Xmas Xcess

Mary had just set the flowers from her betrothed, Joseph, on the table he had made her. She knew when they married that life might be hard but she would have fresh hand-made furniture. That was the joy of marrying a carpenter. Mary glanced out the window at the marketplace from her vantage point she could see Joseph, carrying an armload of planks toward his current project, adding a camel-riders' order-and-pickup window at Nazareth's new restaurant, The Pita Principle. (Critics said the concept of simple food served quickly would never catch on, but it had become popular with the younger set, most of whom ordered just locust beans or wild honey, hanging out until the manager sent them scurrying out into the street. The youths either scurried out into the street or received gainful employment at the restaurant, thereby attracting the "hordes" of young people and increasing the need for a large supply of locust beans and small wild-honey cups.) Joseph was a hard worker, and promised to be a good husband to Mary. He was his own boss in visible terms, but he recognized there was a True Boss in invisible terms. Mary knew this, too, and she fell on her knees to thank the Lord for letting them find each other.

As she prayed, the sky became overcast, then cloudy.

The clouds darkened, but a break in them allowed a beam of brilliant sunlight to flood the room where Mary was praying. Marys eyes widened as she noticed a form spiraling toward her through the shaft of light. The form was brighter than the sunlight and growing larger as it approached. Mary jumped up and shut the window shutters as fast as she could. Some small beams of light still entered through areas where the palm leaves had become looser-woven, but the room had been darkened. The light more brilliant than the sun, however, did not respond to Mary's gesture of closing the window. This was not sunlight, but the arrival of the Archangel Gabriel. Gabriel was not only the head angel, but a master showman and a top-notch horn player.

"Be not afraid, Mary, for God is with you!" said Gabriel.

Mary, shivering in the corner, peeked out from behind a pile of blankets. "Sh- Sha- Shalom—A- Aleychem, I'm sure," she replied. "are you—the Name?"

"Me? Oh, no, not me!" Gabriel laughed out loud. "I'm just the messenger." Gabriel drifted over the floor toward Mary, who was still crouched behind the blankets, eyes as wide as could be. "Look, I'll show you my ID badge."

Mary looked at the card; though it fit in one's hand, it appeared as if the entire sky were contained in it. Gabriel's name flew through the clouds. Then an image of him appeared, turned 360° to show all sides of him, and dissipated, forming clouds. Then music played from the badge, which Gabriel put back in his pocket. The music on the card continued for a few moments, muted by the pocket. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, Mary," he continued, "but I just love making a good entrance. I mean, we're rarely ever allowed to appear to humans, so when we do, we get a little flashy. It's not like that TV show, "Touched by an Angel", where the ‘angel' tells everyone that she's an angel 13 seconds after they meet... oh, wait. Wrong era. I forgot that humans are temporal. Well, seeing eternity is great, but there are some things you're really not missing out on. At any rate, the reason I'm here is that I have some good news. The Boss," he said, glancing upward, "is most pleased with you and your betrothed. Since you have done all that He has commanded, He is well pleased with you. He has an assignment which will make you blessed. God is with you. You are in the family way, and you shall bear the Lord's Son. Name him Jesus, and raise him in the synagogue. And, on a personal note, I just want to thank you for helping in the Great Plan." Gabriel turned to go.

Mary jumped up from behind the pile of blankets. "Wait, Gabriel, wait! How can this be? I've never... umm... well, you know...?"

"Don't second-guess the Boss!" Gabriel smiled. "With God all things are possible."

"But... what about Joseph? He's going to be... well... upset, isn't he?" Mary looked down at the floor. "This doesn't exactly make me look pure and chaste to the world. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. Please tell Him I'd love to go along with this, but-"

Gabriel broke in. "Look, it's under control. I'll appear to Joseph and let him know what is happening." He stopped for a moment, leaned back, and closed his eyes. "Yes, I see... mmm hmm...OK..." Gabriel looked back at Mary. "Just to let you know, I've read Joseph's heart. He loves the Lord with all of it, as do you. He will be happy to help you with this situation. As for the world, you don't ultimately answer to it, but to the Great I Am. You will be fine." Gabriel turned again into brilliant light and sped out the closed window and down the street to appear to Joseph.

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