The boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem

1 Sam 1,20-22.24-28; Ps 83,2-3.5-6.9-10; 1 Jn 3,1-2.21-24; Lk 2,41-52.
30 DECEMBER

Man’s obedience to his Lord and God, Creator and Saviour, on the part of a man begins already from the first moment of conception. That child is a man, not because conceived by his father and mother. Father and mother give life cells. God infuses the soul, which is the true breath of life. From the first moment of its creation and the instant is at the very moment of conception, the soul is obliged to obey its Lord and Creator. Being the conceived a person from the first moment, no one has more right to his life anymore. All are custodians, but not masters. This is why abortion is homicide. A human being is denied the right to be a human person. He is treated as a growing body of flesh. Being flesh and not a person, one can make of it what he wants. We cry to barbarism when evil is committed to some live children, while we cry out for our right to kill about fifty-six million newly-conceived beings in the world each year who are about to begin the great journey of life. Mary and Joseph are at the service of the life of Jesus. At twelve years the obligation to respect all the precepts of the Law of the Lord began and Jesus goes with Mary and Joseph to the holy city for the celebration of the Passover feast. Faith is taught not only by words, but above all by living it, obeying the law of truth and justice according to God, subjecting ourselves to every divine command of love. Today, the failure of education consists precisely in this: in teaching the truths of faith as a code of precepts only to be remembered or memorized. Then life flows through other paths and other ways. The Gospel has nothing to do with life. Life is life and must be kept away from the Gospel. The Gospel is Gospel and it must be kept away from life. Divorce, adultery, violation of the Lord’s day, superstition, idolatry, immorality, theft, false testimony and slander are life. The Gospel is the Gospel.

Each year his 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 favour before God and man.

In Jerusalem, on the day of departure, Jesus receives a command from the Father. His Lord wants him to go to the temple and he obeys immediately. In front of his Father and his order, for Jesus the world ends up existing. The Father, the command received and the obedience to be fulfilled exist. Mary believes that Jesus is with Joseph. Giuseppe thinks he is with Mary. A day’s walk is done. When in the evening the family reunites for the night, Jesus is not found. They go back. Another day of walking. But by now it’s night. They have to wait until dawn to start the research. Where is Jesus? In the temple, all intent to question and respond to the masters of his people. Jesus’ answer to Mary and Joseph is linear: “Did you not know that I must take care of the things of my Father?” Did you not know that I owe him prompt and immediate obedience? Mary and Joseph now know that their eyes must always be turned towards the Son. It is they who have to follow the Son and not the Son to follow them. This law also applies to the Church. It is the Church that must follow Christ and not Christ follow the Church. But do not we all want Christ to follow us today, having decided not to follow Him anymore in the truth of his Gospel?

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, teach us to always walk behind Lord Jesus.