Minute Meditations: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

I'll never forget the time we lost our daughter briefly at a very busy night at the county fair. She was only about two years old, and one moment she was at my side and the next she vanished. Panicked, my husband and I quickly searched through the crowd as I silently prayed Hail Marys. We found her a few minutes later, trustingly holding the hand of a kind older woman who was helping her to find us. Thank heaven she was found quickly and unharmed!

When I meditate on The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, I can relate to Mary and Joseph's distress while searching for their beloved child. My frantic search lasted only about 3 minutes but seemed like an eternity. Imagine Mary and Joseph's panic after 3 DAYS spent looking for the Son of God! Then imagine their relief and joy in finally finding Jesus in the place where they should have looked for Him first.

I compare this distress followed by joy to the times in my life where I have been searching for Jesus but could not find Him. Sometimes I was not physically aware that I was searching, but my soul longed for something greater than the lukewarm faith that I was practicing at the time. At other times, I experienced spiritual dryness and felt abandoned and lost. There's nothing quite like the joy at finally finding Jesus when you thought He was lost. Of course, like Mary and Joseph, I always find Him in the obvious place, every time-- in His Father's House (Luke 2:49)