National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This "Cathedral of the United States" contains many statues, paintings, and icons commemorating the trust that Our Lady gave to the Divine Will of the Lord-- ever since the day of Her Immaculate Conception.
"And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why have you thus dealt with us? behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing. And he said unto them, 'How is it that you sought me? Knew you not that I must be about my Father's business?' And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them." -Luke 2:48-50
Upon finally finding their son, Jesus, in the temple of Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph did not understand.
The Holy Family, as they had done every year, had traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover, along with pilgrims from all over the region. However, as the feast came to it's close, Mary and Joseph found themselves stressfully searching for Jesus for three days after accidentally losing Him amongst the crowds.
Throughout the entire ordeal of losing track of Jesus, searching for Jesus, and finding Jesus in the temple, Mary and Joseph certainly did not understand. They did not understand why God let this trying situation happen, why Jesus did not come and find them, and why this trial was part of God's plan for their lives.
Even Our Lady, while not endlessly worrying unto sin, was certainly anxious for the safety of Her son. Upon finding Him, She pours out to Christ the pain She had experienced, the difficulty of those past few days.
Jesus responded with a moment of divine prophecy even from His hidden and quiet childhood. "How is it that you sought me? Knew you not that I must be about my Father's business?"
Our Lady and St. Joseph did not miss or forget anything-- it was not their fault that they sought Jesus. Rather, Jesus was simply reminding them of His constant providence for them; He was comforting them that God's plan is perfect for them, even when they do not understand.
Even after this event, it seems that Mary and Joseph continued to wonder at this event-- perhaps they never understood anything more than that it was part of God's mysterious plan for their lives. But that's okay! That trust, that faith, was all that they needed to continue to live the rest of their family life with Christ.
Today, I would like to encourage you to ask Our Lady for help in trusting and wondering at the Divine Will of God. God's will is mysterious, and we will never understand it all until Heaven. However, God gives us the understanding that we need, and that is enough. May Our Lady, Queen of Peace, lead all souls in peacefully following the Divine Will... even when it's truly impossible to understand.
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