Mary sought to understand why Jesus remained at the temple rather than returning home to Nazareth. Christ responded, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’” (Lk 2:48-49). Christ knows he is a Son of God the Father and labels his relationship as filial. Christ wondered why his parents were searching for him. Of course, he must be in his Father’s house, that is where sons belong. Obviously, he was with his Father at the temple—a place where Joseph and Mary would bring him to partake in the liturgical rituals of offering sacrifice and praise to the Father, a place where Jesus himself was taught to pray to His Father.
In these last few days of advent, I invite you to reflect on the mystery that Mary “gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
This past confirmation class, we discussed the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness can be challenging, yet Jesus says, “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these” (Jn 14:12).