seasons of motherhood | pray the rosary | Behold Your Mother
Today we will pray the Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
The Fifth Joyful Mystery touches mothers on many levels. Unborn babies in the womb are hidden to us, but very much a part of us. We feel them there, but long for the moment we can hold them in our arms. In some ways (illogically perhaps, but humanistically) we feel we can protect them when they are in our embrace. This doesn’t change from day one until the last day we have with them in our lives.
When our children struggle with little things or very big things, they can seem lost to us. Our deepest desire as parents is to protect our little ones, but as Mary and Joseph discovered, even the Holy Family cannot parent without occasional moments of fear and concern.
When Jesus was lost, Mary and Joseph give us a blueprint to follow. They ask friends for help (going one by one to the others in the caravan looking for their son). They do not panic. It is normal to feel anxious, however we can make big mistakes when we are reactive instead of proactive. They, above all, trust God and trust the way they have raised Jesus. Most importantly, when they find Jesus, they rejoice and thank God, while still correcting a behavior that did not please them. They instruct Jesus and, at the same time, listen to his reasons and learn from him.
In times when we are challenged most by fear, the unknown, or our own lack of being able to find parenting solutions, we can unite ourselves with the Holy Family and gain strength from their example. Jesus, Mary and Joseph… Pray for us.
The writers of Catholic Mom enthusiastically gathered to share meditations on each Mystery of the Rosary in a special way for pregnant mothers. We invite you to join us throughout the month of May as we pray together each day, and to share these reflections with other moms who will enjoy them.
Images: created by Ted Schluenderfritz for Holy Cross Family Ministries