Monday, September 13, 2010

How I Say the Rosary...Finding Jesus in the Temple

I'll repeat the structure I devised, then post the Bible verses which I consider to be relevant to a consideration of the named Mystery.


ROSARY STRUCTURE:

The Sign of the Cross.

The Apostles Creed.

One Our Father.

One Hail Mary.

One Glory Be.

One Oh My Jesus ("Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins," etc.)

Then, the announcement, "First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation."

Then, one Our Father.

Then, I actually really do "contemplate the Mystery."

Then, after contemplating the Mystery, I say one Hail Mary, one Glory Be, and one Oh My Jesus.

Then I repeat the cycle, beginning with the announcement of the next Mystery, and the Our Father, followed by contemplation of that Mystery, and so on.


BIBLE VERSES TO CONTEMPLATE:

Probably very little "contemplation" goes into the story of the finding of Jesus in the temple when the Rosary is said, because everyone knows the story, perceived by most to be an almost kid-level account of an incident in Jesus' life.

In fact, the story has a very special secret built into it.

It's not about Jesus' life.

It's about His death.

See if you can figure it out. From Luke 2...


41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.

Here contemplate Luke 19:28-40, and Luke 22:7-38.


43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
Here contemplate Luke 22:39 to Luke 23:56.


44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

Here contemplate Luke 24:1-3.


46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,
47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
49 And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

Here contemplate Luke 24:4-53.

2 comments:

  1. I admit, I didn't go off and read the suggested 'contemplate' passages. But, my assumption was just the 'missing for 3 days' part of it? Or is there more? (or am I totally off the mark, at what you are getting at)

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  2. Hi, Tom. The account in Luke is a foreshadowing of the Messianic entry into Jerusalem ("went to Jerusalem"), the Last Supper ("for the feast of Passover"), the death and burial of Jesus ("the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem," and "not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him"), His resurrection ("After three days they found him"), and finally the assumption of His position as invisible head of the Church ("they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,
    and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers").

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