Lk 2:41-51
Each year [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45but 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, 47and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48When 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.” 49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
Reflection:
His moter kept all these things in her heart. I have seen many movies about a mother losing her small child in a crowd. How painful and life-changing this experience could be. We all lose someone and something sometime in our lives. A friend lost a leg due to an illness; he found his wife and kids in the process and, finally, his God when he died. A young member of our parish choir lost a newly bought earring in one of our parish outings. She came to me crying. We both went down on all fours scanning the entire hall for her earring. We found it, but it had been stepped on and damaged. I accompanied her back to the store to ask for a replacement. The owner was very kind to give her another pair. I soon held in my heart that for everything lost, God is set to give us a new gift.
All’s well that ends well may be the meaning of Mary’s keeping all things in her heart. Always believe in happy endings. If it is not happy, it is not yet the ending.