The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today's Gospel reading (Luke 2:42-52) shows Jesus at twelve years old, a pivotal age when He stayed behind in the Temple to do His Father's work, highlighting His awareness of His Divine mission even at a young age. He was listening to the teachers (doctors) in the Temple and asking them questions, amazing everyone with His wisdom and understanding.

Mary and Joseph had traveled one day before they realized that Jesus was not with them. They spent the second day looking for Him among friends, relatives, and acquaintances. On the third day, they found Him in the Temple, prefiguring Jesus' Resurrection on the third day and reflecting the Trinity. Saint Ambrose suggests these three days represent the search for Christ by the Patriarchs, prophets, and Gentiles, emphasizing the unity of God's plan across ages.

In addition to these suggestions from today's Gospel, we focus on the two natures of Jesus. His question, "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" references His divinity, while "And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them," (Mary and Joseph) underscores His humanity, showing both natures working together.

"Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men." This passage speaks of Jesus' human nature rather than His divine nature. The Son of God is not subject to change because He is God. In His Divinity, Jesus is perfect before He took upon Himself our human nature. His Divine nature was perfect throughout His time here in His human nature. And His Divine nature remains perfect for all of eternity.

Because Jesus is truly human, we see that He enters the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, taking on all the stages of our human nature — infant in the womb, newborn, child, adolescent, and finally adulthood. Jesus hid His Divinity from the eyes of men because humanity was not ready to see and receive the Son of God. Jesus reveals Himself gradually over time as His body advances to maturity, just as humans do throughout history. Jesus could have manifested His Divinity at any time, but He did not, because we might then be tempted to believe that He wasn't truly human or that He only appeared to be human.

It is a core doctrine that Jesus is truly and fully God and Man. His divine nature makes His sacrifice of infinite value, and His human nature ensures it applies to all humanity. Recognizing this should fill us with gratitude and awe for His boundless love and sacrifice.

In every stage of the Life of Jesus, we have ample instruction and illustration to imitate so that we can merit grace and salvation. Throughout our lives, and at every stage of our lives, we must always be about the work of our Father in Heaven, just as Jesus was. Simultaneously, we must be subject to the human authority that God has placed over us. As Jesus was subject to Mary and Joseph, we must each be subject to our parents. We must be subject to our civil rulers. And we must be especially subject to our priests and bishops in the Church, whom God has placed over us to lead us in the path of virtue and eternal life.

Our world today displays a lot of disobedience to the physical or material authority that God has placed over us in this life, all while pretending to love, obey, and serve God in Heaven. Children who do not love, respect, and obey their parents cannot honestly say that they love God in Heaven. Citizens who do not love, respect, and obey their civil rulers cannot honestly say that they love God in Heaven. Employees who do not love, respect, and obey their employers cannot honestly say that they love God in Heaven. And finally, Christians who do not love, respect, and obey the true Catholic priests and bishops of the Catholic Church cannot honestly say that they love God in Heaven.

The laws of God truly take precedent over any other laws, but they do not contradict or override the rules and laws of this world. God is the author of both sets of laws. All just laws are beneficial for us as they lead us closer to the life we are called to live and draw us ever nearer to our eternal destiny in Heaven. There are, no doubt, unjust laws that we should not love, respect, or obey. As we see Saint Peter showing us when the religious leaders forbade them to teach in the Name of Jesus (Acts 5:29), "We ought to obey God rather than men."

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!

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