The Nativity Story - Mary Returns

Listening Practice:

Watch the video clip again and fill in the missing words from the dropdown box:

Children: Mary. Mary's back! Mary! Shalom. Shalom. She's back! Joseph, Mary's back. She's back! She's back!

Joseph: She's back? Mary! Mary! She's back! Mary!

Girls: Mary! Mary!

Child: Can I go?

Joseph: She's back.

Mary's father: Mary! Joseph? Joseph. Joseph!

Mary's mother: An told you this? That you will bear the son of God? Mary.

Mary: Elizabeth had a baby. Even in her old age.

Mary's father: Elizabeth has a !

Mary's mother: Women have been put to death for this. They could you in the street.

Mary's father: Do you understand?

Mary's mother: You should have with Elizabeth.

Mary: Father. Father, I have broken no .

Mary's father: Oh, you have broken every vow, Mary. Was it one of Herod's ? Was it?

Mary: I have told the truth. Whether you believe is your . Not mine.

Mary's father: And what of Joseph?

Mary's mother: He's a good man, Mary, but this? This is too...

Joseph: Let me speak! Please. Let me .

Mary's father: Come, Anna. Come.

Mary: Joseph

Joseph: Do you know... Do you know the I chose you, Mary? I believed you were a woman of great . I have lived my life seeking honour. Honour... Mary, so how am I to answer this? If I claim this child is mine, I will be lying. I will have broken a laid down by God.

Mary: I would never ask you to .

Joseph: If I say this child is not mine, they will ask what I want to do. And if I you...

Mary: There is a will for this child greater than my of what they may do.

Joseph: I will make no accusation. Without that, there can be no .

Mary: You have shown great , Joseph. For that I will be thankful.

True or False Questions: Choose True or False before each statement. If the statement is false, make a correct statement.

When Mary returned home, she was obviously pregnant.
Her parents believed her when Mary said an angel had told her she would become pregnant.
Joseph could have reported her situation, and Mary could have been punished.
Joseph says he will marry her anyway.

Matching exercise: Match the words on the left with the definitions on the right:

accuse
to bear
law
lie
mercy
trial
virtue
vow

a. a statement that is not true, a falsehood
b. a solemn promise
c. a legal proceeding before a judge or judge and jury to establish facts and decide guilt or innocence
d. moral goodness, such as honesty or clean living
e. forgiveness, willingness to let someone avoid punishment.
f. to charge someone with wrongdoing, to blame
g. to give birth
h. a rule made by a government body that must be followed by the people in a nation, state, etc

Completion exercise: Complete these sentences with words from the exercise above: (Hint: you may need to change the form of the word.)

After having five daughters, she hoped to a son.
She told a about how old she is.
The murder was so dramatic the whole country paid attention.
She made a to go to church regularly.
The police him of theft.
In Canada, are written by Parliament and by Provincial Parliaments.
The governor showed to the prisoner on death row and allowed him to live.
Honesty is one of the a bank employee must have.

Comprehension and discussion questions: Discuss these questions in your group or with a partner.

What kind of work does Joseph do?
Why do you think Mary said to her parents, "Elizabeth had a baby. Even in her old age"?
What did Mary's mother mean when she said, "Women have been put to death for this"?
What did her father think might have happened?
What words of Mary show that she has a rock-solid trust in God in spite of the difficulties she is presently facing?
In those days, in that culture what were the steps followed if a husband believed his wife had been unfaithful to him?
Why do you think Joseph chose not to accuse Mary of adultery?
What do you think might happen next?