They assumed that he was in their group of travelers, and, after walking the whole day, they looked for him among their relatives and friends.
As they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem, searching for him; and, on the third day,
they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
And all the people were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents were very surprised when they saw him; and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for you.”
Then he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand this answer.
Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and he continued to be obedient to them. As for his mother, she kept all these things in her heart.

REFLECTION:
Read: Following the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, the church ce­lebrates the Immacu­late Heart of Mary,
with the gospel reading recounting Jesus being left behind by his parents in the temple.
Reflect: The gospel ends with a very significant line saying that Mary “kept all these things in her heart.”
If the celebration of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus asks us to reflect on the kind of heart that our Savior has – a loving, kind,
tender and merciful heart – todays’ celebration shows us the kind of heart that “gave birth”, to this Savior, that gave him flesh
and blood and allowed him to come to this world to make known the Father’s heart. Mary’s heart was one that was open, willing, ready, receptive,
treasuring the Son who was to save us all. It is the same kind of heart that a true follower of Christ must seek to have.
Pray: Lord, like your mother, help me to hold you as a treasure in my heart, so that I may share this gift with all that I meet
and be an ins­trument of your continued work and incarnation in the world.
Act: Ask the Blessed Mother to help you grow a heart just like hers, open and ready to accept the will of God.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2020