Chapter 22 – Advent’s Way to the House of Bread: In Bethlehem

In Bethlehem - Advent’s Way to the House of Bread

Rested and well-fed, they set out in the morning. After three hours, they reached the northern side of Bethlehem. They walked to the western part of the town, where Joseph’s house had once stood. Here was a large building where the Romans conducted the census. It was surrounded by smaller houses with courtyards, where various trees grew. The fields nearby were densely covered with tents of both travellers and Roman soldiers.

Here, the Romans collected taxes and registered the population. Joseph immediately reported himself and received a slip of paper — permission to enter the town for himself and Miriam. Although Joseph arrived late, the tax officer treated him very courteously.

Meanwhile, Miriam and our little travellers waited in a nearby house. Women nearby were cooking for the soldiers, but also took care of Miriam, respecting her special condition.

The afternoon was still warm and sunny, and from this place there was a beautiful view of the hill between Bethany and Jerusalem. Miriam and the children waited quietly for Joseph’s return.

Joseph continued his dealings with the officials. He went to a room upstairs, where the walls were lined with long scrolls. They contained genealogies. Joseph introduced himself, and the genealogy of both him and Miriam — who was a direct descendant of Joachim and thus from the line of David — was read. Joseph explained that he earned his living through his craft and the help of his mother-in-law and did not own any land.

When he finished the formalities, he returned to Miriam. She also had to appear personally before the official to make a declaration. For some reason, this took place elsewhere, on a porch, and nothing was read aloud to her. Joseph paid his assigned tax.

Each newcomer had a different situation. Some had to remain in Bethlehem for several months and pay overdue taxes in installments. It was the smallest town in Judea, as you can read in the Bible, yet the house of David seemed large, as so many travellers arrived and the streets and Roman offices were crowded every day.

After finishing the formalities, the four of them went into town to look for lodging. The children clung to Miriam and waited with her at nearly every street entrance for Joseph, who ran from house to house asking for shelter. The town was crowded, and the inns were full.

The day was ending, and the friends Joseph counted on did not want to speak with him, and he could not reach others living in another part of town. So they went to the other side and descended a country path with scattered houses on limestone hills.

They arrived at a square with a beautiful, spreading tree. Beneath its dense canopy, Miriam sat on mats, and the children snuggled close to her. They fell asleep, tired from the city’s impressions and atmosphere, so different from the previous days.

Perhaps near Jerusalem, it had been somewhat similar, but they had not entered the city. Here, they had to push through narrow, crowded streets. That is why Joseph mostly ran alone, to get through the crowds of people and animals faster. It was easier and less tiring for Miriam.

And Miriam waited patiently and calmly. In her humility, she trusted that God had prepared a place for them and would not leave them alone. She was “full of grace.” She folded her hands on her chest, bowed her head, and entered into prayer. Passersby watched her with curiosity. Some greeted her politely, others passed by absorbed in their own matters.

Joseph returned several times to the large tree. Each time he became more saddened, as he found nothing, and the night fell faster. Finally, desperate not to be left on the street, he went with everyone to the outskirts, to a place he knew from his youth. It belonged to shepherds, and Joseph often found shelter and peace for prayer there.

It was not an easy path for him — the Advent’s Way to the House of Bread. The House of Bread is Bethlehem.

“House of Bread” is a literal translation of the Hebrew name Bethlehem (בֵּית לֶחֶם, Beit Lechem). In the Bible and Jewish tradition, the names of places often carry symbolic meaning. Bethlehem was known as a town in Judah, and figuratively, the “House of Bread” highlights its role in salvation history — as the birthplace of Jesus, the “Bread of Life.” God had planned everything and foretold it through His prophets, and now it had been fulfilled.

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. Joseph was a just and good man. He always took care of his family and trusted in God. Psalm 37 says:

“I have never seen the righteous abandoned, nor their children begging for bread.”

Chapter 23 – Advent’s Way to the House of Bread: What happened in the Bethlehem Grotto?