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The Growth and Wisdom of the Child Jesus
The chapter opens by clarifying that Jesus' growth in wisdom and grace refers to his human nature and the manifestation of his divinity, rather than a change in his perfect soul.
The child Jesus grew in stature and was strengthened, that is, in vigor of body. And so that no one imagines he grew in soul just as he grew in body, it adds that he was full of wisdom—that is, regarding his soul—and the grace of God was in him, that is, regarding both. Hence, according to Bede: 'Because the whole fullness of divinity dwells bodily in Christ, this child was full of wisdom and didn't need to grow or be strengthened in this regard, being the Word of God and God; but in so far as he was man, there was grace in him.' Great grace was given to that man, Christ, so that from the moment he began to be man, he was perfect and was God. And according to the same Bede, it is similar to what John writes, that he was full of grace and truth; he himself commends the same excellence of divinity by the name of truth, which Luke commended by the name of wisdom. Christ indeed possessed the fullness of all virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit, except for faith and hope, for which he had certain knowledge and firm possession, because from the instant of his conception he was blessed. Whenever, therefore, Christ is said to grow and be strengthened, or to do something of that kind, all these things refer to his body. For according to his soul, he was totally perfect from the instant of his conception, but he didn't show this perfection except as the convenience of time required. As Bernard says: Jesus was a man even before he was born, but in wisdom, not in age; in the vigor of his soul, not in the maturity of his body; in the integrity of his senses, not in the physical development of his limbs. For Jesus had no less knowledge as a conceived child than as one born, nor as a small child than as a grown man. Whether he was hidden in the womb, crying in the manger, questioning the teachers of the Law in the temple, or teaching among the people as a grown man, he was equally and perfectly full of the Holy Spirit. You'll find more on these and similar matters later at the end of this chapter.
The Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
The Holy Family travels to Jerusalem for the Passover, providing an occasion to discuss the Jewish Law, the importance of religious observance, and the spiritual significance of the age of twelve.
His parents went to Jerusalem every year, like devout and religious observers of the Law, so they could be there for the solemn day of the Passover—specifically the day of Preparation—to hear the Law, share in the sacrifices, and attend the feast; they were still serving the shadow of things whose reality they already possessed. Note that the legal festivals of the Jews were of two kinds: some were common and continuous, while others were annual. There were two common and continuous ones: the Sabbath, when they rested from all work because God rested on that day from all the work of creation; and the New Moon, at the start of the month, to praise the Creator who made all time. There were five annual festivals: the first was the Passover, celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month; this festival was in memory of their liberation from Egypt. The second was Pentecost, celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Passover, because that was when God gave the Law to the Jews on Mount Sinai. The third festival was that of the Trumpets and Clamors, which was on the first day of September; for then they blew horns made of animal horn in memory of the fact that on that same day Isaac was delivered from his father's sacrifice, with a ram substituted for him. The fourth festival was the Day of Atonement, celebrated on the tenth day of September, because on that same day Moses came to them reporting that God's anger had been appeased regarding the offense of the golden calf they had worshipped. The fifth was the Scenopegia, or the feast of Tabernacles, which was on the fourteenth day of September; during those days they lived in booths in memory of the fact that their ancestors had lived in the desert for forty years under temporary shelters. Among these five festivals, only three—the Passover, Pentecost, and the Scenopegia—were more solemn and lasted for seven days. For these three feasts, every male was required by the Law to go up to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord; however, those who lived far away could be excused for reasonable cause regarding Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, but not for the Passover, unless compelled by illness. Women weren't strictly bound by this Law, yet many still came out of devotion. That is why the blessed Virgin also went up every year, unwilling to leave the Child without care, especially while Archelaus was reigning. Although the parents feared Archelaus, they still went to Jerusalem for the feast; for it was possible that they could go up secretly among such a huge crowd and return quickly, so that without neglecting the solemnity they would not be seen as irreligious, nor would they be noticed by staying too long. And when Jesus was twelve years old, he went up to Jerusalem with his parents, following the custom of the Law; by this he showed that from childhood, people ought to grow accustomed to divine things, and he did the same by remaining in the place of divine worship when the others left. Even as a boy, Jesus labored on long journeys, and he went to honor his heavenly Father at his feasts, humbly observing the Law of the Lord of the Law. For because the Lord came to provide an example of all perfection and humility, he chose to keep the Law as long as he lived under its status. Bede says: 'He kept the Law that he himself gave, so that he might show us, who are mere humans, that whatever God commands must be kept in all things.' Let us therefore follow the path of his human life if we delight in gazing upon the glory of his divinity—so says Bede. We, therefore, as his servants, ought to follow the Lord's example with great zeal for good works, preparing for and celebrating the feasts, and carefully observing the divine commandments. Hence, a certain person of such great devotion to the feasts of Christ and the blessed Virgin, and to the feast of All Saints, used to prepare himself to receive each feast by fasting, prayer, and self-discipline; and as long as any feast lasted, he occupied himself with meditation and prayer. We are given moral instruction here. Specifically, every Christian should go to the place the Lord has chosen—the church—on feast days, rather than to the theater or the tavern. One should devote time to divine praises, not to dancing and vanities. You should insist on almsgiving, not on usury or plunder. You should focus on good works, not on feasting and drunkenness. For the Lord says in Isaiah regarding those who do otherwise: 'My soul hates your solemnities and your new moons.' After Jesus reached the age of twelve, He began to manifest His wisdom and to reveal what He owed to His heavenly Father and what He owed to His earthly Mother. For the number twelve was a type of the twelve Apostles, through whom His divinity and humanity were to be proclaimed throughout the whole world; rightly, therefore, the radiance of His perfection began to be declared in the number twelve, through which—as if through the twelve tribes and the twelve Apostles—the totality of those to be saved is signified.
The Loss and Finding in the Temple
Jesus remains in the temple while his parents return home, leading to a three-day search that culminates in finding him among the teachers, where he reveals his divine mission.
When the feast days and the eight-day celebration were over, his parents left, but the Boy stayed behind in Jerusalem—not by accident, nor through his parents’ negligence or forgetfulness, but by his own will and design, so that from his youth he might demonstrate his zeal for spiritual things. And just as he had shown his duty to his parents by traveling with them like a man among men to offer sacrifices to God, so too he showed his duty to his heavenly Father by devoting himself to spiritual teaching. His parents didn't realize it—that is, they didn't notice he had stayed behind in Jerusalem, assuming he was in the company of those who were traveling together. He chose to stay behind secretly and without their knowledge so that he wouldn't be pulled away from the discussion by obeying them and leaving, nor appear to despise them by staying and not obeying. From this we have an argument that a son—whose presence his father and mother can live without—may, even without their knowledge or consent, fly toward the religious life and a state of perfection, and commit himself to divine service, provided he has the judgment of discretion as his companion. And to those who would hinder them, the Lord says: “Let the children come to me, for such is the kingdom of heaven.” But the question arises here: how could his parents have forgotten him and left him behind, when they had raised him with such care? To this it must be said that it was the custom for the children of Israel, when traveling to or returning from the feasts, for the men to walk separately from the women for the sake of the purity of chastity, so that by keeping apart they might celebrate the feasts more religiously according to the Law, and so that nothing unseemly might happen through their mixed company; but children could travel with either parent indifferently. Thus, Joseph, seeing that the boy Jesus wasn't with him, thought he was with Mary in the company of the women; and conversely, Mary thought he was with Joseph in the company of the men. So they traveled a day's journey from Jerusalem without the Boy, assuming He was in the company of the men or the women. When they arrived in the evening at the place where they were to stay, the Lady saw that Joseph was without the Boy, whom she had believed to be with him. Struck by intense grief, she spent the evening going from house to house as best she could, weeping and asking about the Boy, while Joseph, the old man, followed her in tears, sharing in her sorrow. Go, you too, and stay always with them, and seek the boy Jesus until you find Him. Since the Boy was not found by His parents then, you yourself imagine what kind of peace they could have had, especially the Mother, who loved Him more deeply. And although she was comforted by those she knew, she still could not be consoled; for what was it to lose Jesus? Look closely at her, and feel deeply with her, for her soul is now in great anguish. Never, from the time she was born until then, had she been in such a state. Let us not, therefore, be troubled when we have tribulations, since the Lord did not spare even His own Mother. For He allows them to come to His own, and through them, He shows His own people a sign of His love. At last, the Lady withdrew into her room, turning herself to prayer and weeping, and throughout that whole night, she was in anguish over her beloved Son. But the next morning, they left the house early and searched for Him even in the surrounding areas, for the return path was open in many directions. So, as they went about, they searched for Him in both groups—that is, they looked again and again, especially among the relatives and known friends who were in both companies. When He was not found even then, the Mother was anxious without hope, and she could not be comforted. Think carefully about this: with what wounds and torments the heart of the blessed Virgin was then pierced; what sighs, what laments, and what anxieties she endured when she couldn't find the Son she was seeking! She had already begun to experience what her future sorrow would be, of which Simeon had foretold her, saying: 'A sword will pierce your own soul.' The Virgin did not know what to do, because she had lost the treasure that had been piously entrusted to her by God.1 And so, she could lamentably say the words from Genesis: 'The boy is not appearing, and where shall I go?'2 Consider that the blessed Virgin, even when driven from her home and forced to flee into Egypt, didn't lose her Son during such great tribulation; yet after she attended the festivals, she lost Him—which teaches us that Jesus is often kept safe in adversity, but lost in prosperity.3 On the third day, however, they returned to Jerusalem, from which they had departed a day's journey, and sought him there. Imagine the Virgin returning to Jerusalem with much labor of travel and many tears, and she could fittingly say that verse from the Song of Songs: "I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him and did not find him," namely, among her relatives and acquaintances. “I will rise, therefore, and go from place to place, and I will go about the city through the streets and squares, and I will seek him whom my soul loves.” And after the three days of his being lost—which prefigured the three days of his death, during which he was thought to be lost—they found him in the temple on the morning of the fourth day, to give an indication, according to Ambrose, that he who was thought dead would rise again after the three days of his triumphant passion, and was then found in the glory of immortality. They found him, therefore, in the temple—a truly devout place, a holy place of God. They didn't find him in the theater, the marketplace, or at play, as children are usually found, but in a place set aside for sacred teaching and prayer. A son willingly remains in his father's house. Therefore, whoever willingly stays in church is a sign that he is a son of God, because he stays in the house of his Father; but he who willingly stays in a tavern is a sign that he is a son of the devil, because he lingers in the house of his father. They found him, I say, in the temple—not running here and there in a flighty way, as children usually do, but sitting composedly like the fountain of wisdom in the midst of the teachers, so that he could better hear everyone and confer with them; and like a model of humility, he was listening to them and asking questions before he taught them. He who teaches the angels in heaven questions the teachers in the temple. He who provided the word of wisdom to those very teachers chose to be taught by asking questions. He asked questions not because he was in need or needed to learn, but to give us a pattern for learning and for being zealous for the Holy Scriptures, and so that we might not be ashamed to ask about things we don't understand—something many proud people are ashamed to do, choosing instead to remain in error rather than be instructed. Also, as an example of humility, he wanted to listen before he taught, showing that even learned people ought to be more ready to listen than to teach. For whoever answers before he listens shows himself to be a fool. To prove also that he was God, he questioned those same men with subtlety and answered them with wisdom, so that those who heard him were amazed. Hence it is said: 'They were amazed'—that is, they were greatly astonished—all who heard him, because of his wisdom in questioning, challenging, and resolving answers; for it had been unheard of before that a boy of such an age had spoken so wisely. Stupor is, in fact, a powerful sense of wonder at something entirely unusual, and that is what happened here: he listened humbly, asked questions prudently, and answered wisely, even though he was just a boy. He asked the questions himself, gave the answers himself, and resolved both his own questions and theirs, acting like a master teacher who instructs students by alternating between asking and answering. Therefore, according to Bede, he listened humbly to human teachers to show that he was human, and he answered them with great insight while they spoke to prove that he was God. They were amazed at his youth, yet he spoke of such profound things; they saw him as small in body and age, but great in his questions and answers. They considered him a man and not God, and they were troubled by a doubtful wonder, caught between the high things they heard and the lowly things they saw. But we shouldn't be amazed or wonder at his wisdom and answers as the elders of the Jews were; instead, let us believe that he is the true God and true man, from whom all wisdom comes, and with whom he has always been and remains before time began, knowing according to the prophecy that the child born to us is the mighty God who remains forever.
The Mother's Sorrow and the Son's Response
Mary expresses her maternal grief at Jesus' absence, and Jesus responds by pointing to his higher duty to his heavenly Father, a mystery his parents ponder.
His parents, seeing him in the Temple sitting among the teachers, were greatly amazed at his lack of experience, for he had never done anything like this before. His mother, however, as if coming back to life, was overjoyed and gave immense thanks to God. But the boy Jesus, seeing his Mother, came to her; she took him in, kissed him tenderly, and looking into his beautiful face, said, "Son, why have you done this to us?" It was as if she were saying: "Most beloved Son, why have you done this, staying here while we were unaware and didn't know it?" How could you bring such great cause for sorrow to a Mother who loves you so much and cares for you so deeply? I ask you, Son, to explain this to me, so that my sorrow from this event may be eased. The Virgin Mother, who had sought him for three days in anxious sorrow, now, after finding him, was caught between grief and joy, and she rebuked him with a gentle correction. Joseph, however, although he was called his father, didn't dare to rebuke him, since he firmly believed him to be the Son of God; but the Mother, out of the immense love she had for the Son she was seeking, rebuked him this way, because excellent love knows no bounds. She is the one who speaks, therefore, and not Joseph, because the depth of sorrow was greater in her. As Gregory says: 'Moved by maternal instincts, Mary shows her sorrowful search as if with lamentations, expressing everything as a mother would—confidently, humbly, and with deep affection—by saying, "Son, why have you treated us like this?"' And so Anselm also asks: 'What if you had spent three days searching for the twelve-year-old with his Mother?' Oh, how many tears will flow when you hear the Mother, with a certain sweet rebuke, striking at the Son and saying, 'Son, why have you treated us like this?' Alternatively, this wasn't a rebuke, but a pious complaint about his absence. 'Look, your father—that is, your foster-father—and I were grieving over your loss and absence; we were searching for you, whose presence is most sweet to us.' Morally speaking, the soul grieves when it has lost Christ; and the method [of finding him is...] In this we are morally instructed that we must grieve when we lose Jesus—that is, our eternal salvation—which happens through sin when we fall; and then we must seek Him through the three days of penance: namely, through contrition with sorrow, through confession with shame, and through satisfaction with labor, and we will find Him again. But alas! many grieve more over the loss of passing things than over the loss of their own eternal salvation and that of others. As Bernard says: "A donkey falls, and there's someone to lift it up; a soul perishes, and there's no one to help." The holy Virgin calls Joseph His father partly because of the suspicions of the Jews, partly for the sake of His upbringing, and partly to explain the genealogy. And note that we never read of Joseph speaking to the Lord, but he left this to the Virgin; for it belonged more to her, as to His true Mother. Jesus must be sought in the company of Mary and Joseph, as noted when it is said: 'Your father and I.' 'Joseph' is interpreted as 'increase,' signifying good works, which must always be increased. Mary is interpreted as 'illuminated,' signifying faith, which is the illumination of the mind. She is also called 'star of the sea,' which signifies charity, because just as she does not set when other stars set, so she does not fail when other virtues fail. Jesus must therefore be sought with this kind of company: with sincere faith, diligent action, and a heart set on fire by love; only then will he be found. If any of these are missing, he cannot be found. He must also be sought with tears, as the Virgin noted when she said, "We have been looking for you in sorrow." What was that response? He speaks to them—not to provoke his Mother, but to instruct them—saying, "Why were you looking for me?" That is, among relatives and kin, when you should have been looking for me in the temple, which is my Father's house, and occupied with spiritual things. This isn't the voice of someone indignant, but of one who is humbly excusing himself and revealing mysteries. He isn't scolding or blaming them for looking for him as a son; rather, as if correcting his Mother's words, he reveals to them and to us who his true Father is and what he owes his eternal Father more than anyone else, adding, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"—that is, in the temple, in doctrine, and in the works through which my Father is manifested. It is as if he were saying, "I ought to look first to him whose eternal Son I am by divine nature, rather than to you, whose son I am by human nature, or to Joseph, whose foster son I am. Therefore, you shouldn't be troubled if I left you for the sake of my eternal Father, to whom I am more bound." Jesus was more drawn to his natural and eternal Father than to his natural mother and his foster father. Even though he loved his parents and was obedient to them, he still chose to honor God above all else. This teaches us that devotion to God must come before devotion to one's parents. You should therefore learn to love and honor both God and your parents, and to obey them, but in all things to prefer God. Note also, in a moral sense, that by answering the question—as if correcting his Mother, who had sought him with sorrow among their relatives and acquaintances—Christ openly suggests setting aside blood ties. He shows that anyone who still wanders among things pertaining to the body cannot reach the goal of perfection, and that a person falls short of perfection because of an attachment to relatives. He hints at this in the first clause when he asks, "Why were you looking for me?" Meaning, among relatives and those close by blood. By adding, "Did you not know?" and so on, he teaches us that we shouldn't walk among low things, but should lift the eyes of our mind to higher things. In a moral sense, the fact that Christ gently and humbly excused himself when corrected by his Mother, yet answered harshly regarding the miracle when invited to the wedding feast, provides us with an example of humility: we should prefer to be corrected rather than praised. Note that this was the first word recorded from the Savior's mouth, in which He expressed His divinity. And this word itself was so profound that Mary and Joseph didn't understand it. And this is what follows: "And they did not understand the word which He spoke to them," meaning what He had said about the Father, and what He intended to suggest by this word. For He wanted to suggest to them that, just as the care of the temple and of spiritual things and the governance of all that is the Father's pertained to the Father, so it also pertained to Him; because the majesty, glory, and operation of both are one, as is their seat and house—not only the material, but also the spiritual. Although Mary and Joseph believed Jesus to be the Son of God, they still didn't grasp what He was saying, nor did they understand the mystery of His divine nature, because they weren't yet accustomed to hearing such things from Him, and they hadn't yet heard Him speak to them about His divinity; or perhaps they did understand what He said, but not as fully as they would later. He, however, returned with them to Nazareth at His Mother's request and will, for their consolation, where He had been conceived and raised, and where He was also called a Nazarene. For because He is God and man, He commends both His natures to us here, and now He presents the exalted nature of His divinity, now the infirmity of human frailty. And so, as a man, He went up to Jerusalem with His parents, but as God, He remained in the temple without their knowledge; as a man, He questioned the elders, but as God, He answered things that the elders marveled at; as the Son of God, He stayed in His Father's temple and His own, but as the son of man, He returned with His parents wherever they commanded.
The Example of Obedience and Humility
Jesus returns to Nazareth and remains subject to his parents, serving as the ultimate model of humility and obedience for all believers.
He was subject to them for our instruction and to put our pride to shame, since we so often refuse to be subject to our superiors. In fact, He was subject to them in that nature by which He is less than the Father. As Augustine says, in the form of a servant, Christ was even lesser than His parents. You, too, must be subject for His sake, so you can return to Him through the path of obedience, from which you wandered away through the laziness of disobedience. For in this, Christ offered and showed us an example and the form of obedience and humility, since He Himself, the Emperor of the world to whom the world is subject, willed to be humbly subject to His parents and to their authority. Let those who are subject hear this, and let them not disdain to be subject, since He did not disdain to become subject to all those in authority. Let those in authority also not be proud; in Joseph as the superior and Christ as the subject, they should understand that it often happens that those who are subject have greater merit than those in authority. If anyone understands this, he who is higher in dignity won't be lifted up by pride, knowing that someone better than himself is subject to him. Consider how great the dignity of the Virgin was, that the One to whom every creature is subject was subject to her. As Augustine says: "She held this unique privilege, that she had subject to her the One whom not only every human creature, but even the multitude of angels, reveres and adores." Bernard, reflecting on this same phrase, 'and he was subject to them,' says: "Marvel at both, and choose which you wonder at more: the Son's most gracious condescension, or the Mother's most excellent dignity." Both are a cause for wonder; both are a miracle! That God should obey a woman is humility without example; that a woman should have authority over God is sublimity without equal. And he adds: "Learn then, O man, to obey; learn, O earth, to be subject; learn, O dust, to submit; blush, O proud ash." God humbles Himself, and you exalt yourself; God submits Himself to men, and you, longing to rule over men, set yourself above your Creator! For as often as I desire to be in charge of men, so often do I contend to go before God, and then truly. “I do not understand the things that are of God.” So says Bernard. Note that a son owes much to his parents: first, the love of his heart; second, the honor of his work; third, support in their needs; fourth, service in their requests; fifth, reverence in his words; sixth, obedience in honest things; seventh, forgiveness for offenses; eighth, patience in adversity. Christ is said to have begged during those three days. But what did the boy Jesus do during those three days? Look at him; notice how he brings himself to some poor person's shelter, asks modestly to be taken in, and there, as a poor man, Jesus stays with the poor and eats. He even begs door-to-door with the poor, which it's believed he did at other times as well. Hence Bernard, seeking this from the Lord, addresses him: "Lord," he says, "who supported you during those three days?" And he answers himself, saying: "To conform yourself in all things to our poverty, Lord Jesus Christ, you sought your daily bread by begging at doors, as one among the crowd of the poor." Who will give me the chance to share in those begged-for crumbs, and to be satisfied with the leftovers of that holy meal? As Bernard says: Look at him even among the teachers, with a calm, wise, and reverent face, and see how he questions them as if he didn't know, and listens—all of which he does out of humility, and also so they wouldn't be embarrassed by his miraculous answers. You can, however, consider three very notable moral lessons in what has been said. The first is that anyone who wants to hold fast to God shouldn't spend their time among their own relatives, but rather should leave them behind. For even the boy Jesus left his most beloved Mother behind when he wanted to attend to his Father’s work, and later, when he was sought among his relatives and acquaintances, he wasn't found; because flesh and blood did not reveal him, nor is he found in worldly company. Hence Bernard says: “The boy Jesus is sought among relatives and acquaintances, and is not found.” “Flee from your brothers, you too, if you wish to find your salvation.” “And forget your people and your father’s house, and the King will desire your beauty.” And again: “O good Jesus, if you were not found among your relatives, how shall I find you among mine?” How shall I find you in joy, whom your Mother barely found in sorrow? Bernard adds: “Nor can he be found in the company of many; because he is not found in the multiplicity of worldly things, but in the innermost heart of the mind, where the temple of God is.” Second, anyone living a spiritual life shouldn't be surprised if they sometimes feel dry in their heart and seem to themselves to be abandoned by God, since this even happened to the Mother of God. So don't let your heart wither; instead, keep seeking Him diligently through constant practice in holy meditation, prayer, and good works, and if you are persistent, you'll find Him again. For, according to Origen, anyone who seeks Jesus must not move forward carelessly or loosely—as many do who seek but don't find—but with labor and sorrow. Hence Bernard says: 'If we don't want to seek in vain, let us seek truthfully, so that we don't seek something else instead of Him; fervently, so that we don't seek something else along with Him; and perseveringly, so that we don't turn away from Him to something else.' For heaven and earth can more easily pass away than someone who seeks in this way fails to find, someone who asks in this way fails to receive, or someone who knocks in this way fails to have it opened to them. Third, no one should be set in their own opinion or their own will. For when the Lord Jesus had said that He must attend to the works of the Father, He changed His plan, and following the will of His Mother, He withdrew with her and was subject to them. From this, consider how much humans ought to obey God, since God Himself obeys humans.4 For if we must obey humans following the Lord's example, how much more must we obey God. Let’s be obedient, then, not only to God but also to people, because the Son of God was obedient not only to God the heavenly Father but also to his parents.
Treasuring the Word and Final Prayer
Mary stores these events in her heart, and the chapter concludes with a reflection on Jesus' continued growth and a prayer for the reader to seek and find him.
His Mother kept all these words that she had heard from Him, both now and at other times, and she stored them up in her heart as if under a seal and a signet. If she hadn't preserved them, we wouldn't have them; it is from her storehouse that we have received these things. She stored up in her heart and memory everything she knew that the Lord had said or done—whether she understood it or not—as if to ruminate on it and examine it more diligently, so that in His own time she might understand everything just as it had happened and explain it sufficiently to the Evangelists and those who asked. She used these things as a rule and a law throughout her life, teaching us that by frequent meditation on the Lord's deeds and words, we should repel troublesome thoughts and work to instruct others. And so, if anyone is in need of good words, let them turn to her, because she keeps the deeds and words of Christ in her care. Morally, we have an example here of how divine words should be heard: they should be kept in the heart and pondered there, rather than entering one ear and going out the other. And Jesus grew in wisdom, in age, and in grace before God and men. Age pertains to the body, wisdom to the soul, and grace to the salvation of both. He grew in age as it is the nature of the flesh to increase in stature, moving from infancy to childhood, and from childhood to youth, in the natural order of human growth. Furthermore, one can progress in wisdom and grace in two ways. The first way is through the increase of the habits of wisdom and grace themselves; in this sense, Christ did not progress, because from the moment of his conception, he was already full of wisdom and grace. The other way is according to effects, where he performs works that are in some sense wiser and more virtuous. In this way, Christ progressed in wisdom and grace just as he did in age, because as he grew older, he performed more perfect works in matters pertaining to God and men; this is why it adds, 'before God and men.' Alternatively, according to Ambrose, he progressed in wisdom regarding its manifestation and use, because he revealed his wisdom and grace little by little, more and more. Or, according to Gregory, he progressed in those who grew through his teaching and example, just as a master is said to progress in his students because the students progress under him. And this 'before God' means for the praise of God, and 'before men' means for the benefit of men; or, according to Theophilus, 'before God and men' means that he must first please God, and afterwards men. And although Jesus did not progress in himself in habitual wisdom and knowledge, because these were not increased in him—for from the instant of his conception he had the fullness of these—he did, however, progress in himself in sensory and experimental knowledge, because his senses were turned anew toward something toward which they had not been turned before. As the Apostle says, "He learned obedience from what He suffered." Yet He didn't learn anything new that He hadn't known before, because what He learned, He already knew through divine and inspired knowledge. Bernard says it this way: "To have a heart that feels for another's misery, you must first know your own; you must find your neighbor's mind within your own, and from your own experience, know how to help them." The true Son of God, before He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant, had not experienced misery and subjection; therefore, He did not know mercy or obedience by experience. He knew it by nature, but He did not know it by experience. But when He was lowered to that form in which He could both suffer and be subject, He experienced misery in His passion and obedience in His subjection. Yet this experience didn't increase His knowledge, but rather our confidence, as He became closer to us in this wretched state of knowing—a state from which we had wandered far away. For when would we have dared to approach Him while He remained in His impassibility? Now, however, we are encouraged to approach the throne of His grace with confidence, knowing that He has indeed borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows, and in... Because He Himself suffered, we don't doubt that He feels for us; as Bernard says, 'In a moral sense, Jesus Himself grew in wisdom, age, and grace before God and men, and He suffered, and rose again, and so entered into His glory; just so, He shows that His followers must also grow through trials, and through sufferings pass over into joys.' This holy city of Nazareth, beloved by God, is the place where the Word was made flesh and where the flower that surpasses all spices blossomed in the Virgin's womb—which is why it is deservedly called 'flower.' It enjoys a special privilege above all other cities because the Lord of our salvation brought forth the beginning of our redemption there, and furthermore, He deigned to be nourished there and to be subject to His parents, He to whom the Father has subjected all things in heaven and on earth. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who for three days were sought by your grieving parents and finally found in the Temple, grant me, a wretched soul, the grace to desire you, and in desiring, to seek you; in seeking, to find you; in finding, to love you; and in loving, to redeem my sins, and having been redeemed, to not repeat them. And you, who grant to those who ask, are found by those who seek, and open to those who knock, don't deny me, the least of all, what you promise to everyone. You who returned to Nazareth to obey your parents and, by living in subjection to them, showed us the pattern of obedience, grant me, in my stubbornness, the grace to break my own will, so that I may be subject to you and, for your sake, to every human creature. Amen. S.
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Puer autem Jesus crescebat in augmento, et confortabatur, in vigore scilicet, quantum ad corpus. £t ne^ quis imaginetur ita eum crevisse secundum animam , sicut crevit secundum corpus, ideo subdit quod «rat plenus sapientia, scilicet quantum ad animam; et gratia Deierat in iV/o, scilicet quantum ad utrumque. Unde, secundum Bedam : « Quia in Christo habitat omnis plenitudo divinitatis corporaliter, ideo Puer iste erat plenus sapientia, nec secundum hoc indiguit augeri vel confortari, utpote Verbum Dei et Deus, sed in quantum fuit homo, erat in eo gratia. Magna enim gratia illi homini Christo donata est, ut ex quo homo fieri coepisset, perfectus esset et Deus. » £t secundum eumdem BeAamy huic simile est quod scribit Joannes eum plenum gratice et veriiatis, eamdem ipse divinitatis excellentiam nomine veritatis, quam Lu£as sapientise nomine commendavit. Habuit quippe Christus plenitudinem omnium virtutum, donorum Spiritus Sancti, exceptis fide et spe, pro quibus habuitcertam scientiam et firmam possessionem : quia ab instanti suaeconceptionis beatus fuit. Quoties ergo Christus crescere et confortari, vel tale aliquid agere dicitur, omnia ad corpus referuntur. Nam secundum animam ab instanti conceptionis totaliter perfectus fuit, sed hanc perfectionem non ostendebat,nisi prout convenientiatemporis exigebat.
Unde Bernardus : a Vir erat Jesus nondum natus, sed sapientia, non aetate; animse vigore, non corporis maturitate; integritate sensuum, non corpulentia membrorum. Neque enim minus habuit scientiae Jesus conceptus, quam natus, parvus, quam magnus. Sive ergo latens in utero, sive vagiens in praesepio, sive jam grandiusculus interrogans Legis doctores in templo, sive jam perfectae aetatis docens in populo, aeque perfecte fuit plenus Spiritu Sancto. » De his et ejusmodi habes etiam infra in iine hujus capituli.
Ei ibant parentes ejus, tanquam devoti et religiosi Legis observatores, per omnes annos, ut essent, in Jerusalem in die solemni Paschce, scilicet Parasceve , ut Legem audirent, sacrificiis participarent , solemnitati interessent; et ejus adhuc umbrae serviebant, cujus jamveritatem tenebant. Ubi nota quod legales festivitates Judaeorum quaedam erant communes et continuae, quaedam anniversariae. Communes et continuae erant duae, scilicet : Sab^ batum, quo vacabant ab omni opere, quod illo die Deus requievit ab omni opere creationis; aliaest Neomenia, in principio scilicet novae lunae , ad laudem Creatoris, qui creavit omnia tempora. Anniversariae vero festivitates erant quinque, scilicet : festum Paschce, quod celebrabatur decima quarta luna mensis primi ; erat haec festivitas in memoriam liberationis de iEgypto. Secunda erat festivitas Pentecostes, quae celebrabatur quinquagesima die a Pascha, eo quod tunc data fuit Lex Judaeis in monte Sinai a Deo. Tertia festivitas erat Tubarum et Clangorum, quae erat prima die mensis septembris, tunc enim buccinabant cornibus peco^ rum, in memoriam quod eadem die fuit Isaac liberatus ab immoiatione patris, pecore substituto pro eo» Quarta festivitas erat Propitiationis, ct celebrabatuivdccima die mensis septembris ; quia eadem die venit ad eos Moyses referens Dei iram placatam de offensa conflationis vituli quem adorabant. Quinta erat Scenopegia, scilicet festum tabernaculorum, quod erat decima quarta die septembris, et tunc iliis diebus habitabant in tabernaculis, in memoriam quod patres eorum quadraginta annis in deserto fuerunt sub umbraculis habitantes. Inter has quinque festivitates solae tres, scilicet Paschae, Pentecostes, et Sce— nopegiae erant solemniores, et protendebantur septem diebus.
In his tribus omne masculinum, secundum praeceptum Legis, ascendebat in Jerusalem,utappareretcoram Domino : qui tamen erant remoti, ex rationabili causa de Pentecoste et Scenopegia se poterant excusare, sed de Pascha non nisi infirmitate cogente. Ista autem Lege mulieres non erant adstrictae, sed tamen plurimae veniebant ex devotione. Unde et beata Virgo ascendebat singulis annis , nolens Puerum dimittere sine cura, maxime quandiu regnavit Archelaus. Quamvis ergo parentes timerent Archelaum, ibant tamen in Jerusalem ad diem festum ; quia poterat fieri ut tunc inter tam ingentem turbam latenter ascenderent mox reversuri, ut, nec solemnitate praetermissa, essent irreligiosi, nec longa mansione conspicui.
Et cum facttis essei Jesus annorum duodecim, ascendit cwn parentihus suis,secundum Legis consuetudinem, ad diem festum, in Jerusalem, Per hoc ostendit, quod a pueritia debent homines assuescere ad divina^ et ad idem facit quod, aliisrecedentibus, in loco divini cultus remansit. Laboravit ergo etiam nunc puer Jesus itineribus longis, et vadit ut honoret Patrem suum coelestem in festis suis, observanS humiliter Legem Dominus Legis. Quia enim £>o~ minus venit ut daret omnis perfectionis et humilitatis excmplum, voluit Legem, quandiu statum habuit, conservare. Ubi Beda : « Servavit ipse Legem quam dedit, ut nobis qui homines sumus puri , ostenderet servandum per omnia quidquid Deus jubet. Sequamur ergo iter humanae conversationis ejus, si deitatis gloriam delactamur intueri : » haec Beda. Nos itaque servi , ad exemplum Dominl debemus magno studio bonorum operum et praevenire solemnitates, et celebrare, ac sollicite divina praecepta observare. Unde quidam ^ter tam magnae devotionis ad festa Qiristi et beatae Virginis , et ad festum Omnium Sanctorum erat, quod ante quodlibet festum jejuniis, ac orationibus, et castigationibus, ad suscipiendum ipsum festum se praeparabat, et quamdiu aliquod festum duravit, tamdiu circa illud meditationibus, et orationibus se occupavit.
Mpraliter hic instruimur. quod spedaliter in diebus festivis^ quiiibet Christianus debet ire ad locum quem elegit Dominus, id est, ad Ecdestam, non ad theatrum, vel tabemam. Debet vacare divinis iaudibus, non choreis et v»nitatibus. Dd^et insistere eleemos}rnis, non usuris, vel spoliis. Debet intendere bonis operibus, non commessationibus et ebrietatibus. Nam de bis qui secus faciunt dicit Dominus in Isaia : Solemnitates vestras et neomenias vestras odivit anima mea. Postquam ergo Jesus ad aetatem duodecim annorum venit, suam sapientiam mani^tare coepit, et aperire quid Patri coelesti, quid terrenae Matri deberet^ ^tas enim duodenis typus erat duodecim Apostolorum, per quos divinitas et humanitas ejus erat per orbem nuntianda universum; recte ergo in duodenario numero' jubar perfectionis efus declarari in-> cepit, pcr quem quasi per duodecim tribus, et per duodecim Apostolos universitas saivandorum significatur.
Consummatis autem diebus festis, et completa solemnitate quae per dies octo durabat, recedentibus parentibus, remansit Puer in Jerusalem; non a casu, nec parentum negligentia vel oblivione, sed sua voluntate et ordinatione, ut a puerrtia zelum suunt ostenderet circa spiritualia,. et sicut parentibus quod debebat exhibuerat, ascendens cum eis tanquairr homo cum hominibus ad offerenda Deo sacrificia, sic etiam Patri debitura spiritualis doctrinae vacando exhiberet. Et non cognovertmt parentes ejus, id est, non adverterunt quod in Jerusalem remaneret, existimantes illum esse in comitatu, id est, inter eos qui simul fuerunt comitati. Secreto autem et eis ignorantibus, remanere voluit, ne aut eis obediendo recedens retrafaeretur a dtsputatione, aut non obediendo remanens videretur eos contemnere. Hinc habetur argumentum , quod filius absque cujus praesentia pater et mater vitam possunt transigere, ipsis etiam nescientibus eut nolentibus, potest ad religionem et ad stat^m perfectionis evolare, seque divino cultui mancipare, discretionis judicio comite. Et impeditoribus ait Dominus : Sinite parvulos venire ad me, taHum est enim regnum coehrum, Sed quaeritur hic, quomodo parentes ejus obliviscendo eum relinquere potuerunt, qui tanta cura eum nutriverunt? Ad hoc dicendum, quod mos erat filiis Israel ad festa confluentibus, vel ad propria redeuntibus, ut seorsum viri et seorsum mulieres, propter munditiam castitatis incederent, ut ab invicem continentes, magis religiose secundum Legis dationem, festa celebrarent, et ne eorum mixta societate aliquid inhonesti contingeret; puerS autem cum quolibet parente indifFerenter ire poterant. Unde Joseph videns puerum Jesum non esse secum, putabat eum esse cum Maria, in comitatu mulierum ; et e converso, Maria putabat eum esse cum Joseph, in comitatu virorum.
Sic evgo venerunt iter unius diei a Jerusalem sine Puero, cum hac existimatione quod esset in comitatu virorum vel mulierum. Et cum in sero venissent ad locum ubi hospitari debebant, videns Domina ipsum Joseph sine Puero, quem cum eo rediisse credebat, dolore vehementi concussa cum lacrymis per domos quam decenter poterat sero circuibat, et de ipso Puero quaerebaL Joseph vero senex, cum fletu eiim sequebatur et associabat. Vade et tu semper cum eis et quaere puerum Jesum donec invenias. Puero autem a parentibus tunc non invento, qualem quietem habere poterant tu ipse cogita, et maxime «Mater quae ipsum arctius diligebat. Et licet a notis confortaretur, tamen consolari non poterat : quid enim erat perdere Jesum ? Conspice bene ipsam , et vehementer ei compatere; quia in magna angustia est nunc anima sua. Nunquam, ex quo nata est usque tunc, fuit in tanta. Non ergo turbemur quando tribulationes habemus, cum etiam Matri suae non pepercerit Dominus.
Ad suos enim eas venire permittit, et per ipsas signum suae dilectionis suis ostendit. Tandem Domina in cameram se recludens et ad orationem et planctum se convertens per totam noctem illam angustiabatur super dilecto Filio suo. Mane vero sequenti, tempestive domum exeuntes, eum etiam per circumstantia loca quaerebant, nam reditus per plures vias patebat. Circumeundo igitur eum in utraque comitiva requirebant, id est iterum et iterum quaerebant, maxime inter cognatos et notos amicos qui in utroque comitatu erant. Quo etiam tunc non invento, Mater sine spe anxiabatur, et consolari non poterat. Haec diligenter recogita, quantis vulneribus et cruciatibus cor beatae Virginis tunc sauciatum fuerat; quae suspiria , quae lamenta , quas anxietates pertulerit, cum quaesitum Filium non invenit! Jam experiri coepit, qualis esset futurus dolor ejus, de quo praedixit ei Simeon dicens : Tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius, Nesciebat Virgo quid ageret, quia thesaurum sibi pie commissum a Deo, perdiderat. Unde iamentabiiiter potuit dicere illud Genesis : Puer vero non comparet, et ego quo ibo?
Considera hic quod beata Virgo, de terra sua expulsa et in iEgyptum fugata , in tanta triib% bulatione posita Filium non perdidit, sed postquam ad festivitates ivit ipsum amisit : per quod datur intelligi quod Jesus saepe in adversitate custoditur, et in prosperitate perditur.
Tertia vero die regressi sunt in Jerusalem, a qua per unam dietam recesserant, ibidem eum requirenies. Puta quod cum labore multo itineris, et lacrymis plurimis Virgo iterato rediit Jerusalem , et appropriate potuit dicere illud Cantici : Qucesivi quem diligit anima mea; qucesivi illum et non inveni, scilicet inter cognatos et notos. — Surgam ergo eundo de loco ad locum, e/ circuibo civitatem per vicos, et plateas, et quceram quem diligit anima mea, Et post triduum amissionis ejus , in quo praefiguratum est triduum mortis ejus, in quo credebatur amissus, quarto die mane, invenerunt eum in templo, ut secundum Amhrosium daret indicium, quia post triduum triumphalis passionis resurgeret, qui credebatur mortuus, et tunc cum gloria immortalitatis est inventus. Invenerunt ergo eum ii(i templo, in loco utique devoto, in loco Dei sancto. Non invenerunt eum in theatro, aut foro, vel ludo, sicut solent pueri inveniri, sed in loco deputato doctrinae sacrae et orationi. Filius libenter in domo patris sui manet. IUe igitur qui Hbenter stat in ecclesia, signum est quod sit filius Dei^ quia stat in domo Patris sui; ille vero qui libenter stat in taberna, signum est quod filius sit diaboli, quia moratur in domo patris sui.
Invenerunt , inquam , eum in templo, non huc atque illuc leviter, prout mos estpueris, discurrentem, sed tanquam sapientiae fontem, in medio doctorum, ut melius omnes audire et cum eis conferre posset, composite sedentem, et tanquam exemplar humilitatis» prius audientem illos et interro^ gantem, quam docentem. Ille doctores interrogat in templo , qui Angelos docet in ccelo. Ille doceri interrogando voluit , qui verbum scientiae ipsis suis doctoribus ministravit. Interrogabat non quia indigeret, vel ut addisceret, sed ut nobis addiscendi et zelandi Scripturas sacras formam daret, et ut ea quae non intelligimus interrogare non erubescamus, de quo tamen erubescunt multi superbi, eligentes potius in errore permanere, quam instrui. Ad exemplum quoque humilitatis prius audire, quam instruere volebat, docens quod etiam homines docti promptiores debent esse ad audiendum, quam ad docendum. Quia qui prius respondet quam audiat, stultum se esse demonstrat. Ad probandum etiam quod Deus esset, eosdem homines subtiliter interrogat, et eis sapienter respondet, ita ut audientes inde stuperent. Unde dicitur : Stupe-' bant autem, id est, valde mirabantur, omnes qui eum audiebant super ejus prudentia, interrogando et opponendo, et in responsis solvendo ; quia alias inauditum fuerat, quod puer talis aetatis tam sapienter locutus esset.
Stupor quippe est vehemens admiratio rei omnino inconsuetae, et sic fuit hic : audivit enim humiliter, quaesivit prudenter, et respondit sapienter, cum tamen esset puer. Ipse interrogabat, ipse respondebat, ipse suas et illorum quaestiones solvebat, morem agens peritissimi magistri , qui nunc interrogando , nunc respondendo discipulos instruit. Unde, secundum Bedam, ad ostendendum quod homo erat, homines magistros humiliter audiebat ; et*ad probandum quia Deus erat, eisdem loquentibus sublimtter respondebat. Stupebant autem videntes ejus in£antiam, et tamen sic sublimia loquentem ; videntes eum corpore et aetate parvum, sed interrogationibus et responsis magnum ; hominem et non Deum considerantes, et inter alta quae audiunt, et infirma quse vident dubia admiratione turbantur. Nos autem non cum senioribus Judaeorum, super prudentia et responsis ejus stupeamus, neque miremur ; sed ipsum verum Deum verumque hominem esse credamus, a quo est omnis sapientia, et cum quo fuit semper et est ante aevum, scientes secundum Prophetiam quod sic Parvulus natus est nobis, quod permanet Deus fortis.
Et parentes ejus, videntes eum in templo, in medio doctorum sedentem, admirati sunt, valde propter rei inexperientiam ; quia nunquam fecerat rem talem vel similem. Mater autem ejus, quasi reviviscens, exhilarata, Deo gratias egit immensas. At puer Jesus, videns Matrem, venit ad eam; quem ipsa suscipiens et dulcitcr osculans, ac deinde respiciens in faciem ejus decoram, dixit ad illum : Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic? Quasi diceret : Desideratissime Fili, quare hoc fecisti, ut, nobis ignorantibus et nescientibus, hic remaneres ? Qui tam dilectae, et tam diligenti Matri tantam materiam doloris inferre potuisti? Peto, Fili, hoc mihi indicari, ut dolor meus, ex hac re conceptus, valeat mitigari. Quem Virgo mater per triduum anxio doiore quaesierat, post inventionem inter moerorem et gaudium posita, pia correctione increpavit. Jofeeph autem, licet pater ejus diceretur, non fuit ausus illum arguere, cum firmiter crederet ipsum Dei Filium esse, sed Mater, ex maxima dilectione quam habebat ad | Filium quem sic quaerebat, sic arguebat illum, quia amor excellens nescit modum.
Loquitur ergo ipsa, et non Joseph : quia in ea fuit major doloris afFectus. Unde Gregorius : a Maria, maternis affecta visceribus, quasi cum lamentis inquisitionem dolorosam ostendit, et omnia sicut mater fiducialiter, et humiliter, et affectuose exprimit dicens : Fili , quid fecisti nobis sic ? » Unde et Anselmus : « Quid si duodenem per triduum cum Matre quaesieris ? O quanta copia fluent lacrymae, cum audieris Matrem dulci quadam increpatione Filium verberantem et dicentem : Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic ? » Vel posset dici quod non fuit increpatio, sed pia de ejus absentia con- * questio. Ecce pater tuus, scilicet nutritius, et ego dolentes, scilicet de amissione tua et absentia; qucerebamus te , cujus praesentia est nobis dulcissima. lO MORALITER , DOLOR ANIMA Q.UiE Christum perdidit; et modus Q.
In qUO moraliter instruimur; quod dolere debemus cum Jesum, id est salutem aeternam, amittimus, quod per peccatum fit , cum peccamus, Et tunc eum quaeramus per triduum poenitentiae , scilicet per contritionem cum dolore, per confessionem cum pudore , per satisfactionem cum labore, et reinveniemus eum. Sed heu ! multi plus dolent de amissione rerum transeuntium , quam de amissione aeternae salutis suae et aliorum. Unde Bernardus : tt Cadit asina j et est qui sublevet; perit anima, el non est qui succurrat. » Sacrata Virgo patrem ejus appellat Joseph, tum propter Judaeorum suspicionem, tum propter ejus educationem, tum propter genealogiae explicationem. Et nota quod nunquam legimus Joseph Domino fuisse locutum, sed hoc Virgini dimittebat; quia ad ipsam, sicut ad veram Matrem, magis pertinebat. Quserendus est Jesus, socialiter cum Maria et Joseph, quod notatur cum dicitur : Pater iuus et ego, Joseph enim interpretatur augmenium, et significat opera bona quae semper debent augeri. Maria interpretatur illuminata, et significat fidem quse est illumlnatio mentis ; interpretatur et stella maris, et significat charit-item, quia sicut ceteris stellis occidentibus illa non occidit, sic ceteris virtutibus deficientibus illa non deficit.
Cum tali igitur societate Jesus est quaerendus, scilicet : cum fide bona , operatione sollicita, et charitate succensa, et tunc invenietur; Si enim alterum istorum defuerit, inveniri non poterit. Debet etiam quaeri lacrymabiliter, quod notatur ex eo quod Virgo dixit : Dolentes qucerebamus te, 1 1 Responsio CHRisxr q. ualis fueRiT? — Et ait ad illos, non Matrem exasperando, sed potius instruendo, dicens : Quid est quod me qucerebatis? scilicet inter cognatos et consanguineojs, cum potius deberetis me quaerere in templo , quod est domus Patris mei, et in occupatione circa spiritualia. Non est vox indignantis, sed humiliter se excusantis et mysteria detegentis. Non enim increpat et vituperat, quod eum quasi filium quaerunt; sed quasi corrigendo verbum Matris, quis sibi verus Pater sit, et quid potius aeterno Patri debeat, illis et nobis insinuat, subdens : Nesciebatis, quia in his quce Patris mei, scilicet Dei, sunt oportet me esse, scilicet in templo, in doctrina, et in operibus quibus manifestetur Pater meus; quasi dicat : Potius debeo respicere eum cujus sum aeternus Filius secundum naturam divinam, quam te cujus sum filius secundum naturam humanam, et Joseph cujus tantum sum filius nutritius; unde non debetis roirtlri, si vos dimisi propter Patrem aeternum, cui plus teneor. Magis afficiebatur Jesus ad Patrem naturalem ot aetemum, quam ad matrem naturalem et patrem putativum.
Quamvis cnim parentes diligeret et eis obediens esset, tamen principaKus Deum honorare voluit.
In quo datur doctrina, quod pietas ad Deum, pietati respectu parentum est praeferenda. Discas igitur et tu Deum et parentes diligere et honorare , cis obedire , sed in omnibus Deum praeferre. Nota etiam moraliter, quod per hoc quod Christus interrogationi respondit , quasi corrigendo verbum Matris , quae ipsum cum dolore inter cognatos et notos quaesierat, omissionem vinculorum sanguinis aperte suggerit, ostendens quod non contingit metam perfectionis attingere eum, qui adhuc vagatur in his quae corpori conferuntur; et quod homo deficit a perfectione, propter afPectum cognatorum. Et hoc innuit per primam clausulam, cum ait : Quid est quod me qucerebatis? scilicet inter cognatos , et carnaliter propinquos. Per hoc vero quod addit : Nesciebatis, etc, docet nos, 4ion debere per infima gradi, sed ad superiora debere mentis oculos attollere. Moraliter per hoc quod Christus cum correptus esset hic a Matre, se dulciter et humiliter excusavit, alibi autem, scilicet in nuptiis cum invitatus est, ad miraculum dure respondit, dedit nobxs exemplum et formam humilitatis ut malimus corripi quam laudari.
Et nota quod istud fuit primum verbum quod ab ore Salvatoris prolatum esse legitur, in quo suam divinitatem eipressit. Et ipsum verbum tantae fuit altitudinis, quod Maria et Jos^H ipsum non intellexerant. Et boc est quod subditur : Et ipsi non mteUexenmt yerbwn, qmd hcMttts eatad iUos, sciHcet quod de Patre «iizerat, et quid per hoc Terburo insuere yeliet. Volebat enim eis innuere, quod sicut ad Patrem, ita ad ipsum pertineret cura templi , et spiritualium et omnium quae Patris sont gubernatio; quia amborum una est ma^tas, gloria, et operatio, ac una sedes, et domus, n<m solum materialis, sed et spiritualis. Cum Maria et Joseph Jesum Dei Filium crederent, non tamen animadvertont quid dicat, nec diyinae naturae aicanum inteiiigunt, quia talia ab eo «udire adhuc assueti non erant, et de divinitate sua nondum ad eos loquentem audierant ; vel inteJlexeront quid dixit, sed non ita piene, ut postmodum. Ipse vero ad Matris requisitionem et voluntatem rediit cum iiiis Nazareth, ad ecNrum conaolationem, ubi erat conceptus et educatusy unde et Ncu[arenus est vocatus. Nam quia Deus et honK> est, utramque suam naturam nobis hic commendat, et nunc excelsa deitatis, nunc infirma humanae fragilitatis praefert. Itaque quasi homo cum parentibus Jerusalem ascendit, sed quasi Deus, illis nescientibus, in templo remansit; quasi homo seniores interrogabat , sed quasi Deus quae seniores mirarentur respondebat ; quasi Dei Filius in templo Patris et suo commoratur, sed quasi filius hominis cum parentibus quo Jubent revertitur.
Et erat subditus itlis, ad Dostram instructionem et superbiae nostrae confusionem, qui frequenter renuimus subjici superioribus nostris. Erat quippe subditus illis, scilicet in ea natura qua Patre minor est. Quia, ut dicit Augustinus , secundum formam servi paer Christus minor erat etiam parentibus stiis. Et tu erga subditus esto proptcr illum, ut ad eum per obedientiae IabcH*em redeas, a quo per inobedientiae desidiam recesse^ ras. Hic enim exemplum, et fbrmam obedientis et humilitatis Christos nobis praebuit et ostendit, diMn ipse imperator mundi, et cm mundus subjectus est, parentibus suis et eonim imperio humiliter subdi voluit. Audiant ergo haec subditi, et subditi esse non dedignentur, siquidem omnibus praelatis subditus fieri non est dcdignatus. Praelati quoque non superbiant, et in Joseph praelato, et in Christo subdito inteBigant quia saepe fit ut maforis meriti sint subditi quam praeiati. Quod si intellexerit, non elevabitur superbia, qui est sublimior dignitate, sciens meliorem sibi subjectum esse.
Et adverte quanta fuit dignitas Virginis, quod ei ille subjectus est, cui omnis creatura subficitur. Unde Augustinus : « Hoc singulare privilegium habuit Vii^, ut haberet sibi subjectum, qucm non solum humana creatura, verum etiam Angelica reveretur, et adorat multitudo. » Unde Bernardus, pertractans hoc idem verbum, et erat subditus illis : « Mirare, inquit, utraque, et elige id quod amplius mireris, sive Filii benignissimam dignationem , sive Matris excellentissimam dignitatem. Utrumque stupor, utrumque miraculum ! Quod feminae Deus obtemperet, humilitas absque exemplo; quod femina Deo principetur, sublimitas sine socio. » Et subdit : « Disce ergo, homo, obedire; disce, terra, subdi; disce, puhris, obtemperare; erubesce , superbe cinis. Deus se humiiiat, et tu te exaltas; Deus se hominibus subdit, et tu dominari gestiens hominibus, tuo te praeponis Auctori! Quoties enim hominibus praeesse desidero, toties Deum praeire contendo, et tunc vere.
non sapio ea quae Dei sunt : » haec Bernardus. £t nota quod filius multa debet parentibus : primo, amorem cordis; secundo, honorem operis; tertio, in necessariis sustentationem; quarto, in obsequiis famulationem; quinto, reverentiam in verbis; sexto, obedientiam in honestis; septimo, veniam in ofifensis; octavo, tolerantiam in adversis. i3 Christus mendicasse asseriTUR IN Hoc TRiDUo. — Sed quid fecit puer Jesus, in illo triduo ? Conspice eum, attende quomodo se ad aliquod hospitale pauperum reducit, et cum verecundia se ibi hospitari petit, et ibi cum pauperibus Jesus pauper hospitatur, et comedit. Mendicat etiam ostiatim cum pauperibus, quod et alias quandoque fecisse creditur. Unde Bernardus, hoc quaerens a Domino, eum alloquitur : a Domine, inquit, quis te in triduo sustentavit? » Et respondet sibimet, sic dicens : a Ut te, Domine Jesu Christe, nostrae paupertati per omnia conformares, quasi unus in turba pauperum stipendia per ostia mendicans quaesisti.
Quis dabit mihi buccellarum illarum mendicatarum participem fieri, et illius sacri edulii reliquiis saginari ? » haec Bernardus, — Conspice eum etiam inter doctores, vultu placido, sapienti et reverenti , et quomodo eos quasi ignorans' interrogat, et audit : quod ex humilitate facit , et etiam ne illi super mirabilibus responsis ejus verecundarentur.
Considerare autem potes moraliter in praedictis tria valde notabilia. Primum est, quod qui vult Deo adhaerere, non debet inter consanguineos conversari, sed potius ab eis discedere. Nam et puer Jesus dimisit a se dilectissimam Matrem, cum operibus Patris intendere voluit, ac etiam postea inter cognatos ct notos quaesitus inventus non fiiit; quia caro et sanguis eum non revelavit, nec invenitur in carnali societate. Unde Bemardus : « Puer Jesus inter cognatos et notos quaeritur, nec invenitur. Fuge fratres tuos et tu, si tuam vis invenire salutem. Et obliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui, et concupiscet rex decorem tuum, » Et iterum : a O bone Jesu, si non inventus es inter cognatos tuos, quomodo te inveniam inter meos? Qualiter te inveniam in gaudio, quem vix Mater tua dolens invenit? » haec Bernardus, Nec inveniri potest in comitatu multorunn; quia non invenitur in multiplicitate mundanorum, sed in intimo corde mentis, ubi Dei est templum.
— Secundum, quod qui spiritualiter vivit, non miretur si aliquando mente arida remanens videatur sibi quod a Deo derelictus sit, cum etiam hoc Matri Dei contigerit. Non ergo mente tabescat, sed per continuum exercitium in sacris meditationibus et orationibus , ac bonis operibus persistendo diligenter eum quaerat, et eum si sollicitus fuerit, reinveniet. Nam, secundum Origenem , oportet eum qui quaerit Jesum, non negligenter et dissoiute transire, sicut multi quaerunt et non inveniunt, sed cum labore et dolore. Unde Bernardus : a Si nolumus frastra quaerere, quaeramus veraciter, ut non pro illo aliud; ferventer, ut non cum illo aliud ; perseveranter, ut non ab illo ad aliud convertamur. Facilius enim ccelum et terra transire possunt, quam ut sic quaerens non inveniat, sic petens non accipiat, sic pulsanti non aperiatur. » — Tertium, quod non debet quis esse proprii sensus, vel propriae voluntatis. Nam cum Dominus Jesus dixisset, oportere eum operibus Patris intendere, mutavit consiiium, et Matris voluntatem secutus, recessit cum ea et nutritio ib7 suo, ei erat subdiius illis, Hinc etiam perpende quantum debent homines obedire Deo, quandoquidem ipse Deus obedit hominibus. Si enim exemplo Domini obediendum est hominibus, muho magis oportet obedire Deo.
Obediamus igitur non solum Deo, sed et hominibus; quia Dei Filius obedivit non solum Deo Patri ccelesti, sed et parentibus.
Et Mdter ejus conservabai, quasi magna, omnia verba hssc, quae nunc et alias audierat ab eOi et hoc in corde suo, quasi sub sigillo scilicet recondens, et signaculo. Nisi enim ipsa conservasset, nos ea non haberemus : de ejus namque thesauris nos ista suscepimus. Omnia quippe quae de Domino, vel a Domino dicta vel facta cognoTit, sive intellecta, sive nondum intellecta, in corde et memoria, quasi ruminanda et diligentius scrutanda, recondebat, ut tempore suo universa prout gesta crant intelligeret, ac Evangelistis et quaerentibus sufficienter explicaret; et his tanquam regula et lege per totam vitam utebatur, docens ut nos crebra factorum et dictorum Domini meditatione importunas cogitationes repellamus , et alios instruere laboremus. Et ideo si quis indiget bonis sermonibus, ad eam recurrat, quia facta et verba Christi in custodia conservat. — Moraliter ex isto habemus exemplum, quaHter audiri debeant yerba djvina, scilicet ut in corde conserventur, et ibidem ruminentur, non ut intrent per aurem unam et exeant per aliaxn.
Et Jesus proficiebat sapientia, et ceiaie, et graiia apud Deunt ei homines. iEtas pertinet ad corpus, sapientia ad animam , gratia ad utriusque salutem ; proficiebat utique aetate, sicut carnis est statis incrementa suscipere; quia de infantia ad pueritiam, de pueritia ad juventutem , consueto hominibus crescendi ordine pervenit. Porro in sapientia et gratia potest aliquis proficere dupliciter. Uno modo secundum ipsos habitus sapientiae et gratiae augmentatos, et sic Christus in eis non proficicbat; quia ab in-» stanti conceptionis, sapientia et gratia plenus fuit. Alio modo secundum efFectus, in quantum scilicet aliquid sapientiora et virtuosiota opera facit; et sic Christus proficiebat sapientia et gratia, sicut et cetate, secundum quod per processum setatis perfectiora opera faciebat, in his quae sunt ad Deum et ad homines; et hoc est quod additur, apud Deum et homines, Vel aliter secundum Anibrosium, pro^ ficiebat sapientia quoad manifestationem et usum ejus, quia suam sapientiam et gratiam paulatim magis et magis patefaciebat. Vel secundum Gregorium, proficiebat in illis, qui doctrina ejus et exemplo proficiebant, sicut magister in scholaribus dicitur proficere, quia scholares sub eo proficiunt. Et hoc apud Deum, id est, ad laudem Dei, et apud homines, id est ad utilitatem hominum ; vel secundum Theophilum, apud Deum et homines, quia prius debet placere Deo, et postea hominibus. Et licet Jesus in se non proficiebat sapientia et cognitione habituali; quia haec in eo augmentata non sunt , ab instanti cnim conceptionis plenitudinem hujus habuit; proficiebat tamen et in se cognitione sensuali et experimentali, quia sensus ejus convertebatur de novo ad aliquid, ad quod antea non cbnvertebatur.
Unde, secundum Apostolum : Didicit ex his quce passus est obedientiam, Non tamen de novo aliquid didicit quod prius nesciret, quia quod dididt, piius noverat scientia divina et inspirata. Unde Bemardus . - « Ut ob alienam miseriam cor miserum habeas, oportet ut tuam prius cognoscas, ut proximi mentem in tua invenias, et ex te noveris qualiter illi subvenias. » Verus quippe Dei Filius, priusquam se exinanisset formam servi acdpiens, sicut miseriam et subjectionem expertus noa erat, sk misericordiam , vel obedientiam experimento non noverat. Sciebat quidem per naturam, non autem sciebat per experientiam. At ubi minoratus est usque ad illam formam, in qua et pati et subjici posset, in passione expertus est miseriam, et in subjectione obedientiam^ per quam tamen experientiam, non illi sdentia, sed nobis fiducia crevit, dum in hoc misero genere cognitionis is a quo longe erraveramus factus est propinquior nobis. Quando enim illi appropinquare auderemus in sua impassibilitate manenti ? Nunc autem monemur cum fiducia adire ad throBum gratiae ipsias, quem nimirum languores nostros tulisse et dolores portasse cognoscimus, et in.
eo in quo passus eftt ipse, nobis compati non dubhamus : v haec Ber^ nardus, — Moraliter acut ipse Jesus proficiebat sapientiay 4jetate, et ^r^ tia, apmd Deum et homines, et pafrsus, et resurrexit, et ita intravit in gk>riam suam; sic etiam suos s&quaces ostendit pro&cere TirCutibus, et per passiones ad gaudia transmigrare debere.
Haec autem sancta et Deo amabilis civitas Nazareth, in qua Verbum caro factum est, et flos omnia vincens aromata in utero Virginis germinavit, unde et merito flos interpretatur; in hoc super omnes alias speciali gaudet privile* gio, quod salutis nostree Dominus in ea principium procreavit, et ipse praeterea nutriri, et parentibus sub)id dignatos est, cui Pater onmia quae sunt in coelo et in terra sub)edt. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe , Fili Del vivi , qui per triduum a parentibus tuis dolentibus quaesitus , tandem in tempk) es inventus ; da mihi misero te desiderare, desiderando quaerere, quaerendo invenire, inveniendo amare, amando mala mea redimere, redempta non iterare. Et qui petenti largiris, quaerenti inveniris , pulsanti aperiris , non deneges mihi minimo, quod omnibus promittis. Quique ad voluntatem parentum Nazareth rediens, et subditus eis existens formam ostendisti obedientiae, da mihi duro voluntatem propriam frangere, ut subjectus sim tibi, et propter tc oroni humanae creaturae. Amen. S^
Notes
- 1 ↩Luke 2:35
- 2 ↩Genesis 37:30 (Vulgate: 'Puer non comparet, et ego quo ibo?')
- 3 ↩The source text contains a typo 'triib% bulatione', which has been corrected to 'tribulatione' for translation.
- 4 ↩The Latin text 'nutritio ib7 suo' appears corrupt; translated based on the context of the Holy Family's return to Nazareth.
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