“I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8
After a late night visiting with friends and having some pretty deep discussions…I found myself in bed before I remembered I wanted to make the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary prayer vigil. I said a prayer before I went to bed and felt at peace that even though I failed to make it for even 15 minutes that my time in prayer with Him early that morning was sufficient.
At 6:00am on the dot, my eyes popped open and I could not go back to sleep. Before I could have my first thought and say, “Good morning, Lord, what can I do for you today?” I knew I was to get up and go to Mass. The end of the Vigil was with 7am Mass this morning. I smiled and greeted God with a ‘yes’ to His instruction.
The Gospel (Luke 2:41-51) is also the same scripture highlighted with the Rosary’s ‘5th Joyful Mystery’. It happens to be one of my favorite. Jesus, as a young 12 yr old boy, went into Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. The feast lasts a few days and as Mary and Joseph headed back they did not realize Jesus was not with them. After frantically searching for Jesus, they found him 3 days later in the temple amidst all the teachers.
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?”
I love this gospel for two reasons: 1.) There is instruction going either way…first Jesus is non-perplexed already teaching His parents how important it is to be ‘in His father’s house’ however, Mary, his mother, is also instructing him that regardless it was not right for Him to worry them. Our priest today retold a story that a priest had once told him. He said the priest remarked that this was the last gospel we get of Jesus as a young boy in the Gospel of Luke…the next time we see Jesus He is 30 years old and being baptized in the Jordan. The priest remarked that as a punishment for staying behind and causing such worry she had instructed Jesus to ‘stay in his room until she told him he could come out.’ (Which is cute if you look at the gospel of the wedding of Cana and Mary speaks out.)
2.) If you were to read the Joyful mystery with this gospel in mind, it is focusing on the “Joy of FINDING Jesus”. I just LOVE that! I suppose I love it so much because I can instantly recall the pure joy when I ‘found’ Him and I truly gave up my pride and control to God.
At any rate, I was glad I took my instruction to go to Mass this morning. It gave me the peace and calm I needed to appreciate the homecoming with my boys. And I was able to lift Joseph up in the consecration of the Eucharist.
I pray to keep my spirit, mind, heart and ears open to His continuous instruction.
Blessings
Shannon