PRI Reflections on Scripture | Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

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Gospel
Luke 2:41-51a

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.

Reflection

I suppose we've all wondered what it would be like to be the parents of Jesus. After all, he was perfect. But we also wonder about the way in which he evolved and how he changed and how he grew. And this is a wonderful story about that time before his public life. There's very few stories about it, but in this one it’s clear that as a 12 year old, Jesus knew exactly who he was and for the most part, what was before him.

He was already dedicated to his father, not Joseph, but God the Father. And then he spent the rest of his time, until he was 30, we know almost nothing about it. But then he was aware of who the father really was. The father is the God who lives inside of him.

Jesus teaches us, that he lives inside of us. In that awesome connection between humanity and divinity we become the church. The thing that God has taught us through Jesus to look forward to and to hope in.

Closing Prayer

We live in a culture that has many ways of telling us that we should be certain things. We should have certain gifts. We should have certain purpose. All of that is normal, but what is really important is that we see to the heart of the message of the God who entered into our world and recognized that no matter what occupation we have, all of us, all of us serve one father. The father that dwells in us. Bless us with that awareness. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross