In order for you to find something, or someone in this case, you have to lose it. And so we see that Joseph and Mary have lost Jesus. Not only that, but they have already traveled a day's journey and have a day's journey to reach Jerusalem to look for Him. They have lost all that means anything to them. Jesus means absolutely everything to them and we should live our lives likewise. Jesus is God, the Redeemer of our souls. If we have allowed there to be distance between us and Jesus, let us seek to rectify the situation immediately like Joseph and Mary.

Not only is this the first time Joseph has been without Jesus since Mary's return from helping her cousin, Elizabeth, but Mary is in dire anguish as well and can hardly manage herself, let alone be of comfort to Joseph as she has in his other sorrows. They were put in charge of the Father's Greatest Treasure, and they have lost Him! Oh, the anguish.

Joseph and Mary go over it again and again, looking for what they did wrong while trying to focus on finding Jesus. Jesus was twelve at this time, which places Him at the pivotal period between boy and man. It would have been reasonable for Mary to believe Jesus was now traveling with the men and for Joseph to believe Jesus was traveling with the women and children. This miscommunication is no one's sin, or is it? Surely not Jesus' as the Sinless Lamb of God and not Mary's as the Immaculate Virgin. Could it be Joseph's? He was not conceived without sin like Jesus and Mary. But would the Eternal Father entrust His Only Son to someone who would fail in his duties to His Eternal Son? Indeed, the Eternal Father would not be fulfilling His duties to His Eternal Son if He did so. So, this was not Joseph's failure, or sin.

And on the third day, they find Jesus! Their relieved sorrow brings great joy. Like having found your only set of car keys after searching intensely, but magnify that immensely. That is the joy. But this is a person that was lost and so Mary, His mother asks Him. "'Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.' And he said to them, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he said to them." [Luke 2:48:50] They surely would have found Jesus immediately had Joseph and Mary known what Jesus was talking about. But, was Jesus talking about starting His Public Ministry or just staying in His "Father's house" because He was left behind? They do not understand, yet they are overjoyed to have Jesus once again. There no longer is a distance between them and Jesus.

Joseph, loving father, help us always to stay close to Jesus and seek reconciliation whenever we have allowed a distance between us and Jesus. Amen.