The Boyhood of Jesus

Sounds of Joseph working in his workshop in Nazareth drift into the silence of the dining room where Mary is sewing some strips of wool She has woven Herself. Jesus, His little blond head like a blaze of light, is playing under the trees with His cousins James and Judas, who are about His own age. 'Let us play at the Exodus from Egypt. Jesus will be Moses, I will be Aaron, and you... Mary. ' James proposes. 'But I am a boy! ' protests Judas. 'It does not matter. It's just the same. You are Mary, and you shall dance before the golden calf, and the golden calf is that beehive over there. ' 'I'm not going to dance. I am a man and I do not want to be a woman. I am a faithful believer and I am not going to dance before an idol. ' 'Don't let us play that part. Let us play this other one: when Joshua is elected Moses' successor. So there will be no terrible sin of idolatry and Judas will be happy to be a man and My successor. Are you happy?' 'Yes I am, Jesus. But then You will have to die, because Moses dies afterwards. But I do not want You to die; You have always been so fond of me.' 'Everybody dies... but before dying I shall bless Israel, and since you are the only ones here, I shall bless the whole of Israel in you. ' They agree. Then there's a difference of opinion: whether the people of Israel, after so much travelling, still had the same carts which they had when leaving Egypt.. They apply to Mary. 'Mummy, I say that the Israelites still had the carts. James says they didn't. Judas does not know. Who is right. Do you know? ' ' Yes, My Son. The nomadic people still had their carts. They repaired them when they stopped to rest. The weaker people travelled in them and also the foodstuffs and the many things which were necessary for so many people were loaded into them. With the exception of the Ark, which was carried by hand, everything else was on the carts. ' The question now answered, the children go down to the bottom of the orchard and from there, singing psalms, they come towards the house with Jesus in the lead singing psalms in His gentle silvery voice, followed by Judas and James holding a little cart elevated to the rank of Tabernacle. 'Mummy, hail the Ark when it passes by. ' Jesus says, as they pass in front of the door. Mary stands up smiling, and bows to Her Son Who passes by, radiant in the bright sunshine. Then Jesus clambers up the side of the mountain that forms the outer boundary of the garden, stands upright on top of the little grotto, and speaks to... Israel, repeating the orders and the promises of God. Then He appoints Joshua leader, calls him, and then Judas in his turn climbs up the cliff. Jesus-Moses encourages and blesses Judas-Joshua ....and then He asks for a... tablet (a large fig leaf), writes the canticle and reads it. It is not quite complete, but contains a large part of it, and He seems to be reading it from the leaf. Then He dismisses Judas-Joshua who embraces Him crying. Jesus-Moses then climbs further up, right up to the edge of the cliff and from there, blesses the whole of Israel, that is the two who are prostrated on the ground. He then lies down on the short grass, closes His eyes and... dies. When She sees Him lying still on the ground, Mary, who has been watching from the doorstep smiling, shouts: ' Jesus, Jesus! Get up! Don't lie down like that! Your Mummy does not want to see You dead! '. Jesus gets up smiling, runs towards Her, and kisses Her. James and Judas also come down and receive Mary's caresses.