Nazareth. We all live there.
A Rosary Meditation … The Fourth Joyful Mystery, the Presentation. “And they returned to Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong, and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:39-40. Nazareth. Nazareth was the “other side of the tracks.” It didn’t seem to have a very good reputation. John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth. 46And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see.” Sounds like a place you might not want to be from. But Jesus lived there, both before and after His presentation in the Temple. When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple it was for the required Mosaic sacrifice, to present Jesus to God. At some point we all, if we are Christians, are presented to God. As children, babies, if we’re born and raised Catholic, it happens when our parents have us baptized. As adults it happens when we convert as adults if we weren’t born into the Faith. Either way, when we come to God, when we’re “presented”, we all come from our own Nazareth, our own wrong side of the tracks, our own sinful nature. And after the Presentation? Jesus returned to Nazareth and spent almost His whole life there. And after OUR presentation? Well, we go back too. We go back to our own Nazareth, our own job, home, circle of friends, and other things like that. By being “presented” we change but the world around us, Nazareth on the wrong side of the tracks, stays the same. Maybe we think we ought not go back. After all, if we’re changed shouldn’t we go to a better environment? Did Jesus? No, and neither should we. It’s BECAUSE we’ve been changed that we MUST go back to Nazareth. You can be “in” Nazareth and not be “of” Nazareth. ” … you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world … ” John 15:19. So, why MUST we go back? And the answer is simple. Simple, not easy. Nazareth needed Jesus. The world still needs Jesus, YOUR Nazareth and MY Nazareth needs Jesus. And that’s why we still live in Nazareth, because it needs Jesus and if we’re not there to show them Jesus, by word and deed, why were we ever presented to God in the first place?
Today …
St. John the Silent
Bishop of Colonia in Palestine and a hermit. Born in Nicopolis, Armenia, he established a monastery at the age of eighteen. Appointed a bishop at the age of twenty-eight, he spent nine years in his office before retiring to Jerusalem to embrace the eremitical life. Through a vision, he found his way to the monastery of St. Sabas, asking to be walled up and living for seventy-five years as a silent recluse. Consider. Even walled up, seemingly away from the eyes of the world with all its fuss and fumes he was still a witness for Jesus in Nazareth. How do we know this? Because we still read of his example and we’d know nothing about it if people during his time hadn’t paid attention and passed his witness on. Nazareth pays attention, even when it looks like they can’t see us.
Quote …What do magnets do? They either attract or repulse, don’t they? So, what kind of magnetic effect do we have in Nazareth?
Jude-Marian's Blog 
I really liked this post. There is so much to think about here, and you presented it all so well. Thanks for sharing this and God Bless, SR
Thank you. And Happy Mother’s Day again. Rosary in hand everyday is Mother’s Day. 😉