ALIVE, Chapter 93 The Gift

When the little family arrived in Jerusalem, Joachim first secured a room where they could sleep that night, and the next night, after they settled their precious little girl in the competent hands of the nuns. The donkey’s owner wished the family well as he went in search of more business. Joachim, Anna, and Mary rested in their room long enough to become very hungry. 

The bustling big city was a maze of activity open to exploration. Merchants selling anything a person could want were scattered everywhere. Joachim followed the aroma of grilled skewered meats, and little Mary asked her papa for ripe figs. After supper, they walked to the Temple to show Mary the grandeur of it. Little Mary’s eyes opened wide to see such a large building. There was nothing like this in Nazareth. 

“This will be your new home, a palace for the princess!” said Joachim. 

Mary was in awe. “Can we go inside?” 

“Not now my dear. They aren’t expecting us until morning. Let’s go back and sleep now. It’s getting late and I am so tired.”

“Okay,  mommy. Papa, pick me up!” Joachim bent down and lifted up his little girl with some struggle, but glad for the pain of it and storing that precious pain in his heart as a gem he hoped to find and admire some lonely days in the future. 

At sunrise the next morning, the family awoke naturally and washed and dressed little Mary in her finest white frock. Anna produced some yoghurt she had bought in the city the night before. After breakfast father and mother each took a hand of their precious little girl to walk her back to the big temple. Mary was enthusiastic to see what the temple looked like inside. Joachim and Anna meanwhile each clenched their sadness lest it show on their faces.

By the time they arrived the outer doors to the Temple were open for morning prayer. A woman in her forties who had been sitting at the entrance waiting for them rushed over to greet the family with a big smile that joined her two flushed dimpled cheeks; a patch of light brown hair peeked out of her head covering and brushed against her laughing green eyes.

“So this is Mary, we have so looked forward to meeting you darling. Welcome to your new home. I am your house mother. You may call me Mother. So pleased to meet you!” The new mother reached out her big hand to hold the little hand of Mary who looked up at her cheerfully. The house mother immediately felt the warmth and love that emanated from this precious little girl and thought to herself, “Tomorrow, when you know me better, you’ll get a hug. What a sweet sweet child.”

Mother ushered Mary and her parents to the dormitories where ten girls of different heights and ages, looking like a mountain range from afar stood beside their ten beds. In a cacophony of greetings, each girl welcomed sweet little Mary to her new home.

The house mother showed Mary her place, in the middle of the row. The quiet servant was relieved to deposit her trunk at the foot of the wooden bed, and then withdraw.

After a tour of the temple, and a community prayer service, the family was treated to lunch with all the girls. Joachim and Anna were a little surprised at the silent quietude in which they dined, and their perfect table manners. The parents were pleased to be assured that this was the environment they wanted for their precious daughter. It was peaceful, dignified, and reverent. A bud could blossom beautifully under such conditions. 

Following the meal, the house mother stood to dismiss the girls to their classes. Then she asked Joachim, Anna and Mary to come to her office for parting words, after which the parents with forced cheerfulness gave their little a girl a big hug, and bid her good bye, promising to return for a visit the following month.

Joachim and Anna rushed back to their room where they wept in each other’s arms for quite a while. Being without Mary for the first time in so many years was almost more than they could bear. Their cheerful little girl. Yes, but this was the sacrifice. She was always God’s daughter. He would take good care of her, and they would be back. They had to get used to living without her.

At the temple the other girls were very kind to their new little sister Mary who was no more than a toddler away from home forever. Each of them in her own heart remembered the fear and loneliness of the first days away from home. But for her part Mary tried to be brave. She had always been a quiet little girl, especially since she had no brother or sister to play and fight with. 

The house Mother who was relieved that this child did not make a crying screaming scene as so many of the other littlest children did. She paired Mary with one of the older quiet girls as she perceived that Mary was quite timid. “I want you to watch over Mary and help her to feel at home here.” 

“Yes  mother.” replied ten year old Ruth. And to Mary she said, “Let’s go to the farm! Oh Mary, this is such a beautiful big home and you will learn so much here!” Mary looked up and smiled while she suddenly realized that her parents were gone and not coming back for her. This realization, that washed away her enthusiasm about her new school caused her to yearn for them. Ruth sensed the sadness and exclaimed , “Come see the animals!” Pointing to the barn in the distance, and then grasping Mary’s hand the big and little girl together ran to find solace.

“Animals!” thought Mary. What can they be?” Ruth led Mary into the barn with its own fenced in yard behind it. There she saw domesticated pheasants whose plumes they spread open to show off and dazzle the little human. Small white and brown puppies, only six weeks old were running about from stall to stall as if playing hide and seek with each other. An old giant ox lay chewing his cud, while a large stall filled with little goats quietly meandered around their space waiting to be released into the field to munch again. White doves, like masters of the barn flew overhead overseeing it all. 

“Is this like Noah’s ark?” asked Mary. “My mama told me all about Noah!” exclaimed the little girl, shy no more. 

Ruth was pleased with herself that she was able to cheer her up.. 

The girls heard the ringing of the bell calling them to prayer.

“Come Mary, it’s time to pray!”

Mary was accustomed to praying with her mother. Her little legs had to go twice as fast to keep up with Ruth as they rushed to the temple, running towards the sounds of the bells. 

Entering the temple prayer room Mary found chairs placed in two rows in a large circle, Ruth lead her to her chair in the front row and sat beside her.

“Girls,” said a different house mother, from a different dormitory standing in the middle of the circle said, “I want to introduce you to our new sister Mary.”

Twenty four girls of different ages, from littlest Mary to biggest smiled. Three girls stood up from their seats in the circle and went over to welcome little Mary with a hug and returned to their seats. Mary looked beyond them to recognize some of the girls from her own dormitory and her own house mother smiling at her. 

The new house mother began, “Now let us pray. Elizabeth, please recite Psalm 50.”

The young girl took a deep breath to compose herself. Looked up for help, and then said slowly, “Have mercy upon me, o God according you your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my transgressions and cleanse me me from my sin.” Elizabeth stumbled to search for the next line. Hummed and said “um thou God of my salvation. Ummm “In Thy great goodness, hear me and have mercy. For had you desired sacrifice I would have given it Thee. Thou desires not sacrifice..”

“No no Elizabeth.” admonished the mother, “This evening you will go back and study the psalm and tomorrow be prepared to recite it all properly.” Poor Elizabeth was sullen that she couldn’t remember the psalm and began to pout.”

“Who is next?”

“May I recite Psalm 84?” 

“Yes, Debby. Proceed.”

With her very sweet and melodic voice ten year old Debby looked up as did Elizabeth and with confidence recited the words she had studied so hard, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

At hearing that all the girls small and big smiled from the warmth of joy that emanated from their hearts. Even little three year old Mary looked around at all the beaming faces and joined hers to the bouquet.

Unaware as she struggled to remember the lines, Debby added, “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young....at your altars...o Lord of hosts, my king and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praises!”

“That is enough for now Debby. Very good. We will give someone else a chance. Who can take it from there?”

Eager hands shot up. The house mother selected the youngest to give little Mary a model she could relate to. Mary for her part was very impressed with how the girls could  memorize the words and the purity that came out of their hearts.

“Okay, Abby, let’s hear from you.” said the mother pointing to a sweet young girl with freckles and bright red hair. 

Abby cleared her throat, and then stopped to think of where to pick it up and said, “Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.  As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain...ummm.  O Lord of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!  For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.”

Ignoring the missed lines, the mother stopped Abby and said,”Girls let’s recite the next lines all together. One two three...”

A symphony of lovely voices chimed in, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. And He bestows grace and glory. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in You.” 

The girls all ended abruptly watching the conductor of their souls and bowed their heads as if told do so. 

There was silence for several minutes as the girls knew to contemplate the words of the psalm. Mary, whose tender and compliant soul immediately perceived the conductor, bowed her head too. A little tear trickled from her eye. She didn’t know if it was a tear of joy or sorrow. But she understood at that moment why her parents sent her to this place.

Silence was broken by the mother who announced. “Now girls I have received many prayer requests from the people in the world. Let us pray for them.”

Their worship service took on a new light. The light that struggles to shine through the crevices in the dark masses of suffering. “I will begin and as usual, don’t hesitate to offer your requests as they come to your hearts.” For in this the mother was teaching her pupils how to listen to their hearts and how to serve the world from which they were estranged. 

The oldest girl, Rachel, a young woman of thirteen who had lived in the temple since she was three began the supplication phase of their prayer time saying, “Oh Lord, Spirit of Life and all flesh, we ask you to heal Sofira who eyes are dimming rapidly. Please wipe the film from them as you anointed the eyes of Tobit through the angel named Azariah with the fish gall. Let her see Your beautiful world and her blessed grandchildren again.”

Ruth was ready to be next, as she had been heavy hearted over the news that there had been a raid on her village and thieves stole from their storehouses and took three young maidens with them. Village men chased them but their horses were swift. Ruth beseeched God to find the ladies and bring them home. 

In unison with Ruth’s fear, the girls begged God to bring the girls home, for surely He knew where they were taken and could send a savior to retrieve them. 

Mother interjected, “Ladies, it is in faith and not despair or doubt that we come to our Lord with our requests.”

Silence ensued as the girls searched their hearts for what to pray. 

Bravely little Mary spoke up, “Lord, please guide my mommy and daddy safely home.” 

Then to her surprise, the new little girl heard a chorus of “Yes, Lord, alleluia.” Hearing her new sisters pray her prayers with her, as if they loved her mommy and daddy as much as she, removed a little of the sting of their separation. 

Their first dark night apart, little Mary and Anna and Joachim laid on their beds in a spirit of bright sorrow and prayer until a sweet sleep whisked them away. Joachim and Anna slept wrapped in each other’s arms. For Mary, the separation was slightly less painful because in her soul whirled all the thoughts of the day, the new friends, the place with its sacred fragrance of incense, and yet she hugged her stuffed animal tightly and wondered when her mommy and daddy would come back to visit her and with that thought Mary slipped gently into the relief of sleep. 

Joachim and Anna awoke together, And both parents as if they were one person instantly remembered that their little girl was not with them. They felt the sting of the deep hollowness created by her absence. The emptiness of not needing to wake her and dress and feed her was soon filled with a sense of peace that they could demonstrate their love, obedience, and gratitude to their Lord. Instinctively both parents knew that as painful as the separation was, little Mary was His all along. They were merely returning her to Him their holy Father. To have kept her would have been to be stealing her from their Lord. 

Hidden deep within the suffering of the littles family’s grief were white pearls of the victory of holiness. Her elderly parents were chosen to be the leaves of the rosebud that, as it grows shrink away so that from within its deep red blossom may emerge and reveal  the thirty petals of a bouquet in every blossomed rose. Such a rose could not have appeared so perfectly from younger parents who may have clung to the petals like a tight young bud that clings to its precious treasure dies refusing to open and let go. 

Their angels hovered over the family emitting a fragrance of comfort to bring solace to sadness so that the strong bond of love between Joachim, Anna, and Mary was stretched farther than ever it had before and became even stronger for it. For God in His infinite Wisdom knew that within a handful of years, Joachim and then Anna would die and go to Sheol leaving her as an orphan on earth. But by that time, she would be most humble and reverent, as she was protected and cared for by her house mothers and sisters.