short reflection on Luke 2:41-51

photo taken from here

for hannah

“Why were you looking for me? Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

this gospel is known to most catholics as the fifth joyful mystery of the holy rosary: the finding of jesus in the temple. it would be good to reflect on his reaction to his mother upon seeing him in the temple: “Why were you looking for me? Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” obviously, jesus is pertaining to the father - god himself. this is a scandal for jews especially for the elders who hold the jewish law (the torah) dearly - that god, whose being is utterly mysterious that they cannot simply call him by just any name. and here we see jesus calling god as father, which presupposes a close and intimate relationship with god, who for the jews is totally "different" or "other" than man.

names have a particular power and significance in our lives. to know someone's name is to show a relationship with that person, or to have a certain claim over that person, or even a power or "hold" over that who is named. in the animated movie monsters inc, sulley named the baby "boo", and mike immediately reacted, "once you name it, you start getting attached to it." jesus is showing us a new way of believing, understanding, knowing, relating, and being with god: as a father, a person intimately related to us, someone whom he hold unto dearly, a person who loves and we love.

in this day and age of unbelief and skepticism, the gospel challenges us to seek god in our lives as someone who is intimately close to us. despite the seeming eclipse of god in the present world, we ask ourselves: what is it that we are looking for? what are we seeking? what do we truly want to see? maybe we don't have to look farther. like mary, we are invited to find god - and in our world today, to find god in all things. indeed, god can found in every one, in every place and in everything. and when we learn to pay more attention to how God reveals Himself in our day-to-day living, we become more thankful, devoted, and deeply in love with whom jesus intimately calls as "father."

deo gratias.