“But they did not understand what he said to them.”
Mary and Joseph have just experienced every parent’s worst nightmare: their son was missing for THREE DAYS, as they searched and asked and retraced the steps of their journey. Imagine their relief when they returned to the Temple and saw him at last. Surely they ran to him with joy and exasperation, only to hear his answer, “Why were you looking for me?” Why? WHY?!
Of course they did not understand what he said to them. Their hearts had gone through the wringer of fear and anxiety, their imaginations had probably thought of worse case scenarios, their minds could not understand why he would separate himself from the ones who loved him and had supplied his every need in every moment of his life up until then. And he seems to give a dismissive answer, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Like a sword to the hearts of Joseph and Mary, his response does not seem to take their anxieties into account.
This is hard to understand, so hard that Mary must store it away to ponder later, as we are told she “kept all these things in her heart.” But he returns to their home in Nazareth, and is obedient to them.
This Holy Family did not have a schedule given to them from Heaven. Yes, they were holy; yes, Jesus was the Incarnate Son of God; yes, Mary was sinless; yes, Joseph was a just man. They were good Jews, subject to the Jewish Law and open to the will of the Father. But they did not know where the will of the Father would take them. It took them to Bethlehem when they should have been preparing at home for the birth of Jesus. It took them to Egypt for several years to flee the murderous rage of Herod when they wanted to return home with their infant. It took them back to Nazareth at last, where they raised a child they knew to be the Messiah. And it took them over a painful journey of three days to find him in the Temple.
What did this require of them? The same thing that it requires of us: loving trust. They are the model for us of a life of love and trust, obedience and patience, great faith and hope and humility, knowing the will of the Father is always for our good, even when it is difficult.
Let us pray for the grace to continue to submit ourselves to the will of the Father, especially when it is hard to understand, when it seems something else would be better, when it costs us. It is then that our trust is deepened and our love grows.
“Ellos no entendieron la respuesta que les dio.”
María y José acababan de experimentar la peor pesadilla de todo padre: su hijo se desapareció por TRES DÍAS, mientras lo buscaban, preguntaban por él y volvían a seguir los pasos de su viaje. Imaginen su alivio cuando regresaron al Templo y por fin lo vieron. Seguramente corrieron hacia él con alegría y exasperación, solo para escuchar su respuesta: “¿Por qué me andaban buscando?” ¿Por qué? ¡¿POR QUÉ?!
Por supuesto que no entendieron lo que les dijo. Sus corazones habían sufrido demasiado por el miedo y la ansiedad, su imaginación probablemente había pensado en los peores escenarios, sus mentes no podían entender por qué se había separado de quienes lo amaban y habían provisto cada necesidad en cada momento de su vida hasta ese momento. Y parece dar una respuesta despectiva: “¿Por qué me andaban buscando? ¿No sabían que debo ocuparme en las cosas de mi Padre?” Como una espada en los corazones de José y María, su respuesta no parece tener en cuenta sus ansiedades. Esto es difícil de entender, tan difícil que María tiene que guardarlo para meditarlo más tarde, ya que se nos dice que ella “guardaba todas estas cosas en su corazón”. Pero él regresa a su hogar en Nazaret y les es obediente.
La Sagrada Familia no tenía un horario dado desde el Cielo. Sí, eran santos; sí, Jesús era el Hijo encarnado de Dios; sí, María no tenía pecado; sí, José era un hombre justo. Eran buenos judíos, sujetos a la ley judía y abiertos a la voluntad del Padre. Pero no sabían a dónde los llevaría la voluntad del Padre. Los llevó a Belén cuando deberían haber estado preparándose en casa para el nacimiento de Jesús. Los llevó a Egipto durante varios años para huir de la furia asesina de Herodes cuando quisieron regresar a casa con su bebé. Los llevó de regreso a Nazaret por fin, donde criaron a un niño que sabían que era el Mesías. Y los llevó a un doloroso viaje de tres días para encontrarlo en el Templo.
¿Qué requirió esto de ellos? Lo mismo que requiere de nosotros: la confianza amorosa. Ellos son para nosotros el modelo de una vida de amor y confianza, de obediencia y paciencia, de gran fe, esperanza y humildad, sabiendo que la voluntad del Padre es siempre para nuestro bien, incluso cuando es difícil.
Oremos por la gracia de seguir sometiéndonos a la voluntad del Padre, especialmente cuando es difícil de entender, cuando parece que otra cosa sería mejor, cuando nos cuesta. Es entonces cuando nuestra confianza se profundiza y nuestro amor crece.
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eleven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: Mccartyv, pixabay.com/photos/nativity-christmas-mary-joseph-447767/
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