Day 53: Our Perfect Director

Hi, I'm Fr. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a Year podcast, where through prayer and meditation, the rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary and becomes a source of grace for the whole world.
The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 53.
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we'll be reflecting on.

The fifth joyful mystery is the finding of the child Jesus in the temple.

Luke chapter 2, verses 41 through 52. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
And when he was 12 years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.
His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem seeking him.
After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously. And he said to them, How is it that you sought me?

Did you not know that I must be in my father's house?

And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

And he went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them.

And his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Over the years, I've heard a couple of different interviews of like movie actors.

And one of the things that I've picked up that I didn't really get is that when you're an actor,

like you just don't really see the whole picture.

But especially like with some of these like newer movies that have a bunch of cgi like if you're an actor in the avatar or something like you have your part and you have the directions that the director has been giving you and you kind of do it but for the most part really like you're just kind of shooting blind and you kind of have to wait for some of the first edits of like the full film to like really kind of see it and get it. Sometimes it works out.
And the reality is sometimes it doesn't work out. Like if you're anything like me, I think it's really easy to relate to this.
You know, how the actor kind of has to trust and depend on the direction of the director. We have to trust and depend on God.
The reason why this is a joyful mystery, as we'll look at, is because our director never, ever, ever makes a mistake. He is perfect.
And the finished product is always a masterpiece but the reality is we just don't see the whole picture we're given our part to do we're given some direction some prompts but at some point like we just have to trust and i think this very, very like applicable to the experience of Joseph and particularly the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly in their role as parents of Jesus, right? Like, all right, they're raised in Jesus. And probably for 12 years, you know, at this point, life has looked pretty ordinary.
And so with the group, they bring Jesus to the temple according to the law. And as it was according to the custom, and they're going back home and all of a sudden Jesus isn't there.
And all the other 12 year olds were with the group, you know, all of a sudden something different is happening. And this is what it says.
After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Okay.

They knew their part to play was to raise Jesus according to the law,

to be good parents to him.

Now, all of a sudden, there's this unexpected turn.

Okay.

All of a sudden, what this looks like is going to be different than the other 12-year-olds, right? What this looks like is going to be different than the other 12 year olds right what this looks like is gonna be quite different than we planned unexpected and Mary right asked Jesus like hey like what's going on like son why have you treated us so behold your father and I have been looking for you anxiously so she comes to the director and like hey like I don't get it and Jesus says to them how is it that you sought me did you not know that I must be in my father's house and this is really important and they didn't understand the same but they went back right so let's go ahead and have a call back and understand it's through kind of the format we laid out in our reflection on the annunciation so something new happens Mary receives it and then what does she do? She asks questions. She ponders it.

Jesus answers.

She still doesn't totally understand. And so she continues to ponder these things in her heart.
And she continues to say fiat. She continues to say, let it be done unto me according to your word.
it's difficult but it's joyous to move move from this place of I need to get it all. I need to understand it all to I receive what I'm given and I continue to follow the Lord because I trust him.
I trust his perfect understanding. I am amazed at his capacity to write a beautiful story, to make a masterpiece out of all of these different moving parts, even suffering.
So like Mary, we continue to reflect. We continue to remain in conversation, in communion.
And we continue to say, okay, write the story, Lord. I give you permission to make

the movie, to make the masterpiece. Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me

according to your word. So what we want to pray with as we're meditating upon this fifth joyful

mystery is we want to ask Mary's intercession and her help to make this movement of trust.

I don't need to see how it all is going to fit together and come together and make sense, but that's okay because I trust you do. Jesus, I trust in you.
Let us pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit amen Amen. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners. Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
All right, everybody, thanks for joining me and praying

with me again today. I look forward to continuing the journey with you again tomorrow.
Poco a Poco,

friends. Bye now.