Feast: February 26th; These devotions are recited as a Triduum, Feb. 23-25, & on the Feast.
Instruction and Reflection on the Finding in the Temple
By remaining unknown to His Parents in Jerusalem, in spite of the suffering which they felt and which He felt Himself, Jesus wished to teach men to put the interests of God's glory above natural affections, even the most lawful ones, and to change the natural attachment to friends and relatives into a supernatural and spiritual one. Joseph and Mary truly loved Jesus with all their hearts; He was all in all to them, He was the Life of their life. When they lost His sweet Presence, the world became a melancholy desert to them. How great must have been their agony! Why is it that when we have lost the sweet Presence of Jesus by sin, we are so little afflicted by sorrow? Is it not because He is far from being all to us? It is, as the Imitation of Christ says, because we are unmortified and dissipated, attached to the things of this world, and tepid in God's service. Mary and Joseph teach us never to rest till we have found Jesus again, whenever we have lost Him through mortal sin, or by the lesser alienation of even venial sin, or through our lack of diligence and fervor in His service. And Jesus teaches us on His side to let all considerations about parents and families give way to the service of God, to Whom we ought to devote ourselves entirely and before all things.
"The Parents of Jesus were wont to go to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, He accompanied them for the first time." Our Father...
"When they were returning, the Boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem and His Parents did not know it. And not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of Him. After three days they found Jesus in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. The Mother of Jesus said to Him, 'Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy Father and I have been seeking Thee sorrowing.' " Hail Mary...
"And Jesus said to her, 'How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about the work of My Father?' " (Luke 2) Glory be...
"And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, and grace, before God and men." (Luke 2)
Hymn: "O Lux Beata Coelitum"(as above) -- Alternate with "Jesus Unto Thee I Flee"
Let us Pray:
O Lord Jesus, help us, whom Thou dost deign to refresh with Thy holy Presence in Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, ever to follow the example of Thy Holy Family, that having lived in a blessed union with Thee; Thy glorious Virgin-Mother and good St. Joseph may be near us at the hour of death, and that through Thee we may be found worthy to be received into our everlasting home, Who livest and reignest forever, unto ages of ages. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment