And Nature Stood Still
WHEN THE RESTING PLACE was prepared, Joseph brought Mary into the cave, where she lay down on the bed of hay and straw and found some relief in this position.
When Mary was thus provided for, Joseph said to his sons,
‘You two oldest keep watch over Mary and give her the proper care if she needs it, especially you, Joel, since you learned something about this matter from my friends in Nazareth.’
Then he told the other three to look after the donkey and the ox and to find a place for the cart inside the fairly spacious cave.
When Joseph had looked to all these things he said to Mary, ‘Now I will go up on the hill and hurriedly seek a midwife in the city of my father and will bring her here to give you aid.’
After these words Joseph went out of the cave. It was already late in the evening and the stars were well discernible in the sky.
Here, in Joseph’s own words, are his remarkable experiences after leaving the cave, as he told his sons upon his return with the midwife when Mary had already given birth.
And Joseph’s words were as follows: ‘Children, we are on the threshhold of great things! Now I begin to understand what the voice told me on the evening before our departure. Truly, if the Lord were not present with us – even though unseen – such wondrous things as I now have seen could not possibly take place!
‘Listen! – After I left the cave and went on my way, it seemed to me as if I were not walking! And I saw the rising full moon and the stars in the east as well as in the west, and lo, everything stood still, and the moon did not leave the earth’s horizon, and the stars on the western horizon would not set!
‘Then I saw flocks upon flocks of birds sitting on the limbs of the trees – all had their faces turned hereward and trembled as in times of great, imminent earthquakes, and could not have been dislodged from their places with shouts or stones.
‘And I looked around on the ground again and saw a group of workmen not far from me who sat around a bowl filled with food – some held their hands motionless in the bowl and were unable to lift food out of it.
‘Those who had already lifted a morsel from the bowl held it at the mouth which they could not open, so they might eat; and all faces were turned upward as if they saw great things in the sky.
‘Then I saw sheep which were being driven by the shepherds; but the sheep stood motionless, and the hand of the shepherd who lifted it to strike the tarrying sheep remained in the air as if paralyzed and he could not move it.
‘Again I saw a whole herd of rams who held their muzzles over the water but were unable to drink, for they all were as if completely paralyzed.
‘And I also saw a brook which had a long waterfall coming down from the hill, and behold, the water stood still and did not fall down into the valley! – Thus all things on the ground appeared as if they had neither life nor motion.
‘As I stood there or walked and did not know whether I was standing or walking, lo, I finally saw life again.
For a woman came down the side of the hill directly toward me and when she reached me, asked; Man, where are you going so late?
And I said: I seek a midwife; for there in the cave is one who would give birth!
The woman then asked: Is she of Israel? I replied: Yes, lady, I and she are of Israel. David is our father!
The woman asked further: Who is she that would give birth there in the cave? Is she your wife, or a relative, or a maidservant?
I then answered: Since a short time my wife only before God and the high priest; but when she became pregnant she was not yet my wife and was only entrusted into my care from the temple by the witness of God, since she had formerly been brought up in the Holy of Holies!
But do not be surprised at her pregnancy – for That which is in her is wonderfully conceived by the Holy Spirit of God! At this the woman was amazed and demanded of me: Man, tell me the truth! – And I said: Come and see, and convince yourself with your own eyes!’
The Vision Of The Midwife
THE WOMAN consented and followed Joseph to the cave, and when they arrived there, the cave suddenly became enveloped in a thick white cloud, so that they were unable to find the entrance.
At this phenomenon the midwife expressed great surprise and said to Joseph,
‘My soul has this day experienced great things! This morning I had a sublime, wondrous vision, in which everything turned out as I now have seen it in reality, still see it and shall see more!
You are the same man who came toward me in the vision. I also saw all the world rest in the midst of its appointed rounds and saw how a cloud came over the cave, and spoke with you as I now have spoken.
And I saw still more most wondrous things in the cave, when my sister Salome came after me, to whom alone I confided my vision in the morning!
Therefore I now say before you and before the Lord, my God: A great salvation is come to Israel! A Savior came, sent from above, in the time of our great distress!’
After these words of the midwife the cloud quickly withdrew from the cave, and a light of such intensity streamed from the cave toward the midwife and Joseph that their eyes were not able to bear it, and the midwife exclaimed, ‘Everything is then true that I have seen in the vision! Oh man, you fortunate one, here is more than Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Elias!’
Thereupon the strong light gradually became more and more bearable, and the Baby became visible, just as He took His mother’s breast for the first time.
The midwife now went into the cave with Joseph, inspected the Baby and His mother, and when she found everything loosed to perfection she asserted:
‘Truly, truly, That is the Savior extolled by all the prophets, who will be free of bonds already in His mother’s body, to signify that He will unbind all the hard bonds of the Law!
Now when has anyone seen that a newly-born child already reached for its mother’s breast?
That truly is visible proof that this Child when a man will one day judge the world according to love, and not according to the Law!
Hear, you most fortunate husband of this maiden! Everything is in the best possible order, therefore let me go out of the cave, for it now begins to weigh heavily upon my breast, since I feel that I am not clean enough to bear the holy nearness of my and your Lord and God!’
Joseph was thoroughly shocked at these words of the midwife, and she hastened out of the cave into the open.
As she went out of the cave she met her sister Salome outside, who had followed her because she knew of the vision, and immediately said to her,
‘Salome, Salome, come and see my vision of the morning confirmed in reality! The virgin has given birth in fullness of truth to that which human wisdom and nature can never comprehend!’
And Salome replied, ‘As truly as God lives am I unable to believe that a virgin is supposed to have given birth until I have examined her with my hand!’
The Doubting Salome Is Forgiven
AFTER SALOME SAID THIS, she went into the cave and said,
‘Mary, my soul is in no little conflict; therefore I would ask you that you prepare yourself, so I may examine you with my well-experienced hand and learn therefrom how matters stand with your virginity!’
Mary willingly acquiesced in the desire of the unbelieving Salome, prepared herself, and allowed herself to be examined.
But as soon as Salome touched Mary’s body with her experienced hand, she began a mighty lament and cried out at the top of her voice,
‘Woe, woe to me because of my ungodliness and my great disbelief, that I wanted to tempt the eternally living God! See, see here – my hand is being consumed in the fire of the divine wrath over wretched me!’
After these words she quickly fell down on her knees before the Baby and exclaimed,
‘O God of my fathers! You almighty Lord of all glory! Remember me, that I am also a seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Oh do not set me up to ridicule before the sons of Israel, but give me back my healthy limbs again!’
And behold, thereupon an angel of the Lord stood beside Salome and said to her, ‘The Lord God has granted your entreaty – go over to the little Child and carry Him, and a great salvation will be yours for it!’
When Salome heard this, she went on her knees over to Mary and asked her for the Baby.
Mary willingly gave her the Baby and said to her, ‘May He be to your salvation according to the saying of the angel of the Lord; may the Lord have mercy on you!’
And Salome took the Baby on her arms and while thus carrying Him kneeling testified:
‘O God, You almighty Lord of Israel, You who reign and govern from eternity! In all, all fullness of truth is here born to Israel a King of Kings who will be mightier than there was David, the man after the heart of God. You I shall honor and praise forever!’
After these words Salome was completely healed again, then gave the Baby back to Mary in the most grateful contrition of her heart and thus justified went out of the cave.
And when she was outside, she wanted to cry out aloud about the great wonder of all wonders and had already begun to tell her sister what had happened to her.
At this a voice was heard from above, and it said, ‘Salome, Salome, be sure to tell no one, what extraordinary thing has happened to you! For the time is still to come when the Lord will testify of Himself in words and deeds!’
At this Salome became silent, and Joseph went out and asked the two sisters to return to the cave according to Mary’s wish, so no one should notice anything of the wonderful things that had taken place in this cave this day. And both humbly went back into the cave.
Peace On Earth, Good Will To Men
WHEN ALL WERE gathered together in the cave, the sons of Joseph asked their father,
‘Father, what shall we do now? Everything has been well attended to! The trip has tired our bodies, may we not retire?’
Joseph replied, ‘Children, you have witnessed the infinite grace which has befallen us all from above – so you should stay up and glorify God with me!
And you have witnessed what happened to Salome in the cave because she would not believe – so we should not be sleepy either when the Lord visits us!
Now go over to Mary and touch the Baby! Who knows, whether your eyelids will not quickly be so refreshed as if you had slept solidly for several hours!’
The sons of Joseph now went over and touched the Baby, and the Baby smiled at them and stretched His hands toward them, as if He recognized them as brothers.
At this all were surprised and said, ‘Truly, that is no ordinary Child! For where has it happened to anyone, that he was greeted so heartily by a newly-born child?
Besides, we now have all been so completely restored in all our limbs as if we had never made a journey and were at home on a morning with a fully rested body!’
Joseph said, ‘See, so my advice was good! But now I feel that it is becoming quite cool, sc bring the donkey and the ox here. The animals will lie close to us and will give off some warmth by their breath and their body heat, and we will place ourselves close to Mary also.’
This the sons did. And when they brought the two animals close to Mary, these immediately lay down at the head end of Mary’s resting place, breathed diligently over Mary and the Baby and thus warmed Him quite well.
And the midwife said, ‘Truly, that cause can be of no little importance before God, which even the animals serve as if they had reason and understanding.’
Here Salome added: ‘Oh sister, the animals seem to see more here than we do! While we hardly dare to think, the animals already worship Nim who has created them!
Believe me, sister, as truly as Ciod lives, that truly also is the promised Messiah here before us – for we know that such wonderful things have never taken place even at the birth of the greatest prophet!’
And Mary said to Salome, ‘The Lord God has shown you great grace in that you behold That before which my soul quakes itself.
But be silent about it, as the angel of the Lord bid you to do previously, or you could prepare a bitter lot for us!’
At this Salome vowed to Mary that she would remain silent the rest of her life, and the midwife followed her sister’s example.
Everything now became still in the cave. And in the First hour before sunrise all heard ever-so-mighty songs of praise outside the cave.
Joseph at once sent his oldest son to investigate what it was, and who was singing so mightily to God’s glory out in the open.
And Joel went outside and saw that all the reaches of the Firmament were Filled – high and low – with countless myriads of shining angels. And he hastened back into the cave in astonishment and told them all what he had seen.
All were highly astonished at Joel’s report and went outside and convinced themselves of the truth of Joel’s assertion.
When they had seen such glory of the Lord, they went back into the cave and bore witness to Mary. And Joseph said to Mary:
‘Hear, oh purest maiden of the Lord, the fruit of your body is truly conceived by the Holy Spirit of God – for all the heavens now bear witness thereto!
But what will happen to us, when all the world is now sure to Find out what took place here? For I have just seen by the many shepherds that not only we, but all other people now see what manner of witness shines for us through all the heavens, for the shepherds had their faces turned upward
and sang in harmony with the mighty choirs of angels which now visibly fill all the reaches of the heavens high and low down to the earth.
And their song sounded like that of the angels: Descend with your grace, o ye heavens, upon the just! Peace on earth to all men of good will! And glory to God on high in Him who comes in the name of the Lord!
See, Mary, the whole world now hears and sees this, therefore it will also come here and will persecute us, and we will have to flee over hill and dale!
And so I believe that we should depart from here as soon as we possibly can, and as soon as I shall be recorded – which shall take place still early today – we shall go back to Nazareth and from there over to the Greeks of whom I know several very well. Do you not agree with me?’
Here Mary said to Joseph, ‘But you can see that I cannot leave this resting place today, so let us leave everything to the Lord. He has led and protected us up to now, so He surely will continue to lead us and protect us ever so faithfully!
If He wants to reveal us before the world, say: to where would we flee where He could not find us?
Therefore His will be done! What He wants, that will be right. See, here on my bosom rests He whom all this concerns!
He will surely remain with us, and thus God’s great glory will not depart from us either, though we flee wherever we will!’
Mary had hardly finished speaking, when behold, two angels stood before the cave as leaders of a large group of shepherds and made it known to the shepherds that here was born the One who was the object of their songs of praise.
And the shepherds went into the cave, knelt down before the Baby and worshiped Him; and the angels also came in bands and worshiped the Baby.
Here Joseph with his sons looked over toward Mary and the Baby in great astonishment and asked, ‘O God, what does this mean? Have You Yourself assumed flesh in this Child?
For how could it otherwise be possible that He would be worshiped even by Your holy angels? But if You are here, o Lord, how then do matters stand with the temple and the Holy of Holies?’
Thereupon an angel went over to Joseph and said to him: ‘Do not ask, and have no concern – for the Lord has chosen the earth to be the stage of His mercies and has now visited His people, as He has foretold through the mouths of His children, His servants and prophets!
What now happens before your eyes takes place according to the will of Him who is holy, most holy.’
The angel then left Joseph and again went over and worshiped the Baby, who now smiled on all the worshipers with open hands.
When the sun rose, the angels disappeared, but the shepherds remained and inquired of Joseph how this had come to be.
And Joseph answered, ‘Hear, as wondrously as the grass grows out of the earth, so also did this wonder happen! Now who knows how the grass grows? Just as little also am I able to tell you about this wonder. God wanted it this way – that is all I can tell you!’
