His mother stored up all these things in her heart
The Joyful Mysteries
- The Finding
of the Child Jesus in the Temple(Luke 2: 41-51)
Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’ ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied ‘Did you now know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart.
At the end of a very busy week at school we pray for our young people, their parents and families, and for our staff, that the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who filled with faith and love and forgetful of themselves, lived entirely for God, and for each other in simple, joyful and generous self-giving and a spirit of service, will accompany, guide and protect us today and always. Amen.
