Both Samuel and Jesus are consecrated to God. You, too, are consecrated, especially in your ministry. What does this dedication mean to you?

Parents can be forgiven for imagining they “possess” their children, at least in the early years. After all, this little person arrives as a 24/7 obligation of vigilance and sustenance whose survival is entirely dependent on Mom and Dad.

I remember when one of our daughters got lost at an amusement park. She was 4 or 5 years old, and I remember how terrified my wife and I were.

“Jesus advanced in wisdom,” the last line of today’s gospel tells us, and it’s a good thing, because worrying his parents the way he did was not very wise. He had his reasons to stay in Jerusalem, to be sure, but a simple note—”Mom, Dad, catch you later”—would have saved his parents a lot of heartache.

With a desire to walk in the ways of the Lord, we ask for God's forgiveness.

A child needs both to be hugged and unhugged. The hug lets her know she is valuable. The unhug lets her know that she is viable.