“Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Luke 2:48
People who are anxious all share a common bond. They know that worrying is painful, and they want to eliminate it from their lives. Between medication, self-help books, and spiritual programs, people spend millions of dollars trying to rid themselves of anxiety. Therefore, one should be able to state with confidence that anxiety is always a bad thing, correct? Yes and no. When we refer to the anxiety that causes us to worry unceasingly, we can say it is not good for us and eliminating it is a worthwhile pursuit. There’s another form of anxiety, however, that is a positive emotion and can be motivational in nature. In addition to being used negatively, the anxiety can also be used in a positive sense. It can imply that one has a sense of urgency or anticipation. For example, young children anxiously await the arrival of Christmas or their birthday. They can’t wait until the day arrives. When Mary told Jesus that she and Joseph were looking for him with “great anxiety,” she was not implying they were sitting around worrying. Instead, they were doing something productive: They were searching for him. Of course, they were nervous. That’s totally understandable, given that their Son was missing. As devout servants of God, they had every reason to feel anxious. But they didn’t just sit around and worry. They did something about it. They searched and finally found Jesus.
Let’s examine our own lives. The fact of the matter is that we can become separated from Jesus. Sadly, many people have little or no contact with him because “they’re too busy.” There’s no doubt the world is a hectic place. It’s very easy to lose touch with the Lord. We are constantly surrounded by noise, and it’s sometimes hard to find quiet time for prayer. As a result, our relationship with Jesus suffers. What’s sad is that we often don’t care. As long as we’re entertaining ourselves, we’re happy, or at least we think we are. For years, my relationship with the Lord consisted of my presence at Mass once each week, plus maybe a prayer or two when I was desperate. I had lots of excuses and reasons why I didn’t have time to pray. Unfortunately, there was something missing in my life: a relationship with the Lord. What’s even sadder is that I didn’t realize it at the time. I just thought this was the way life was supposed to be. It wasn’t until I finally began to make time for God that I understood how empty my life had become.
Our Lady is ready to welcome us back after we’ve gone astray. She will lead us to the loving arms of her Son so we can experience that same joyful reunion with Jesus that she and Joseph had in the Temple.
Recall situations in which you’ve felt separated from Jesus. How did it feel? Think of people you know who have left the Catholic Church or who have lost their zeal for the faith. What steps can you take to help them return? Ρ
Excerpted from Listen to Your Blessed Mother: Mary’s Words in Scripture,© 2013 Gary E. Zimak, foreword by Matt Swaim (Liguori Publications, 823756). To order, visit Liguori.org or call 800-325-9521.