The midwife's tale. (meditation).

THIS TINY PICTURE IS ONE OF THE FEW ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS to show a midwife at the Nativity. It reflects an ancient legend that has Joseph hurrying into the village to fetch a midwife. The woman comes and is astonished to find that her patient is a virgin. Back she rushes to tell her colleague, Salome, who mocks her. In retribution--exactly the kind of thing God never does--Salome finds that her arm has withered. It is only when she touches the child, sorrowing, that her flesh becomes healed again. The intention of the story is a good one, illustrating that lack of faith actually damages us, makes us less whole, and that being restored to belief brings us back to full integrity again. But God is not punitive in his actions, and perhaps the artist was aware of this. His little midwife holds the baby with a firm hand, a diminutive angel waits to hand her a diaper, and Joseph, like the ox and the ass at the top, peers into this strange world with, uncomprehending respect. It is a tender little work, and Mary is delightfully relaxed. Maybe, like any young woman who has given birth to her firstborn, she is watching to see how the midwife deals with the child's bodily needs, to learn from her. It is an image of secluded happiness.

From the book Sister Wendy's Nativity by SISTER WENDY BECKETT (first published by Loyola Press in association with HarperCollins Publishers and Rose Publishing). [c] 1998 by Sister Wendy Beckett. Reprinted with permission from HarperCollins Publishers. Painting: The Nativity (from The Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary), 14th century, Biblioteca Estense e Universitaria, Modena, Italy.