12.26.15

Lectio: Lk 2.41-52                                            

Meditatio: “And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house’?” Lk 2.49
                                                                                 
Oratio: O God, Your Son remained behind when He was 12 when the family’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem was over, and Mary and Joseph searched for him for three days before finding Him in the Temple listening to and asking questions of the teachers. When Mary asked, ‘Why?’,He reminded her of a profound truth that You were His Father. Pray that I may learn from the conclusion of today’s episode of the importance of obedience - of children to their parents and to grown-ups to those in authority; and most importantly to God who is are All and are End.

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “why....looking....Father’s house”; Jesus at age 12 was an adult in the view of ANE protocol. As result, He would have traveled with other adults and not with His parents in the caravan as it left Jerusalem It was only after they had left the city and would also be leaving the caravan that they looked for Jesus and to their great concern realized that He was missing and a three day search ensued, I am sure, with great anxiety for Mary and Joseph.. Seek the grace to take as the lesson of  today’s Gospel that children, until they leave home are still children, and love and obedience is due to their  parents.
      
Tomorrow's reading: Mt 2.13-18