Gospel: Luke 2:41-52
Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
+ + + + + + + +
Reflection:
A child was adopted by a childless couple. As he grew, they treated him as their own. They taught him about the faith, disciplined him, and regularly brought him to church for Holy Mass.
When he was fourteen years old, his biological parents approached his adoptive parents to take him back. The couple who adopted him asked if he was willing to return to his biological family, but the child chose to stay with his adoptive family.
What made the child choose his adoptive family over his biological parents? It was the parental love and discipline he experienced, as well as the strong foundation of faith they instilled in him. These important family values were also provided by Mary and Joseph to the twelve-year-old Jesus.
The Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph instilled in the young mind of Jesus the importance of love, discipline, and church worship. That is why they frequently brought Him to the temple in Jerusalem for the yearly Feast of Passover. They both wanted the young Jesus to grow into a God-centered man rather than a man focused on worldly matters.
In these social media-driven times, many parents are forgetting the crucial responsibility of instilling the basics of faith in their children’s hearts. They often prioritize material things over bringing their children to church for worship. What kind of children are we raising if we neglect our parental duty to teach them about our faith and fail to bring them to church for worship?
As a result, we raise children who do not know how to respect their parents. We raise children who view sex without any sense of sacredness. These scenarios are real and are happening today for the simple reason that some parents neglect their fundamental duty to introduce their children to God.
The Feast of the Holy Family is a wake-up call for all of us. It reminds us to prioritize God above all else in this world. It calls us to worship God at church as a family and to teach our children about our faith. As parents, we are meant to be the first catechists and faith formators of our children.
Before children go to church for Holy Mass, it is assumed that they have already been taught the fundamentals of our faith within the domestic church, which is none other than our own home.
Let us, therefore, emulate the holy family life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Let us follow the unconditional love of Mary and Joseph, and imitate how they lovingly cared for the young Jesus. Let us also emulate how they brought the child Jesus to the temple to worship God.
Do you raise your child the way Jesus was raised by Joseph and Mary? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
No comments:
Post a Comment