Day 153: From St. Joseph to Jesus
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I'm Fr. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars at the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a Year podcast where through prayer and meditation, the rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary and becomes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 153. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in a year or text R-I-Y to 33777.

You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month, and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to the podcast is in the Ascension app. There are special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full rosary with myself and other friars. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in a Year prayer guide, a book published by Ascension that was designed to complement this podcast. You'll find all the daily readings from scripture, saint reflections, and beautiful images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on.

Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the fifth joyful mystery, the finding of Jesus in the temple, with help from a painting of the finding in the temple that can be found at St. Nicholas Church in Brussels. Okay, now a very brief introduction to our painting as we don't have a lot of information about it. We don't know the artist and we don't have total clarity about the time period it's from, probably the 17th century though.

And now the description of our painting. A small boy, the 12 year old Jesus, is wrapped in purple and scarlet robes with lustrous golden curls. And he's seated up high against the wall in an ornamented classical building. He raises his hands in a position of authority and teaching.

Below him, seven elders and scholars in fine vestments and fancy hats turn the pages of voluminous bound books and a frenzy of gestures and expressions ranging from disbelief to frustration to epiphany. Jesus looks ahead in a state of calm, confident composure. Mary and Joseph, depicted as an ordinary couple, enter the scene from the outside dressed in simple garments and approach Jesus with caring, focused sincerity.

All right, we're going to take a bit of a journey today. With today's episode, our time of praying with St. Joseph as he accompanies Jesus and Mary will come to an end, right? As today's gospel passage, it's the last time that we hear about St. Joseph in the gospels. And in today's painting, right, he's depicted there with Mary entering the temple as their search for Jesus comes to an end and they encounter their 12-year-old son dialoguing with the teachers of the law.

He's there, St. Joseph is there, but as alluded to, it's the last of the mysteries at which he will be present. After this scene in the temple, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, they returned to Nazareth, where the gospel tells us Jesus would be obedient to them and grow in stature before God and man. Then the next time we encounter Jesus in the gospel of Luke is when he's going to be baptized by John, right? The first luminous mystery that we'll pray with tomorrow. And we generally understand that

that between the finding of Jesus in the temple and his baptism in the Jordan, it's in this time that St. Joseph dies, which is why we don't see him again. And what I want us to notice and pray with today is what's being, maybe like what we can say is like indirectly revealed through this timeline, namely God, the father's care, the continuity of his care for the blessed mother, right?

the father would always make sure she was being accompanied and cared for. We notice Jesus today in the temple as a 12 year old, but as a 12 year old on the brink of becoming a man, like part of the need of Mary, right? As Jesus was young boys, he couldn't help protect and provide. And so he's here on the brink of becoming a man and he would return to Nazareth where he'd continue to grow and mature. And for at least a part of that journey, St. Joseph was present.

And what I believe we can prayerfully see happening is that there's a moment in time where, if you'll allow me to use this expression, Joseph went from being the man of the house to Jesus being the man of the house. There's a time when Mary found a certain human safety. It didn't end there. It went as iconic of God's care. She experienced this human safety in the care of St. Joseph.

We found her as a young virgin at the Annunciation, but God would send St. Joseph to accompany her and care for her. Like we see him today traveling with Mary back in search of Jesus. But then there was a time and perhaps a conversation when this role was handed on to Jesus, her son, as St. Joseph would pass from this life. And I'm moved in thinking about how faithfully Jesus received this mission.

And how faithfully he would love Mary and care for her and help provide for his mother and protect her as needed. And how much delight, joy, and pride he found in loving his mother this way. And how deeply committed he would have been to this responsibility and this duty. And how joyfully Mary receives this gift. And it's a sign, again, of the Father's fidelity in seeing her and never abandoning her.

Now I know this is quite a spiritual interpretation or application. It's, there's a lot of maybe, I don't know if we say like reading into some of the details here, but I just don't think it's too much of a stretch. And I do think this can help give an added level of understanding to the wedding feast of Cana, where Mary comes to Jesus, right? And she basically presents the information to him. They're out of wine, which would lead him to doing his first public miracle in the beginning of his public ministry, which not only leads to the cross, but

but also a very distinct and real change in their relationship. And hopefully this is tracking, but it's as if Mary's actions say, like, I know what this miracle means. And I know you have taken it as your duty to be with me as a source of peace and joy and protection and obedience to the Father's will and that of St. Joseph. But I'm freely releasing you of that duty. Mary's freely gives up her rights to you.

And I give them to the world. And if we see this dynamic at play, I believe it does shed some light on the perceived resistance of Jesus at the wedding feast of Canaan in John chapter 2. It could be that Jesus is saying, "As long as you live, I have a mission to you." But Mary is saying, "It's time to go." You're released of that duty to begin your public work of proclaiming the kingdom of God to all the world.

And so now like, let's bring this back to our mystery of today and the painting, right? As we've journeyed through the joyful mysteries, we've seen St. Joseph as a secure but silent thread, an icon of the father's care of Mary. But when his earthly life would end, this mission would be given to Jesus. And Mary was always so attentively loved and cared for. And I do believe that we can see this earthly, this human sort of like security and protection being given up

at Cana freely surrendered as Mary gives Jesus to the world. And she freely makes herself vulnerable to the sufferings she would soon endure. But she has sense to it. She says yes to it. And still, even there, she's never abandoned. She's not abandoned by the Father. So now as we pray today, let us worship God for His attentive love and care of Mary.

And let us praise the goodness of his heart, which it reveals. Now with Mary, let us pray. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, friends. Thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a poco. All right. God bless y'all.