One’s own experience of family is extremely important in one’s faith development. God calls us to a larger understanding of family than just our family of origin. Both these statements are true.

How could you possibly lose Jesus? He’s the boy with the radiant halo and the singular genealogy. Follow the trail of minor miracles and cured childhood colds and there he is. Or so we might imagine. After all, Mary and Joseph had one child. Was it so difficult to keep track of their adolescent?

Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up as they always did for the feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it.

A few months ago I had an employment opportunity that would have me working back in my home town. I thought this was an incredible opportunity since my mom had recently died and spending time with my 92-year-old dad would be good. Plus, I would get paid to do so.

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. She was gone from us only a short time, but in those moments my heart raced and my imagination was filled with disturbing thoughts about what might have happened to her.

“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 God to forgive us.

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.