The Finding of the Child Jesus
in the Temple
Fruit of the Mystery: Piety, Joy in Finding Jesus
When Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus travelled to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. On the return trip, they travelled with a large caravan. Mary and Joseph thought that Jesus was with other friends or relatives, but then they couldn’t find him. The worried parents rush back to Jerusalem and on the third day find him in the temple sitting among the teachers, discussing the faith with them (Luke 2:41-48).
This mystery has two fruits: piety and joy in finding Jesus. The two are related. Piety is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis defined piety as being “synonymous with the genuine religious spirit, with filial trust in God, with that capacity to pray to him with the love and simplicity that belongs to those who are humble of heart.”[i] In short, true piety should lead us to Jesus.
Any parent or caregiver who has lost a child for any period of time in a store or a park or had a teenager not come home when they were expected can understand the fear of Joseph and Mary searching for Jesus. It is terrifying to think that something horrible has happened to your child. Worse-case scenarios combined with fervent prayers race through your mind. And then, when you are reunited, there is pure joy and thanksgiving. (Although, like Mary, we might also ask, “Why have you done this to us?” (Luke 2:48).
We should experience this sort of joy when we find Jesus. In our relationship with Jesus, it is not Jesus who is lost, but we who hide from him. We make poor choices, we sin, we choose not to make God a priority in our lives. But when we return to Jesus, we are reunited with the One who can make us whole. We can put down our anxiety and rest in him. We can rejoice.
In meditating on this mystery of the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, let us pray that we may cultivate a spirit of piety and experience joy in finding Jesus.
[i] Pope Francis General Audience, June 4, 2014 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2014/documents/papa-francesco_20140604_udienza-generale.html
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