A sermon on Luke 2:41-52

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
St. Mary Catholic Church
St. Benignus Catholic Church 
St. Mary Queen of Heaven
and Holy Trinity Catholic Church

In the fourth grade, I had to stay after school for basketball practice. I forgot to tell Mom and forgot that I forgot to tell her. 

While I was having fun missing shot after shot (and even the entire backboard), my mother was in sheer panic mode. Mom called the school. They didn't know where I was. I came home around six to find a Conway police cruiser sitting in front of our house. 

I walked through the door "with great anxiety."

Mom was crying her heart out. 

I asked her, "What happened? Are you all right?" 

She yelled, "Michael, where have you been? I had to call the police to look for you!" 

I thought to myself, "I'm going to get arrested. I better make a run for it to the woods." I stayed calm. I told her and the officer, "I've been dribbling at the school gym." 

Mom then said something I never forgot. "If something happened to you, I couldn't live anymore." More tears flowed. 

The officer looked at me angrily. "See what you did to your mother? I'll let you off with a warning. Don't ever do that again." 

I stared at the floor, relieved that Five-O did not lock the silver bracelet around my wrist. (I heard the officer softly laughing as he walked out the door.)

Luke tells the story of Jesus going AWOL from Mary and Joseph for three days. In 2:48, Luke quotes Mary as saying, "Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 

The Greek word for anxiety really means, "tortured with grief," like a person would feel when losing a loved one. Jesus was the world to Mary.

I believe God loves you so much He sent Jesus into our world to show how much you mean to Him. Jesus gave up His life so God can live in your life.  

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You kill with stones those men that God has sent you. How many times I wanted to help your people. I wanted to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you did not let me." (Luke 13:34.) 

It hurts God deeply when you don't let Him in. God grieves over those who reject Him. The greatest pain of Jesus on the Cross was not physical. Jesus was tortured with grief over the many who would shut him out. 

When someone you love is hurting, don't you hurt with them? Of course you do. God is no different. Sadly, I have worked with many people who in the midst of their suffering feel God has abandoned them. When they most need God's Love, they turn away from Him. 

"God, if you really love me why is this happening?" They don't understand. They doubt. Then leave. Even Jesus said on the Cross, "My God, My God why have abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46.) Jesus felt abandonment just like us. But Jesus did not stop with the first verse in Psalm 22. The Psalm ends with praise to God. "The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him – may your hearts live forever." Take that, Satan.

We are soon approaching another demarcation of time called the "New Year." I pray there will be more joyful moments than sad ones in 2025. But the sad ones will come. How do you get through those hurtful times? There is only one way. Radical faith. 

The word "radical" comes from the word "root," like the root of a plant. Plant deep in the soil of your soul the root of faith in God. When you do that, the root of faith will sprout forth God's peace the world cannot give, the strength to endure anything life throws your way, and the security that God's Love will cover you like a blanket. Don't give Satan the pleasure of doubting God's Love. 

Write this Bible verse down on paper and tape it to your refrigerator, "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22.)

What put the "Holy" in Holy Family? Jesus, Mary and Joseph put God in charge of everything, even when they didn't understand what God was doing. The most important words Mary ever spoke was "Let this be done to me according to your word. Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38.) 

Believe that God, Emanuel, God with us, will never leave you.