Mary with St. Joseph, from Nazareth, departed.
Meek and humble in the world’s eyes, that’s how they were regarded.
They set off for Bethlehem.  And they set off alone.
But the Father’s love went with them, the One Who sits upon His throne.

Angels too accompanied them, thousands of them it seems.
By God, they’d been appointed to serve the Holy Queen.
They marched along in squadrons, in human forms the Queen could see.
Her grace surpassed that of angels, as did her dignity.

The Queen rejoiced at having heaven’s angels in her sight.
Interiorly, she conversed with them, much to her delight.
But the Lord enjoined some hardships to the holy travelers on their way,
Cold rain and snow assailed them on this journey of five days.

A long day’s travelling behind them. Perhaps with hope of a kind word,
They went seeking rest and shelter.  But sharp reprimands they heard.
It was due to their poverty that gracious welcome was denied.
For the world judges by appearance—with blind and condescending pride.

The Maiden knew the secrets of the souls she met along the way,
For them, graces were obtained, as for them she prayed.
Those afflicted with illnesses were consoled anew.
Others would rise from their sin. Perseverance was granted too.

Worn out by others’ sorrows, more than the travel of the day.
Her body’s strength would at times begin to weaken and give way.
It’s then that holy angels bore the Queen up in their arms,
They helped her to have needed rest, guarded her from harm.

It was on a Saturday.  The time was four o’clock,
When they arrived in Bethlehem, on many doors began to knock.
They were searching for a lodging house, or an inn to spend the night.
The two received just insults—rejection, scorn and slights.

It wasn’t only strangers, unwelcome hailed from those they knew.
They found themselves refused by all, by their relations too.
Amid all this wandering, the office of the registry they passed.
There they inscribed their names, did what of them was asked.

They’d completed what they’d come for.  With the edict, they complied.
They then resumed their wandering. All lodging still denied.
Onward the search continued.  The dark night had arrived.
Refused they were at every turn—all fifty places they’d applied.

At nine o-clock St. Joseph, full of heartrending sorrow, remembered
A cave outside the city, sometimes used by shepherds.
St. Joseph said “perhaps… we may there expect some assistance
from heaven…”  (Earthly men of Bethlehem offered just resistance.)

Mary beseeched St. Joseph to offer thanks for these events.
She asked that his tears of sorrow, turn to joy and not lament.
She lovingly embraced poverty.  She knew beyond all measure,
That poverty was to our Lord a gift and precious treasure.

They set off for the cave.  Angels lit the way for the duration.
The humble Lady was delighted with this new location.
This Lady of humility gladly went where God would guide.
The cave indeed was empty when the holy two arrived.

The travelers praised the Lord for this place where they’d been guided.
They thanked God for the poverty which to them He provided.
And then our humble Lady besought the Lord to bless, without exception,
with a liberal hand all those in the city who had shown to them rejection.

She knew what was awaiting in this cave on their account.
Their rebuffs would give rise to favors—and a vast amount.
This place meant just for animals; this place so lonely, poor and worn—
This was the Father’s chosen place for His Son to be born.

Once inside the cave, our Empress and our Queen
Set about, with her own hands, the noble task of making the cave clean.
She worked with great humility, nor would she deprive
Her beloved Son the reverence which such temple-cleansing implied.

St. Joseph besought Mary that this work was his to do.
Seeing this work as his alone, he started cleaning too.
The Queen continued working, with humility—by no one surpassed.
And the holy angels present were, at such great humility, abashed.

And this prompted the angels to join in the cleaning task.
With the swift help of angels, the cave was put in order fast.
To bring warmth to that chilly cave, St. Joseph would a fire start.
After a frugal supper, the joyful two thanked God from their hearts.

May the Father’s love go with us, with angels as our guide.
From God’s will, though there be hardships, no more may we hide.
May we ask the Lord to bless without exception,
With an abundant hand all of those who show to us rejection.

May we believe in faith, to this truth may we hold fast:
Rebuffs give rise to favors, in amounts not small but vast.
When we, turned back at every door, have burdens hard to carry,
By God’s grace, may we embrace the humility of Mary.