among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed and His Mother said

:

unto Him, Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? behold, Thy

father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? wist ye not that I must be about My FATHER's business? And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but His Mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And JESUS increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favour with GOD and man.

Reflections.

The parents of JESUS, as devout observers of the Law, went every year to Jerusalem, on the solemn day of the Passover, to hear the Law, to participate in the sacrifices, and be present at the solemnity. At the three great Festivals of the Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, every male went up to Jerusalem, according to the Law, to appear before the LORD. This law did not indeed strictly bind women, but yet many went from devotion.

And when JESUS was twelve years old, He too went to this feast. This should teach parents to habituate their children to, and initiate them in heavenly things. They are also taught the same by this, that, when others went away, He remained behind in the place of Divine Worship. He goes to honour His

Heavenly FATHER, in His Feasts, humbly observing the Law, of which He was the LORD. From this let us learn to be occupied in prayers and meditations, as long as a festival lasts, and to go to the place which the LORD hath chosen, i.e. the Church, and not to the theatre or tavern; to give our time to the praises of GOD, not to balls and vanities; to be instant in good works, not in revellings. For if we do otherwise, GOD will say of us as of the Israelites, in Isaiah, "Your new moons, and your appointed feasts, My soul hateth.” Isa. i. 14.

When JESUS was twelve years old, He began to manifest His glory, and to show what He owed to His heavenly FATHER, and what to His earthly Mother. His years were the type of the Twelve Apostles, by Whom His Divinity and Humanity were to be proclaimed to the whole world. Fitly then, the splendour of His perfection began to be manifested in His twelfth year, by which, as by the twelve tribes, and twelve Apostles, is signified the whole number of them, who shall be saved.

When they had fulfilled the eight days, the CHILD JESUS tarried behind in Jerusalem, not by accident, nor through negligence or forgetfulness of His parents, but by His Own will and order, that from His Childhood He might manifest His zeal about spiritual things. And as He had paid due regard to His parents, in going up with them, as Man with men, to offer sacrifice to GOD, so also did He show what was due to His FATHER, by giving time to spiritual things.

His parents, supposing Him to be in the company,

G

went a day's journey before they knew of His absence. He would remain secretly, that in staying without dispute, He might not seem to despise or disobey them. But it may be asked, How could His parents leave Him behind in forgetfulness, Whom they had nurtured with so much care? In answer to this, it was the custom of the sons of Israel, in going to or from their feasts, for the men and women to go apart in separate companies, for the preservation of purity, that they might celebrate their feasts more religiously, according to the command of the Giver of the Law; and lest anything dishonourable should happen by their mixed society. The boys could go with either parent. Whence Joseph, seeing that the CHILD JESUS was not with him, supposed Him to be in the society of the women; and on the other hand, Mary supposed Him to be in the company of the men. So they went a day's journey from Jerusalem, and in the evening when they came to the place where they were to lodge, Mary, seeing her husband without the CHILD, sought Him among their kinsfolk and neighbours, and was greatly troubled. Let us not despond in tribulation, for the LORD JESUS spared not His Mother, but permits it to come upon His Own, and by it shows them the sign of His love. Great indeed must have been her trouble, for Mary had lost the Treasure committed to her by GOD.

After three days of loss (in which are prefigured the three days of His Death, in which He was thought to be lost), they found Him in the Temple. So after three days of Triumphal Passion, He, Who was believed to be dead, was then found with the Glory of Immor

tality. They found Him, not in the theatre, or market, or school, as boys are wont to be, but in the place dedicated to holy doctrine and prayer. The Sox gladly abideth in the House of His FATHER. He who gladly abides in the Church because it is the LORD'S House, is evidently a son of GOD; and he who loves rather to abide in places of amusement, gives proof that he is not a son of GOD, for he lingereth in the house of the devil. They found Him in the Temple in the midst of the Doctors, sitting composedly, as the Fountain of Wisdom, and as the Pattern of humility, hearing and asking them questions. Before He teaches them He questions them. He Who ministered the word of knowledge to His Own Doctors, and teaches the Angels in heaven, asks questions of the Doctors in the Temple. Not that He needed to learn, but that He might teach us, in what we understand not, not to be ashamed to ask questions. At this however many proud men blush, choosing rather to remain in error than to be instructed in the truth. As an example of humility too, He wished to hear before He taught; thereby teaching us that learned men ought to be more ready to hear than to teach, for he who answers before he hears, shows himself to be a fool. In this also JESUS manifests His Divinity, for He subtilly questions these men, and wisely answers, that in hearing they might wonder. "All that heard Him, were astonished at His understanding and answers;" for no child of so tender an age had ever before been heard to speak so wisely. He heard humbly, He questioned prudently, He answered wisely. He heard them humbly to show that

He was Man; He answered them sublimely to prove that He was GOD. Amidst the lofty things which they hear, and the weak things they see, (for it was a Child, small in stature and in years, that sat before them,) they are greatly amazed. Let us, however, not wonder with the Jewish Doctors, knowing, as we do, according to the Prophecy, that “to us a CHILD is given," Who is yet the Mighty GOD.

His Mother, too, wondered when she found Him; and amidst her sorrow and joy, she, with maternal love, chid Him for leaving her, saying, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." Well might Mary sorrow at the loss of JESUS: and so should we when we lose Him, which we do when we wilfully commit sin. Let us then seek Him with contrition and sorrow, confession and shame, restitution and toil, and like Mary and Joseph we shall find Him. But how many mourn more for the loss of temporal things, than the loss of their own or other's eternal life. A man's ass falls, and he lifts it up; but his soul perishes, and no one steps in.

JESUS answered, not to vex, but to instruct His Mother, "How is it that ye sought Me?-wist ye not that I must be about My FATHER's business?” How is it ye sought Me among your kinsfolk and acquaintance, and not rather in the Temple (which is the house of My FATHER), occupied about spiritual things? He answers, not indignantly, but humbly, excusing Himself, and revealing mysteries. He does not chide and blame them for seeking their SON, but He corrects the word of His Mother, and teaches Who is His true