strokeofgenius2
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- Apr 10, 2002
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Don't know how many of you read a lot...personally, I don't read as often as I used to, although I am getting back into the habit...
Anyway, for all the Catholics out there, I just read the first of three books by Marjorie Holmes...I guess you'd clasify it as "Christian fiction, with maybe just a hint of truth"...
The title is "Two From Galilee: The Love Story of Mary and Joseph." As the title suggests, it's a story of how a young Mary and Joseph first became aware of their feelings for each other, and how they were determined to have a life together, even though their familes were initially against it. (Shades of Romeo and Juliet, I guess.)
It's a pretty neat story how it 'humanizes' them both...Mary is just a young, barely 14-year-old girl, and throughout the book, it is made clear that she is obviously the prettiest woman in the whole city. All the guys, for lack of a better word, "want" her for themselves. Joseph lives and breathes her, and he himself is about 19 years old...old enough to realize (for the day) that he wants to take care of her, but young enough to still be very much in love with her.
As they approach their wedding, of course, God has other plans for Mary, and Joseph struggles with what he should do with this woman carrying a child that is not his. Like all the great love stories, it's how they are willing to do whatever it takes to stand by each other and be there for one another, rasing the baby Jesus in their home.
It's a little schmaltzy at times, but the love story is pretty moving. Makes you realize how nice life would be if people were all willing to stand by their mates no matter what may be going on in their lives.
I kind of like the idea of a portrait of Mary as the town 'babe.' It never gets dirty or talks about guys wanting to climb all over her, but it just suggests that many other women were jealous of Mary's looks, and the fact that guys always seemed to move to her first when it came time to discuss marriage. But Mary never faltered in her love for Joseph. (Awwww.)
Since God chose a special young woman to bear his son, why wouldn't he choose an attractive girl? That's not vain, is it?
Anyway, it's pretty uplifting. I'd recommend it. There are 2 other books in this trilogy..."Three From Galilee", which covers the 'lost years' of Jesus (say, age 13 to 29) and the last book is called "The Messiah."
If you're into Christian fiction, give this a try. It might make you think about Mary in a whole new way.
Anyway, for all the Catholics out there, I just read the first of three books by Marjorie Holmes...I guess you'd clasify it as "Christian fiction, with maybe just a hint of truth"...
The title is "Two From Galilee: The Love Story of Mary and Joseph." As the title suggests, it's a story of how a young Mary and Joseph first became aware of their feelings for each other, and how they were determined to have a life together, even though their familes were initially against it. (Shades of Romeo and Juliet, I guess.)
It's a pretty neat story how it 'humanizes' them both...Mary is just a young, barely 14-year-old girl, and throughout the book, it is made clear that she is obviously the prettiest woman in the whole city. All the guys, for lack of a better word, "want" her for themselves. Joseph lives and breathes her, and he himself is about 19 years old...old enough to realize (for the day) that he wants to take care of her, but young enough to still be very much in love with her.
As they approach their wedding, of course, God has other plans for Mary, and Joseph struggles with what he should do with this woman carrying a child that is not his. Like all the great love stories, it's how they are willing to do whatever it takes to stand by each other and be there for one another, rasing the baby Jesus in their home.
It's a little schmaltzy at times, but the love story is pretty moving. Makes you realize how nice life would be if people were all willing to stand by their mates no matter what may be going on in their lives.
I kind of like the idea of a portrait of Mary as the town 'babe.' It never gets dirty or talks about guys wanting to climb all over her, but it just suggests that many other women were jealous of Mary's looks, and the fact that guys always seemed to move to her first when it came time to discuss marriage. But Mary never faltered in her love for Joseph. (Awwww.)
Since God chose a special young woman to bear his son, why wouldn't he choose an attractive girl? That's not vain, is it?
Anyway, it's pretty uplifting. I'd recommend it. There are 2 other books in this trilogy..."Three From Galilee", which covers the 'lost years' of Jesus (say, age 13 to 29) and the last book is called "The Messiah."
If you're into Christian fiction, give this a try. It might make you think about Mary in a whole new way.
