Apple Turnovers, Mary’s Third Trimester, and Trust

Lea McCarthy shares how she is journeying with Mary in a unique way this Advent, and how the Holy Family’s example inspired her to trust. 

Years ago on the cold North Dakota prairie, collegiate me was feeling lonely and homesick. My parents were thousands of miles away, Christmas break seemed like ages in the distant future, my coursework was staggering, and all I wanted was my mother’s good home cooking or a hug from my dad — neither of which was in my near future.  

Feeling very sorry for myself, I unlocked the door to the women’s dorm and was unexpectedly greeted by the cheery aroma of cinnamon and warm apples! The religious sisters who lived next to us had taken over the kitchen to make us all homemade apple turnovers, just because! As I bit into the warm, flaky pastry, I was overwhelmed that God had orchestrated this lovely thing just for me, to let me know that He cared about even the little details of my life and that I was loved. That day I grew closer in my understanding of God as a loving Father. 

A Glimpse into Mary’s Third Trimester 

Flash forward to a different frozen wasteland: current time in the New Mexico desert. Instead of looming academic deadlines, I have another sort of due date on my mind: we are expecting our second little one on Christmas Eve! It’s a pretty cool parallel to the Blessed Mother, especially since we live almost the same distance from the nearest public labor and delivery floor as Nazareth is to Bethlehem. Thinking of it in those terms puts the driving to prenatal appointments in perspective, such as how Mary willingly made that cold journey on foot while nine months pregnant.  

This Advent I’ve been harassed by all sorts of worries, from legitimate ones (Do I have a backup plan for proctoring my students’ tests if the baby comes early? What if things don’t go well in labor?) to less important ones (What if I don’t have time to send Christmas cards or make cookies?). I have had to turn continually to Mary and to lean on her faith that even though God was calling her to do difficult things, His plan was worthy of trust.  

It didn’t bother her that God wasn’t sparing her the discomfort of walking 70 miles on tired and perhaps swollen feet. No matter that she couldn’t give birth in Nazareth, where the community who knew her would be there to help out after the Child was born. She didn’t doubt God’s love for her even though His plan seemed inconvenient in comparison with the alternatives.  

And Saint Joseph — what a man! Husbands have a beautiful role: defending their wives and families. They’re not afraid to put themselves in the line of fire if it means protecting those under their care from physical or spiritual harm.  

I think of my own husband, who habitually makes me switch sides with him on walks to make sure he is on the side closest to the road while I am on the safer inner edge. How much more would Saint Joseph have wanted to protect his wife from the hardships that waited for them! They had no place to stay in Bethlehem other than a cave when they arrived after the long journey. 

Saint Joseph’s heart longed to provide for and protect his dear young wife, and here he couldn’t even give her a roof over her head or a comfortable bed to lie down on. Yet he was willing to submit even his good and natural desire to care for his wife to God’s higher plan because he, too, considered God worthy of trust.  

Hold on to the Apple Turnovers God Makes You 

Do I consider God worthy of my trust? I know that I want to trust God, but I also know that I have a lot of growing to do to get to the place where Mary and Joseph were in their relationship with Him. Greater trust in God isn’t a matter of willpower or discipline, something I can make myself do. Trust naturally flows from encountering God and experiencing His fatherly love for us, which is what we see in the lives of Mary and Joseph.  

Their example encourages us to encounter God as a good Father Who loves us infinitely more than we could ever love our kids. His love for YOU personally is outrageous and extravagant, just as it was for me those years ago when He “made” apple turnovers for a homesick college student! Mary and Joseph were convicted of that love, and because of that they were able to peacefully walk those steps from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and then to continue putting their trust in God one day at a time for the rest of their lives.  

Let’s step out in faith with the Holy Family, even if at first our steps are wobbly and unsure. The journey will be worth it. 

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Copyright 2025 Lea McCarthy
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