A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
In the newer calendar, today commemorates the Baptism of the Lord. In the old, it's the Holy Family we honor. Both commemorations share one thing: Our Lord manifests Himself to us. In His Baptism, St. John recognizes Him and calls attention to Him "Behold the Lamb of God." In the gospel for the feast of the Holy Family, we find the twelve year-old Jesus in the Temple with the elders of Israel.
Today we'll reference that latter manifestation: the twelve year old Jesus in the Temple. The scene touches me in a special way. It has to do with our youngest and our oldest son (of whose plight we've written recently). Let's begin with this from the chapter on the Feast of the Holy Family from The Inner Life of the Soul. Author R.L. Emery succinctly describes our Lord's separation from Mary and Joseph and their subsequent discovery of Him in the Temple speaking with the elders:
"...the unspeakable grief it caused to those two faithful hearts that were wrapped in His, and belonged, as we all ought, wholly and unreservedly to Him...the equally indescribable joy they felt when they found again their Love, Who was their Life..."
One day our youngest had walked to our local library. We live in a city. He was of an age where he was just beginning to be allowed to get about without at least one of us being right by his side. I was going to meet him there. When I arrived, he wasn't there. In an instant I panicked. Where was he? I took off walked about the neighborhood. I didn't find him anywhere. "Unspeakable grief" would accurately capture what I felt. In my emotional state, by the grace of God, I thought of Mary and Joseph looking for Our Lord. (Our son's middle name was Joseph, by the way.) Eventually I went home with the intention of driving around to find him. He had arrived at home. Then came the "indescribable joy."
I don't really remember exactly what transpired. What I do distinctly remember was that unspeakable grief and that indescribable joy.
Since our our oldest son was felled by his massive stroke, and after an 18 day ordeal subsequently died, he has never really been lost to us. But the grief that permeates our days lingers with little joy. In the midst of this, we remind ourselves to trust in God, to seek only His will (whatever it may be).
How often, though, I have thought of Mary and Joseph and the events surrounding Our Lord's disappearance and subsequent discovery in the Temple when He was only twelve. I think I know at least something of what they felt. In this I draw closer to them and to Our Lord. This is a great grace. It has been made possible by our son's devastating injury and subsequent death. Did Our Lord's disappearance serve as a means to draw the Holy Family closer? Physically, I suppose, it did, at least after those few days of separation.
Spiritually, however, I can't imagine them ever being a hair's breadth separated from each other. And so, on this Sunday devoted to the Holy Family, I pray that we will draw ever closer to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I pray that the closeness our family has experienced as a result of our oldest son's sickness and death will remain with us and unite us with each other and with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
If you have had, or have now, any separation from loved ones - physically, emotionally, spiritually - perhaps on this Sunday you might think of the Holy Family. Pray for the grace they will generously provide to draw your family closer together, united with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Family has always been important in my life. We draw strength, consolation and inspiration from each other. I thank God that He has helped me to understand the importance of uniting our family with His Holy Family. That's the source of the strength, consolation, and inspiration we will need as we face the future together.
Today we'll reference that latter manifestation: the twelve year old Jesus in the Temple. The scene touches me in a special way. It has to do with our youngest and our oldest son (of whose plight we've written recently). Let's begin with this from the chapter on the Feast of the Holy Family from The Inner Life of the Soul. Author R.L. Emery succinctly describes our Lord's separation from Mary and Joseph and their subsequent discovery of Him in the Temple speaking with the elders:
"...the unspeakable grief it caused to those two faithful hearts that were wrapped in His, and belonged, as we all ought, wholly and unreservedly to Him...the equally indescribable joy they felt when they found again their Love, Who was their Life..."
One day our youngest had walked to our local library. We live in a city. He was of an age where he was just beginning to be allowed to get about without at least one of us being right by his side. I was going to meet him there. When I arrived, he wasn't there. In an instant I panicked. Where was he? I took off walked about the neighborhood. I didn't find him anywhere. "Unspeakable grief" would accurately capture what I felt. In my emotional state, by the grace of God, I thought of Mary and Joseph looking for Our Lord. (Our son's middle name was Joseph, by the way.) Eventually I went home with the intention of driving around to find him. He had arrived at home. Then came the "indescribable joy."
I don't really remember exactly what transpired. What I do distinctly remember was that unspeakable grief and that indescribable joy.
Since our our oldest son was felled by his massive stroke, and after an 18 day ordeal subsequently died, he has never really been lost to us. But the grief that permeates our days lingers with little joy. In the midst of this, we remind ourselves to trust in God, to seek only His will (whatever it may be).
How often, though, I have thought of Mary and Joseph and the events surrounding Our Lord's disappearance and subsequent discovery in the Temple when He was only twelve. I think I know at least something of what they felt. In this I draw closer to them and to Our Lord. This is a great grace. It has been made possible by our son's devastating injury and subsequent death. Did Our Lord's disappearance serve as a means to draw the Holy Family closer? Physically, I suppose, it did, at least after those few days of separation.
Spiritually, however, I can't imagine them ever being a hair's breadth separated from each other. And so, on this Sunday devoted to the Holy Family, I pray that we will draw ever closer to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I pray that the closeness our family has experienced as a result of our oldest son's sickness and death will remain with us and unite us with each other and with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
If you have had, or have now, any separation from loved ones - physically, emotionally, spiritually - perhaps on this Sunday you might think of the Holy Family. Pray for the grace they will generously provide to draw your family closer together, united with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Family has always been important in my life. We draw strength, consolation and inspiration from each other. I thank God that He has helped me to understand the importance of uniting our family with His Holy Family. That's the source of the strength, consolation, and inspiration we will need as we face the future together.
Happy Feast of Holy Family!
Happy Feast of the Baptism of the Lord!
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