Something I wrote a couple years back:
THE FIFTH JOYFUL MYSTERY OF THE ROSARY
Mary Finds The Boy Jesus In The Temple
One day while meditating on this particular mystery of the Rosary, many insights came to me that I hadn’t considered before. I had recently been reading about Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, where Jesus being lost for three days was one of the sorrows Mary endured as the Mother of God. Interesting, I thought, that the same circumstance would cause both sorrow and joy. Much like life.
As I was pondering this, I thought about Mary searching for those three days. How many times did she think she saw her son, but as she got closer realized it was somebody else? The anticipation, the anxiety, the hope a mother would feel, then turned into panic once again as she continues searching. How many times do we misidentify Jesus among us, thinking we have found Him when it turns out to be someone or something else entirely.
Some search a multitude of religions or various churches that consistently disappoint them. Some search to find God in others who badly misrepresent Godly values and make empty promises. Some search for God in pleasure and find only pain. Some search for God at the bottom of a liquor bottle or in a heroin needle and find only sorrow and dependence.
There are times in our lives, in our days, when we don’t search anymore. We are either disheartened in looking, or we think we know Him well enough that we’ll easily recognize Him. Interesting. Have you ever been out with your family and you think you spot one of your children or your spouse from behind, but when you approach them, realize it’s not them? You live with these people and see them every day, yet sometimes you fail to recognize them easily. What makes us think we know Jesus that well? We need to strive to know Him better each day.
A few years ago, I found Jesus, really found Him. I thought I had known Him and been with Him for most of my adult life, but I have come to know Him more intimately over the last two years in a place some might find surprising: the Monstrance on the Altar during my holy hour of adoration. He is there, truly present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity on the altar. He is there, truly present, in the tabernacles of all the Catholic churches in the world. He is there, truly present, when I receive Holy Communion.
When I take the time to spend with Him each week, I feel His presence and sometimes I hear His voice. Not loud, not always obvious, but revelations occur that never would have if I had not taken that quiet hour to be with Him. Peace envelopes me that I don’t feel anywhere else. Trust develops, faith grows, graces shower down on me and my family that I never expected.
That’s not to say that life is easier. Far from it. Sometimes the more we learn about God’s will for our lives, the harder it is to be accountable for what He’s asking of us. (But that’s the key, that we have to come to Him for help because we can’t do it on our own.) When we pray to God for patience, for a deeper faith, for purification, He will give it to us; just not usually how we think it should be given.
Life is a purification journey, a refiner’s fire. We are constantly challenged in our faith with all kinds of obstacles that try to pry us away from God. If we see these difficult times as times of opportunity to grow in faith, to reach out to God, to put our trust in Him, He will teach us a lot.
So keep searching for Him in your daily lives. Seek him out in the tabernacles of the world. Spend time with Him each day. Find Him, embrace Him, and welcome Him into your heart. Not just once, but every day, throughout the day. You’ll notice a difference.