20 My Monologues with the Betrothed Mary (Lk 1)

20  My Monologues with the Betrothed Virgin

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

The day of your Betrothal must have been one of the happiest days in your life, right? 

According to your ancestral, religious, and cultural traditions girls were married off pretty early, around the age of twelve-thirteen. 

As it was the Jewish custom to conduct the Betrothal Ceremony some six or so months before the Wedding.

So was it in your case, right?

Like every young girl who gets Betrothed, you too must have engaged yourself in delving deep into dreaming of a rosy, romantic married life, right, Oh, Betrothed  Virgin?  

You must have been weaving magnificent mantles made of many a wishes and waiting to wear them on everyday of your marital life,  right?

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

The days and weeks between the Betrothal and the Wedding were and are rightly known for dreaming and day dreaming especially by the soon to be brides.

They engage themselves in daydreaming and building fanciful castles in the air and wishing to turn them into cosy homes.

Weren't, you too, doing the same?

Wherein, the fiancees like yourself would love and long to spend the rest of  their lives with their caring companions and hoping to become a loving Moms to the pretty, cute kids to be born to them, so I guess!

These are dreams so natural and normal for every betrothed girl,  Aren't they?

But Alas!

Just with one "Hail Mary!"  

by Gabriel,

all those delightful dreams were dashed.

The initially shocking and eventually surprising revelation of the Message by Gabriel:

"you will conceive and you will bear a son......."

Did it!

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

As the narration goes, you were deeply disturbed by the greetings of the angel.

The "Hail" greetings set in motion a gale of panic which shattered your dreams and swept away your castles in the air, which you had been building in your Wonderland of Imagination, right, Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin?

After the initial shock, collecting your innate courage, you asked for clarifications with a straightforward confronting question:

"How will this be.. since I am a virgin?"  

In those days, it was rather unheard of a Jewish village girl of your age to raise questions or to place objections or to seek explanations, especially in matters of importance. 

It was almost unbecoming of a girl to do so. 

You were expected just to be submissive and obey!

Yet, you had the courage to ask.

You did question.

You did seek for a clear answer.

After availing yourself of, not only an explanation but also an illustrative example involving the aged Elizabeth,

you opted to offer your consent, right?

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

And thus,

You said: Yes,

Your first, "Fiat!"

The subsequent events and experiences really made you realize: it is relatively much easier to make decisions, even decisions which are difficult to take.

Yet, it is real hard and heroic to live those decisions in everyday life, right?

You did realize this from the aftermath of the "Hail Mary" and "Fiat",  Didn't You?

Your life was never ever the same ever since you heard the "Hail Mary" and said your "Fiat", right?

After the Angel Gabriel had disappeared from your sight, the seriousness of the situation and the severity of the aftershocks began to show up and appear in your life, right?

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

You must have agonizingly anguished over the thought of being seen as allegedly unfaithful.

For days and nights, you must have been groping in your fuzzed up mind trying to grapple with the gravity of your plight and predicament. The Sleepless Nights and Restless Days kept their company with you, right?  

All the while, The Miracle  of "The Most High" was deep Within You enjoying the cosy comfort, similar to an Embryonic Cocoon!

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,  

In the subsequent days and weeks,

you must have been haunted by frightening thoughts like:

"How could I ever tell it to my parents?"

"Will they ever believe me?"

"How could I ever face my Fiancé?

Leave alone, telling him!"

"Even if, I bring myself up to tell him,

Would he ever believe it?

Could he ever accept it ?"

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

Your mind must have been marred by thoughts like:

"if I were to tell my parents and to my Fiancé, that I am found pregnant by,

"the power of the Most High",

"Would they believe it?

Would they believe me?"

"Won't they tell me that I am crazy?"

"Won't they wonder that I am out of my mind? "

"Won't they taunt me, telling me:

Not to bluff them with

the 'Cock and Bull' story'!

"Won't they accuse me of hanging around hanky-panky?"

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

You must have been haunted by the thoughts like:

"Won't they corner me and confront me to come out with the 'truth' and demand me to name the man responsible for making me pregnant?"

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

In the subsequent days following the appearance of Gabriel, you must have had a terribly worried mind within a tired and tensed body, Didn't you?

For a moment, at least,  you must have felt frozen with the fear of the probability of the impending punishment for allegedly being unfaithful to your Fiancé right?

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

You must have known, for certain, as per the Jewish Traditions, that an unfaithful Fiancee, who is found pregnant without the knowledge of her Fiancé, could face a series of severe punishments like:

You could either be disowned,

Or you could be abandoned,

You could either be sold as a slave,

Or you could be driven to prostitution,

You could either be dragged to the Court,

Or you could be stoned, even stoned to death!

Oh, No!  No!  Never!

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

"The Most High"  saw to it that none of the above dreadful events ever happened to you and to the Holy Embryonic Life Within You!

Because, You had found favor with the Lord!

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

Later in life you did know,

this was only your First "Fiat!"

It was your most important Fiat of your life.

It was the First in the seemingly unending series of many, many Big and small "fiats"

which you kept on saying all through your life!

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

Because you were and are found highly favoured by The Most High,

The Most High saw to it that:

Your Fiancé, your Fiat, and your Faith were fervently favoured for ever!

Oh,  dear Betrothed Virgin,

We, humans, have to say many a"fiats"

as we journey along in life, we need to say

many a mini as well as major "fiats", right?

When I glance at my itty-bitty little life,

there were many a "fiats" I had said

for the last near seventy years of my life!

Some of them were minor ones,

While some others were of Major type.

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

Unlike Your "Fiat"

Which was always intact and well tendered

Most of my "fiats" had been tampered with

and tattered by my selfish and sinful ways.

As I journeyed along, my "fiats" were often badly bandied and bruised and at times buried

in my wayward and wanton ways of sinful life!

With a contrite heart I want to keep renewing,

refreshing and keep on repeating my "fiats"!

Oh, dear Betrothed Virgin,

Do continue to keep on reviving,

refreshing, and renewing my drooping spirit!

so that I am fit to keep repeating my fiats."

Oh,  dear Betrothed Virgin,

Along with the Angel  Gabriel,

I love to keep repeating for the rest of my life:

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee!

Blessed are you among women and blessed  is the the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus!"

May this Salutation keep on giving me

the strength and perseverance

to keep repeating and renewing

my own 'fiats'  

in everyday of my life!

Amen

Oh, My Lord and My God,

I join the entire Human Race to thank you

For coming into our midst through

Fiat of the Betrothed Virgin!

Oh, My  Lord and My God,

As I wish and want to keep repeating

the many 'fiats'  of my everyday life,

I wish very much to experience your

Incarnate Presence in my daily life.

Oh, My Lord and My God,

Please continue to send me your Gabriel  as and when I am in need of him. Keep on sending him to me in form of my loved ones,  through my significant ones, through my friends as well as through  my foes!  Keep helping me to recognize and accept him/her as the "the Gabriels" of life!!

Oh, My  Lord and My God,

I am intrigued, as at times the question that keeps cropping in  my mind:

How come that Gabriel never turned up again to visit the Betrothed, Pregnant Virgin by way of  comforting or congratulating or even just to find out as how things are?

Remember, had she not said her "Fiat",  

You would have had to be born of some other Virgin, other than Mary of Nazareth, right?

Sure, Gabriel did keep visiting her Fiancé and made sure she is well taken care of!

Oh,  My  Lord and My God,

I want to  spend some time in silence in Your Presence.

Speak,  Lord, your  servant is listening!

Amen

JoAchen

Sunday, December 7,2014

PS

These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegesis nor are they any highly theological speculations.

They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth.

They are a part of my journaling....

Dear Reader, I keep holding you in my prayers and I request you to include me in yours.

Thank you!

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19 My Monologues with Andrew the Disciple (Jn 2)

1. My Monologues with Andrew the                                        Apostle (Jn 1)

Dear Disciple Andrew,

As they say, you are the eldest brother of Peter.
You are a fisherman by profession and a Jew by religion, Aren't you? 
Besides, being a hard working fisherman, you seemed to have had an earnest interest in initiating yourself into the inner insights of your ancestral faith. 
Or else, you would not have joined John the Baptist as a member of his group, right?

Dear Disciple Andrew,

You know, what interests and inspires me about you is your ever searching and ever evolving approach towards life! 
You could have easily and happily continued with your profession and your family life. 
It looks like you had an excellent rapport with your father and with Peter, your younger brother. 
You all regularly worked together braving the waves of the rough seas.

You seemed to have had absolutely no sibling rivalry at all, with Peter, your brother. 
Besides, being brothers, you seem to be  moving around like pals, right? 
Otherwise, both of you together would not have become followers of John the Baptist. 
How warm and loving, fraternal and friendly, a relationship you have between yourselves!

Oh,  dear me!

I do feel a high dose of envy alive in me!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

Remember the day when you met Jesus for the first time? 
Your were with John the Baptist by the  banks of River Jordan,  right? 
As Jesus was approaching, remember, John telling you,

"Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."?

Somehow, at the very first sight itself,

you were fascinated by Jesus, right?

It was almost an irresistible instant attraction.

You took the initiative,

You approached him,

You asked him,

"Rabbi, where are you staying?" Didn't  you?

Dear Disciple Andrew,

It shows you are a very outgoing, very determined, and a very daring person.

When Jesus invited you, to

"Come and see"

for yourself and get an on-the-spot experience, 
It was both, an invitation for you as well as a  challenge to you.

You did accept his invitation and

You did take up the challenge.

You did go, taking John along, 
yet another candidate.

As both of you spent that evening with Jesus and stayed over night,

You must have had very lively conversations and serious discussions on many a major issues like the coming of the much awaited Messiah, right?

Dear Disciple Andrew,  

After knowing Jesus very closely, and

After having had lively discussions with Him,

After having listened to him passionately,

After having experienced Him personally,

You were convinced that Jesus himself was the long awaited Messiah, right, dear Disciple?

You were very excited about the meeting you had with Jesus.

You were very enthused with the discussions you had with Him

You were enriched with the insights you got  from Him.

Or else,  you would not rushed back and told your brother, Peter,

"We have found the Messiah! "

How happy and hilarious, you must have been!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

It must have been a very memorable visit which totally changed your life for ever.

It all amounts to the fact that you are a

serious seeker who is open to new ideas.

Of all the disciples, dear Disciple Andrew,

You are the only one who made the first move and took the initiative.

In all other instances, invariably, it was always Jesus, who took the initiative and asked your companions to follow and to join him, right?

Dear Disciple Andrew,

It intrigues me much to know all about the conversations and discussions 
you both have had with Jesus as you spent the evening and stayed over night. 
I am sure you must have asked him about the coming of the long awaited  Messiah, right?

Didn't you all tell him what you expect of the Messiah?

As someone who would free your land from the Roman occupation and oppression?

Didn't you all talk about the possibility and feasibility of an armed rebellion against the Romans?

Didn't  you ask about the possibility of John the Baptist and Jesus working in tandem?

Didn't you break bread with him and sup with Him?

Some of the Unacknowledged Accounts of you all say so!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

You were brave to take initiative and inquire.

You had the brains to grasp what Jesus talked.

You are the first ever Disciple, as per the narration of John, to have personally experienced the Messiah.

After having experienced Jesus as the Messiah, the first thing you did, on the next  day morning, was to rush and to look for Peter, your brother and share the experiences you have had with Jesus.

You shared with him,

The Good News that:

"We have found the Messiah."

You are the first ever disciple to announce and share the Good News of finding and experiencing the Messiah,  Great indeed!

Dear Disciple Andrew,  

As I look back, review and reflect over my own past actions and reactions, I find myself so different from you. 
If I were to be in a similar situation of responding to the "come and see" invitation and  later on experiencing Jesus as the Messiah, 
probably, I would have gone around harping, "it is me who is the first one to find out Jesus as the Messiah."

"It is often me, me first and me last! "

Likewise, after having introduced Peter to Jesus, at every available opportunity,

I would be inclined to keep reminding Peter and others something like, "Don't  you ever forget, if not for me,  you would not have met Jesus on that day... blah... . blah..."  

That's part of me!"

You know, dear Disciple Andrew, at times,

I am plagued with this problem of blowing my own trumpet.

The sad and strange fact is:

I may not always be aware of it..

I may not always be that verbose.  

But it is often there, in my mind,  

in my imagination..

this tape keeps running on and on.

Outwardly, I may appear to be quiet and composed,  but inwardly, it's often very hyper. 
I dream and keep on dreaming and

even day dreaming about my exaggerated

self-importance, something like,

" I am the first one..  

I am a senior priest..

I am more qualified than..

I have recruited him..

I have taught her..  

I have baptised him.."  

it goes on and on...

How I wish!, Dear Disciple Andrew,  

I could be reminded of your self effacing and unassuming attitude!

I just want to  keep in check such unreal thinking and wild imaginations which almost seems to be a second nature to me.

I want to keep them on a tight leash!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

You are First Missionary, as per the narratives of John. 
When you went and announced to Peter, your brother that you had found the Messiah, 
you became the first ever Missionary to proclaim the Good News and Peter your brother became the first ever recruit, right?

Then, don't  you remember the miracle of the multiplication of loaves?

When the Lord asked you all to feed the hungry crowd,

It is again you

Who said with a touch of exasperation,

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"  

You were speaking from a human perspective with the severity of the practical limitations in mind.

Besides, you forgot about a similar miracle on a previous occasion, which had taken place in a similar situation, right?  

You are always upfront with what is on your mind, right?

As the miracle of the loaves and fish was unfolding, you began to have a deeper  understanding and a higher awareness of

your  Master", right?  

Oh, dear, you just kept on growing and growing! 

Dear Disciple Andrew,

You are seen for the last time in Jerusalem, 
on the Temple Mount.

You are seen getting involved in and trying to facilitate a meeting between Jesus and some of those Greek Pilgrims who were looking for Jesus.

It seems you are so naturally disposed to reach out and connect people with Jesus.

You did it with John as you took Him along.

You did it with Peter as you introduced him to Jesus,  Didn't you?

Dear Disciple Andrew,

You know, what? I have been wondering as how you felt when you came to know that it was Peter, your younger brother, who was chosen by Jesus to be the Leader!  

I have heard as well as read that you would have been a better person to lead as you were more predictable than Peter.

Peter did flip-flops, at least a couple of times. While, you never did so.  

You always kept your words, right?

You neither did any flip-flops,  

nor  you did waver.

Remember Peter promising not to betray, 
but within a couple of hours he did betray not once but Thrice?

Remember, him insisting not wash his feet

but immediately he relented?

Sure, Peter was man without any malice, unlike Judas.  

But you never ever betrayed,  not even once!

Both of you were real good in your own ways.

But both were of totally different personalities. May be, in a fraction of a flash,

you may have felt hurt.

If so, it so human and natural, right? Remember, there were a couple of times

when arguments erupted among your group as who is great etc?

So it is all very human!

Whatever the case may be,

It must be said to your credit

You adjusted and accepted so well and so perfectly well, Didn't you?

Great of you!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

for many a men and for me personally:

You are a perfect Role Model!

For Personal maturity,

For Unassuming way of life,

For knowing your place and sticking to it!  

I have a lot to learn from you!  Dear Disciple!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

They say, you travelled to Russia and to the neighboring countries like Ukraine

To preached the Good News.

Some say, you went to Scotland as well as to Cyprus and Romania.

Wherever you went, you did  proclaim the Good News through your preaching and through your exemplary living.

As you grew gracefully old, you had flowing white hair and a long silvery beard.

So they write!

Finally,  as the tradition goes, as per your wish you were crucified on a Saltire,  on an  X shaped, Cross!

Dear Disciple Andrew,

Being very good in facilitating, do facilitate my meeting with Jesus, my Lord and my God!  

Do it not  just once but as often as possible!  Thank you!

I want to spend some time in silence, 
do speak to me
do imbibe me with your spirit
do inspire me with your vibes. 

Dear Jesus,  My Lord and My God,

Thank you for the Gift of Andrew to us,  

For his personality and

For his witnessing.  

Thank you,Lord! for your immense patience with my slow growth and progress.

Like  Andrew, I want to keep saying,

Every day I want to keep saying that:

I have found the Messiah.

Every day I want to keep seeing the Messiah

In everyone I meet! and keep saying:

I have found the Messiah of my life!

My Lord and My God,  

I want to spend some time in silence

In Your Presence.

My Lord and My God,

"Speak Lord,  your servant is listening!

Amen

JoAchen

Friday, November  28 , 2014

PS

These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegetical explanations nor highly theological speculations.

They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth.

They are a part of my journaling....

I keep holding you in my prayers and

I request you to include me in yours.

Thank you!

For Previous Reflections:

www.my-monologoues.blogspot.in

Facebook link :

My Monologues

If you do not want get these Reflections via email, please send a note and your email id will be deleted from the mailing list.

Thank you!  

God bless!