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Gospel Reading for January 19, 2025 – Luke 2: 41-52
NEVER BE PASSE
Feast of the Sto. Niño
Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
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The identity of Jesus almost surfaced at 12 years old. Like most of us who grew up with parents in a regular home, at this age, we start realizing who we are from the family we are in. Our God-given gifts are more clearly manifested as we enter the teen years. The teachers in the temple were amazed and his parents were astonished, but surely, Jesus was also amazed at himself and started to realize who he was and in what direction his life would be going. And, as godly as he was, he did not argue with his parents who did not understand what was happening to him, but obediently went back with them to Nazareth. Surely, Jesus followed the will of the Father as he was yet to grow in wisdom and stature, and be able to find favor with God and man.
Sometimes, the youth are in a hurry to reach what they believe is their destiny in life and tend not to listen to their parents or the elderly, or be more realistic with what they can achieve with what they have. It is always prudent not to rush into things when we are still young. We need time to grow in wisdom and stature, and be able to find favor with God and man.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Niño or the Feast of the Child Jesus today, there will be lots of popular religious activities as well as displays of the different costumes of the child Jesus which represent various types of people. There will be those of us who will even be proudly displaying our statue that dates back to our forefathers. What should be given importance, though, is who the child Jesus really represents. Let us level up our devotion by trying our best to be aware of, and maintain, the childlike qualities in us, such as humility, obedience and dependence on God, etc.. Childlike qualities will NEVER BE PASSE until our dying day. They will even be our entry pass to heaven! (Matthew 18: 3)
O blessed child Jesus, Son of God, help us make our hearts pure and loving like yours!
