MY FATHER'S BUSINESS

 

                                        REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

                                              MY FATHER’S BUSINESS

Luke’s story of the loss and finding of Jesus in the temple brings out very strongly the element of misunderstanding between him and his parents. When his Mother complains, ’My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been looking for you’, Jesus’ response seems to reflect adolescent impatience: ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business?’

On Mary’s lips’ ‘father’ refers to her husband, Joseph. But Jesus is speaking of his Father in heaven. Into their tranquil family life has burst  a sharp reminder of his true status as unique Son of God and of the destiny (‘My Father’s) business’) to which they are going to have to surrender him.

It would be trite simply to say that here we see that the Holy Family was not immune to the trials of children going through adolescence – though, of course, some comfort can be drawn from that. The Gospel is bringing out the uniqueness of Jesus as well as his identification with the ordinary human condition. ‘His Father’s business’ is to draw the entire human family into a ‘family’ relationship with God.

The family life of Jesus underwrites the dignity of all family life. But growing into Christian adulthood is no easier than growing into human adulthood and no less immune to the trials that all growth entails. Each of us is called to discover and ‘be about’ our Father’s business in our own unique way – often involving pain and misunderstanding for those who love us most.

Brendan Byrne, SJ

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