Chapter 13 – Advent’s Way to the House of Bread: A Sabbath Day on the Road – Morning with Joseph

A Sabbath Day on the Road – Morning with Joseph - Advent’s Way to the House of Bread

The next morning, as the sky brightened and the scent of the warming earth rose from the fields, the travellers were not preparing to continue their journey. Joseph explained to the children that today was the Sabbath — a holy day of rest.

“It’s a bit like your Sunday,” Joseph explained, as they sat together in front of the stable.

“But in Israel, it’s a day when everything truly stops, even the smallest work. No one travels, cooks, or cleans. It’s a time for God, for family, and for peace.”

Gabi furrowed her brow. “So… you don’t do anything all day?”

Mary quietly laughed. “We do what is good for the heart. We pray, eat simple meals, talk, and sing the Psalms. And above all, we thank God for guiding us.”

Preparations began early in the morning. In the inn, there seemed to be silence, yet the murmur of conversations and laughter mingled with the sounds of clay dishes. The shepherds had brought bread and olives from home, and one man carefully lit a small fire before sunrise, because on the Sabbath it was forbidden to light a fire.

Gabi watched with wide eyes as the women covered the tables in the inn, as if dressing them in their finest garments for a meeting with God.

Everyone washed their hands — something she had already grown accustomed to — for there was no other way. They washed slowly, with respect, before every meal, a sign of entering the holy time with a clean heart. They did not eat in a rush or alone, because a meal in community is far more than just filling the stomach.

It was more like a modern business meeting, where the meal serves as a pretext or accompaniment to an important conversation.

Marcel, sitting next to Joseph, leaned a little closer, still unsure of the situation, and boldly asked: “Why is it so important for you?”

Joseph looked up at the sky and replied, “Because God Himself rested on the seventh day. And we learn from Him to pause in the rush of our days, of our learning and work, and to see that the world is His gift. To feel it, my son, you must stop in the quiet.”

The way Joseph said “my son” pierced the boy’s heart. All the love of the universe, tenderness, pride, and awe — something he could not name, only feel with his heart — resonated in that single word, as if Joseph had taken him into his heart, adopting him for just this one night and this one journey.

Or perhaps, for longer?

Joseph turned his gaze from the sky to the boy and gently suggested: “Let us pray together now, you and I, as our fathers have taught us.”

They joined hands. The morning air was cool, but the touch of Joseph’s hand was warm and calm, like a fire that does not burn.

“Lord, who guides us through the paths of day and night, allow us to rest in Your peace. Watch over those we love, watch over the path we must walk tomorrow.”

Joseph added in a whisper — only to Marcel, “And grant little Marcel a brave and quiet heart, so he may hear Your voice.”

Marcel felt as if a light had kindled in his chest, a tiny star glowing inside.

Gabi watched them from a distance, holding her little lamb, and Mary smiled gently, seeing that the prayer had truly reached the boy’s heart.

The quiet of the Sabbath wrapped around them like a warm cloak, like Advent’s Way to the House of Bread.

Chapter 14 – Advent’s Way to the House of Bread: Sabbath Day on the Road – Morning with Miriam

The Psalms have accompanied people for centuries on journeys, escapes, returns, and nights spent “on the outskirts.” They were the prayers of pilgrims, families, exiles, and those who had no temple—only the road.

Prayer on the road with the Psalms means allowing God’s Word to go with us, exactly to the places where we are.

Today, repeat Psalm 40, 5:

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who puts their hope in the Lord.”