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.” Lk 2:48
The fifth joyful mystery of the rosary meditates on the story of finding Jesus in the Temple. It could also be called the first of Mary’s “mysteries of protest.” Those mysteries come together in a litany where the repeated refrain is, “Dear God! The angel never warned me about this!”
As a Jewish woman schooled in the tradition of the prophets, Mary knew that searing complaints are prayers as genuine as praise and petition. After the interchange in the Temple, “mystery No. 2” might be expressed as: “Will someone explain why he went alone into the desert amid the wild animals?” No. 3: “I know he said his time had not come, but weddings need wine!” And so on. Undoubtedly there were more. These “mysteries” don’t really surprise experienced parents; they just nod and say, “You never know what to expect.” Those who reflect deeply on their experience might add, “The struggles of family life have brought me great growth.”
The feast of the Holy Family offers the opportunity to reflect on the mystery of family life. In reality, every family and community share the perplexing, frustrating, demanding challenge Luke described. Put most simply Mary and Joseph faced the difficult discovery that Jesus was not going along with them every step of the way. It is a real story of a family conflict and is symbolic of all kinds of relationships.
Every family and community have its share of the challenges summarized here. We know what it is like when family members do not go along with us on the journey. When Mary and Joseph confronted Jesus in the Temple, they confronted the fact that he would have to discover his own path in life. No matter what they might hope for him, he did not belong to them.
The story reminds us that love is rooted in profound reverence for the mystery of the other. Such reverence cultivates profound respect for the other’s mysterious freedom. In that, we learn to desire that the other will become who they are meant to be rather than what we would have them be.
Hannah and her son Samuel offer an extreme example of this. The unexpected dimension of Hannah’s longing for a child was that even as she prayed to become a mother, she promised to give her child to God. Strange as her example may seem to us today, Hannah saw her son as belonging to God and God’s plan.
When we take reflection time to celebrate this feast, we can enjoy contemplating the most important relationships in our lives. Obviously, the theme of the day is familial love. But the readings direct us to reflect specifically on how love nurtures each person’s freedom to become ever more deeply who they are. It’s not easy. But with Mary, we can pray, “Dear God! You never warned me!” and remember the only assurance she was ever given: “Nothing will be impossible for God.” (Taken from Mary McGlone’s commentary in Celebration)
Holy Spirit Catholic Church 