July 2, 2011
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of The Blessed Virgin Mary
"May God give to you of the dew of the heavens And of the fertility of the earth abundance of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations pay you homage; Be master of your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you." Genesis 27:28-29
"Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. Luke 2:49-51
Piety
Father, bless us and spare us the anguish of loss and separation. However, if we must be tested in this manner, Jesus, help us to search for you daily and keep at it until your living presence is revealed to us. Amen.
Study
Mary and Joseph encounter Jesus so clearly and authentically after the search that ended in the temple. This joy following anguish contrasts starkly with the confusion inflicted upon Isaac by the scheming Rebecca and Jacob who at first experiences joy at the meal presented by his "son" only to realize later that he has been deceived.
The New Testament does not give us a detailed biography of Mary. We are introduced to her through various episodes -- episodes that are refreshed in our minds and hearts when we pray and meditate on the Rosary.
Yet these episodes of her close encounters with Jesus provide for us a chronicle of some of the things that she kept in her heart. St. Luke does not tell us what Mary felt about these encounters. Was she puzzled by them? Frustrated by them? Angry?
Why did Jesus not tell Mary or Joseph of his plans to go to the temple? If you have ever gotten separated accidentally from your child in a store or museum, you can share some of the anguish that Mary and Joseph must have experienced in this scene. Here were the only two people on earth who knew the divine nature of this boy in their midst. And they lost him. On top of the parental anguish, did they also share the feeling with eve and Adam that they had somehow let God down? The living Garden of Eden was lost to them. What would they do now?
How do the feelings in Mary's heart at this time compound with the obedience expressed to the angel at the Annunciation and the utter sorrow she feels at the foot of the cross at the Crucifixion?
Action
When have you felt the kind of loss and aguish that must have been weighing on Mary's heart as she search for Jesus? Have you turned that anguish over to Jesus to see how he would react?
When have you had a friend or loved one experience loss and anguish? How can you help them cope with that?
