Mary's Food for Thought!

Luke 2:41-52

41 Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 His parents didn't know what to think. "Son," his mother said to him, "why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere." 49 "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they didn't understand what he meant. 51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Food for thought!

There are few gospel readings showing us the humanity of Jesus as this one. It shows us not only how human Jesus was but also how human his family was; Jesus grew up as a normal boy, in a normal family, just like the rest of us. His life expanded like other human lives. He learned as other boys; he obeyed as other children. The gospel says of Jesus he “was obedient to them”; and that he “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” As Jesus waited patiently for growth, so must each of us.

And of Jesus’ parents the gospel says some revealing things. For instance, it says “Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival,” meaning by this that they were practicing faithful; Joseph and Mary practiced their faith; they were regular “church” goers. Regular attendance upon worship is likewise enjoined upon us (Heb. 10:25).

As we have said quite often, bad things do happen even to good people. After one of the celebrations, they left for home, and the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it. Joseph and Mary were just like the rest of us; they missed out on some things like losing their child; they assumed he was among the other travelers.

Having lost Jesus, these very human parents “started looking for him among their relatives and friends.” Just like the rest of us, they looked for Jesus in the wrong places, for three full days. Like them, we often look for Jesus in places where he is not: relatives and friends! Did you notice Jesus’ question to Joseph and Mary? "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" It is as if he said: Where were you searching for me, when I was all the time in the Temple? This is what Jesus will ask us when, after our death, he will meet us: "But why did you need to search? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" 

Just as Joseph and Mary lost temporarily Christ, a divine gift to them, we too can and many times do lose him, though he be God’s gift to us.

When they couldn't find him among relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there, where they later finally discovered him, after 3 days, in the Temple, teaching. This is crucially important; it shows the importance of the temple and of the teachings of Jesus. The disciples of Jesus also having lost him in the grave, found him after 3 days.

To all parents. It is not uncommon for parents to lose their children or even to misunderstand them. The gospel says that when Jesus said, "But why did you need to search? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" they “didn't understand what he meant.” Like the rest of us, Mary and Joseph were slow to understand Jesus. But even as his parents could not understand everything about him, Jesus obeyed them. What a lesson...!

By the way, the words "But why did you need to search? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" are Jesus’ first recorded words on earth. The last ones are "Father, I place my life in your hands!" (Lk 23:46). He began with Father and ended with Father!

Mary’s Food for Thought! “And his mother stored all these things in her heart.” The gospel mentions on different occasions that Mary treasured sayings of angels, shepherds, wise men and prophets (Simeon). She now began to add to these the sayings of Christ himself. Mary is the perfect model for our Food for Thought!