We sometimes lose Jesus, but He never loses us

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062020.cfm
2 Chronicles 24:17-25
Luke 2:41-51

During Jesus’ time it was required that a family go to Jerusalem once a year. In the gospel Mary, Joseph, Jesus and other members of the extended family headed to Jerusalem for the Passover. The route from Nazareth to Jerusalem was anywhere from 75 to 100 miles and took about two weeks of travel. As it is related in Luke’s gospel, the family was returning from Jerusalem. At the end of the first day’s travel Mary and Joseph discover Jesus is not with them. They had assumed Jesus was with some of His cousins. If life back then was anything like today, and it probably was, it had to be Joseph’s fault. The next day Mary and Joseph traveled back to Jerusalem to find Jesus.

When I was in high school a good friend of ours couldn’t find their youngest son. It was time for dinner and they called for him and he didn’t come. They searched the house with no luck. They went door to door asking the neighbors if they had seen their son. They even called the police to help with the search. As you can imagine, they were in total panic mode. Well the story has a happy ending. Their son decided to hide under the bed. While under there he fell sound asleep.

Now suppose you were the parents of the Son of God and were entrusted for His safe keeping and you lost Him. Can you begin to conceive the panic and guilt you would experience? What would you tell the rest of the family? Hey we forgot the Son of God back in Jerusalem. We feel like we should all turn back and go look for Him. Sure hope He is OK.

During previous trials there were angels to help them out. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and he knew he wasn’t the father, he was at a loss on what to do. If he exposed her she would be stoned to death. In a dream an angel appears to him and tells him she is carrying the Son of God. When Herod’s soldiers were on their way to kill Jesus an angel came to Joseph and tells him they must leave immediately. However, when they find Jesus was left in Jerusalem no angel came to help them out. They were totally on their own.

After three days of searching Jerusalem they found Jesus in His Father’s house. You cannot help but see the parallel to the three days Jesus spent in the tomb after His crucifixion and death. If you recall, Mary was not with the other women when they went to the tomb after Passover. Why wasn’t His mother with the other women? Because she already knew He was no longer in the tomb. In fact, she knew He was in His Father’s house.

So, what does this have to do with us? What lesson is there for us in this? While thinking about this gospel it occurred to me that I often lose Jesus. I go on, bouncing along with my life, without the least thought of Him. Then, suddenly, I find myself in some sort of dilemma and wonder how the heck I got into this mess. That is when I suddenly realize I need help. Where was Jesus when I needed Him? Why didn’t He warn me? The fact is He was with me all along. I just forgot about Him and wasn’t listening. I rarely think about the fact that the Holy Spirit is dwelling within me. He is there through thick and thin, ready to guide me in my life, and I don’t give Him a second thought until I am in trouble.

As I go on reflecting on this it occurs to me that it is not just trouble where I need help. It is a constant need. Every day we face temptations. We are surrounded by temptations. It is not enough that I frequently create my own temptations. They are constantly thrown at us by television, movies, advertising, friends and associates. I need all the help I can muster to get through the day. I have to say that I frequently fail. Fortunately I can bank on God’s infinite mercy if I simply acknowledge my mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Jesus even gave us the sacrament of confession so that we can take consolation in His love and forgiveness.

Another area of great concern is family and friends who have lost their faith. How can I not be worried about them? What can I do? Sometimes trying to talk to them about this is very difficult and can result in further separation. Again, we can turn to our Lord in prayer for guidance or even a miracle. Father Calloway comes to mind. He was a juvenile delinquent. He did drugs, was a womanizer, and a member of the Japanese mafia. He was finally caught and arrested in Japan. He was then deported and told to never return to Japan. In the meantime His mother had converted to Catholicism and prayed constantly for him. Eventually he says he was hit on the side of the head with a Divine 2 by 4 and converted.

A part of life is losing loved ones. Mother, father, spouse, sibling, friends, etc. How do we deal with this? This is difficult for all people whether they have faith or not. It is easy to fall into the trap of blaming God for our loss and living in constant anger. Certainly, sorrow and anger is a stage we might have to go through, but we have to trust in our Lord for strength to carry on. For those with faith there is great consolation that we will, in God’s good time, be reunited with our loved ones. We know that when we lose them they are with Jesus and will never suffer again and will live forever. In Scott Hahn’s book “Hope to Die”, he talks about the early Christians who faced death because of their faith. They were happy to die because they knew that they would live in God’s infinite love forever with their beloved Jesus. Two early martyrs he mentioned were Felicity and Perpetua. They are usually listed in the litany of the saints. Because of their faith, both were arrested and sentenced to execution in the arena at Carthage in AD 203. Felicity was pregnant and prayed that she would be able to deliver her baby soon so that she could be executed with her fellow prisoners. Even the Romans didn’t execute pregnant women. They would allow them to live until the baby was born. Perpetua prayed that she would be able to wean her son prior to her execution. When her executioner fumbled with his sword Perpetua placed his sword on her neck. It seems strange to say this but physical death is our ultimate reward once we have finished our race (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

The bottom line is that we sometimes lose Jesus but He never loses us. He is beside us when our lives are going great and when things are not going so well. When life is going great it is a good idea to give thanks to God. For me, the best time for that is just before going to bed. When we run into insurmountable difficulties it is helpful to remember what He tells us in Matthew 7:7-11:

“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. What man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”