for the journey as best they could and to pray and put their trust in God.

The panniers were loaded up on their donkey with sufficient supplies for their immediate needs as they set off early in the morning, waved on their way by Mary’s deeply concerned parents, on what must have been a difficult and extremely uncomfortable journey for Mary and of great concern to Joseph as he walked along beside her.

They and their neighbours on the same journey were joined on the way by others from the surrounding villages but gradually the number of fellow travellers thinned out as most of them could travel more quickly. It was dark as they approached Bethlehem and the stream of people was reduced to a few stragglers. As they went from inn to inn, looking for accommodation for the night, it became increasingly obvious that all the available rooms had been taken.

They had tried every inn in the centre of town to no avail and just as they were coming to the end of the road, Mary's labour began. In quiet desperation, Joseph went up to the door of the last inn and knocked. It was opened by the innkeeper's wife, who, without his having to say a word, immediately took in the situation. She called through to her husband to send one of the children round to the stable at the side of the house to place clean straw in the manger.

She was a kind woman who, having had a large family herself, was very familiar with the needs of childbirth. She beckoned Joseph to follow her, saying, ‘’Come with me and bring your wife. I can see she needs somewhere to give birth. The stable is warm and dry and I will tend to your wife while you go into the inn to rest and warm yourself.’’ Joseph saw Mary comfortably settled and safe in the hands of this capable and warm-hearted woman, confident that she would have the care and assistance she needed.

The innkeeper took him through to sit by the hearth and have something warm to eat and drink. One of his elder daughters had gone to the stable to help her mother and, within a very short time, she came running in with the news. "Come and see! The baby is born and he is beautiful!" With a heart full of emotion, Joseph followed her through the house to the stable.

The scene before him brought tears of joy to his eyes. His young wife lay propped up on bales of hay, holding the baby in her arms. He was wrapped in spotlessly clean swaddling bands which the mother had sent her daughter to find. A radiant glow surrounded them as Joseph folded his strong arms around them both, his eyes feasting on this precious child whom he was to foster and raise as his very own son.

Mary gave the baby into his arms and, after holding him close for a while, he gently laid him in the manger that the mother and her daughter had prepared before leaving them to share their private joy. The girl had brought a beautiful piece of soft white linen to place over the clean straw that her brother had placed in the manger. She had been saving it as a shawl for her wedding day which was not too far away but wanted to make the manger as special as she could for this new little life that had come into their lives.

Mary and Joseph held each other in an embrace and praised and thanked God for bringing them the help they had needed to bring God's son, and theirs also, into the world. Although it was harsh and cold outside, they had found themselves in a place of peace and tranquillity, warmed by the breath and presence of the animals, the family's ox and ass and their own donkey, who slept alongside them, keeping them warm, despite the cold night air. They fell asleep, full of an inner happiness that, no matter what lay ahead of them, would never be taken away.