Yesterday, Today, and Forever by Maria Von Trapp Read Free Book Online Page B

sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed’ ” (Luke 2:33–35). He handed back the child to His mother, who received Him in deep silence, pondering over this terrible prophecy.
    Then before they could turn around to go home, there came an old lady, a widow of 84 years. She must have been in the temple during Mary’s time, because it says of her that she “did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:37). Old Anna had also been told the secret by the Holy Ghost. That’s why she came up that very hour and began to give praise to the Lord. Then she turned around and “spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). One can’t help asking: “And who were those?” Obviously they were none of the great ones in the temple, the mighty and powerful ones, because nothing at all happened. The holy family quietly left the house of God.
    What must have been going on in Mary’s heart? She knew that she was the mother of the Messiah. As a temple virgin she had learned all the messianic prophecies by heart, and from the Twenty-first Psalm she knew the horrible fate that awaited the One who would redeem His people. But maybe she hoped that the Heavenly Father might change His mind, as He had done with Nineveh when He had sent the prophet Jonas into the town with the strict message that Nineveh was to be destroyed. Then when He saw the repentance and good will of the people, He forgave and Nineveh was not destroyed. Well, if Mary had ever had such hopes for the future of her Son, Simeon had destroyed them. While they were walking back to their humble home in Bethlehem in deep silence meditating on what had happened, the sword of which he had spoken had already begun to pierce her soul.
    “Mother, and what does that mean, ‘That, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed’?” asks one of the children. Yes — what does that mean?
    Years have passed since that question was asked. At least once a year we meditate on this part of the Gospels, and we are still pondering this question in our hearts.

Chapter 8
    Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar
    It was a few years ago, and a wonderful winter day. I had been working with Hester, my secretary, in my little house, which is halfway up the hill behind the big house, and after a quick supper in the main house, had returned there to work. We had just admired one of our gorgeous mountain sunsets and were about to light the kerosene lamp when I saw something coming up the slope. It looked as if a big yellow star were climbing up the hill.
    Hester and I went out onto the porch, and now we saw that we had visitors. In the deep snow, those colorful but quaintly dressed figures looked very much like foreigners. The first one was on horseback, and the star kept right above him, while the other two had a hard time wading through the knee-deep snow. One of them swung a censer, and the sweet fragrance of incense filled the crisp winter air. Finally they arrived, and lining up, enveloped in pungent clouds, they sang:
    We three kings of Orient are,
    Bearing gifts we traverse afar
    Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
    Following yonder star.
    Oh-h, star of wonder, star of light….
    At this moment Peanuts, the pony, had to sneeze. He wasn’t used to incense. While the holy kings were singing beautifully and clearly in three parts, I recognized my two best brocade aprons acting as Turkish trousers on the legs dangling from Peanuts. I had a pretty good suspicion that they belonged to little Johannes, but was not quite sure yet. His countenance was dark black, and so was the little fist holding the stick with the star, a masterpiece consisting of transparent paper, cardboard, a flashlight battery and bulb, and the longest broomstick in the house. The other two royalties were dressed in the best silk curtains from the living and dining