Has Anyone Seen Jesus?

 

 In keeping with our focus on Mary and the Rosary this month, I thought I would pose a question that I often wonder about while praying the Rosary. As a parent, the fifth joyful mystery, The Finding Of Jesus In The Temple, scares me. Any parent who has had a child forget to tell them where they are going, mix up a pickup time, or miss a curfew can relate to the fear and stress of not knowing if your child is safe. My son once thought he was turning off his phone and accidentally hit the call for help option (911) instead. He quickly explained to the 911 operator he had made a mistake and then properly shut his phone off. My son was confident he had handled the situation. He didn't know that; in the meantime, my phone plan alerted me that my son had just called 911. Panicked, I called him immediately. Of course, I could not reach him because he had shut his phone off. For the next hour, I called every one of his friends, trying to determine what had happened. Fortunately, in my case, my son was never in danger. I was so grateful to his friends who helped me locate him.

 So my question about the fifth mystery is this. When Mary and Joseph discovered Jesus was missing, why didn't anyone in the caravan return with Mary and Joseph to find Jesus? I can't even begin to imagine how distraught Mary and Joseph must have felt, but their pain must have been compounded by the fact that they searched alone. Perhaps this is why Mary is always eager to help us in our time of need. She knows how painful life can be when we feel we are walking through a crisis all alone.

 If you know someone who has "lost Jesus" in their life or is struggling with personal problems, reach out to them. Let them know they are not alone. Let them know you are praying for them. That lasso of the Rosary has saved more people than we will ever know. 

-Susan