Did you notice it by yourself? In our last two paintings, Ribera’s Adoration of the Shepherds and Rembrandt’s Presentation, Jesus shines with Divine Light. I’m sure you looked at Jesus first in this painting and saw how bright He is. Good job – this means you are growing in your ability to “read” and understand sacred art!

This painting shows Jesus in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem talking to rabbis, which means teachers in English. The story about how He got there is a little exciting; I think you are going to like it.

Jesus is 12 years old in this picture. Who do you know who is 12 years old? It’s funny to imagine Jesus the same age as you, or the same age as your brother or your cousin! But He was! Guess what happened. His parents left the city of Jerusalem without Him!! They didn’t realize it, I don't know if He realized it, but there He was for a couple of days!! And when His parents finally found Him, He says something that sounds like talking back … but was it? Let’s try to make some sense of all of this! WOW!

In ancient times, Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem three times each year; one of those times was Passover, which celebrates God delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. When these Jewish men took their families to Jerusalem, they stayed for a minimum of two days, up to about a week. You might remember that Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples when He was a grown-up—we Christians call this Holy Week, and we celebrate His pilgrimage to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the one who remembered and told all of the details of this event so that it could be written down. She really made a point of saying that Jesus was 12 because being 12 years old was an important age. Jesus was just on the brink of manhood; when He turned 13, He would experience a special ceremony that would make Him a full member of His religious community. He would then be responsible in ways that adults were. When He was 12, He kind of tagged along on the trip to Jerusalem because St. Joseph had to go; when He was 13 and older, He was required to make the trip.

Do you know what Jesus said to His parents when His mother said, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety”? He said, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Uh-oh. Does that sound like talking back? To me it sort of does.

But then I have to stop and think. Jesus is God. God is always good. Would Jesus break His Father's commandment and talk back to His mother? Would He be disrespectful to His parents? We have to be very careful when we read this Scripture passage. Of course, Jesus would not be disrespectful to His parents or disobey them.

Have your parents ever asked you to do something that you didn’t do right away, but you know in your heart that you didn’t intend to be disrespectful? Here’s an example: maybe you are so focused on reading a novel or playing a video game; your mom asks you vacuum the living room. You kind of hear her and you kind of say “ok. In a minute.” Two hours later you roll out of your room and Mom announces that you are punished. “But it only felt like five minutes passed, Mom!! Mooooooom! Mom?!”

It happens. People who study Scripture help us to stretch our imaginations in the right direction. Is it possible that Jesus was just so involved with listening, learning, and talking about God and a Messiah that He hadn’t realized that the caravan left without Him?

We’re all taught to “stay put” if we get lost; was that what He was doing?

Maybe He just couldn’t believe that His parents could actually leave without Him; they’re the parents – how could they not know with 100% certainty that He was with the group before they left?

Others ask us to consider that Jesus has a "Father" and a "father." When One says, "stay" and the other says, "Let's go," which one should young Jesus prioritize in obeying? Inside your Bible, Luke 2: 49 has a footnote that explains: 

So what was Jesus doing while He waited for His parents to come get Him? Let’s look at the painting again. Look at Jesus’ face; He looks so rugged and mature. Even though Jesus is 12 here, and fully human, we can’t forget that He is also fully divine. His Holy Face reveals His wisdom.

Let’s look at the artist’s use of light coming forth from Jesus. He doesn’t have a halo, but there is light coming from His head through His hair, can you see it? Use your finger or just your eyes to trace the shape of the light – you should be tracing an oval or vertical rectangle, can you do it? This oval shape is called a mandorla and it is usually used only in relief sculpture or architecture. It is like a halo around His whole body. Halos, mandorlas, and aureolas are all artistic demonstrations of a person’s holiness.

Jesus is surrounded by five teachers or scholars who live and work in the Temple. These men are experts in the Scripture passages we call the Old Testament. Jesus is the New Testament, and even at this age, He is explaining Scripture to them. Look how carefully these teachers listen. How are they reacting? What are they thinking? 

Look at the rabbi who is sitting down. He’s turning the pages of his book as if he’s trying to debate or find an answer, but his hands are limp on the table as he realizes the Old Way has no value in the presence of the Christ Child’s wisdom. Can you see the rabbi with a scroll in his right hand and a closed book under his left elbow? These men are Doctors of the Old Law; their precious texts are closed up. The Old Law and the Old Covenants are symbolically passing away as they make way for the New Covenant between God and man. ​

​For families with very young children, or for families new to the Rosary, simplify by only praying the Sign of the Cross, the Lord's Prayer, and the Hail Mary. These prayers are inside the front and back covers of your child's workbook. Follow the graphic:

For families ready to push it forward, add in one new prayer each week until you have a complete decade. Follow the outline:
Hold the Crucifix in your right hand. Make the Sign of the Cross properly, using the right hand only.

Still holding the Crucifix, state what you believe as a Catholic by saying the Creed.

Move to the first bead. Pray one Our Father.

Move to the next beads. Pray the Hail Mary three times, once on each bead.

Move to the next bead and pray one Glory Be.

Stay on the same bead. Announce the Mystery by saying these words: The Fifth Joyful Mystery, The Finding in the Temple. When Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the most important Jewish feasts: Passover. After about a week, Joseph and Mary joined a caravan to return to Nazareth, the town where they were living. They thought Jesus was with them, but He had stayed behind to spend more time in the Temple, God's house on earth. Mary and Joseph hurried back to Jerusalem, and after 3 days, they found Him in the Temple seated among the teachers and scholars, listening and asking questions. He returned to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary, who remembered the details of this time forever. Jesus was perfectly obedient to His parents as He grew up.
​
Stay on the same bead. Pray one Our Father.

Move through the next ten beads, praying the Hail Mary on each one.

Move to the next bead. Pray one Glory Be.

Stay on the same bead. Pray the Fatima Prayer.

Make the Sign of the Cross using the Crucifix. AMEN!

Here we are, standing on the slate floor inside the world-famous Temple in Jerusalem, action all around us. Look at the crowds of people climbing up and down the stairway. I can barely see the people moving around in the dim recesses of the Temple—it’s so dark in here you have to look carefully! This sure is a busy place. But wait –there’s an intimate, quiet, yet commanding group in front of us. What’s going on here? This looks important.​​

The Holy Family is in the temple to dedicate their newborn Baby Jesus to God. Our Lady, dressed in Marian blue, is in the very center of the small group. St. Joseph is squatting to her right. He holds two pure white doves near the floor. An old man with flowing, white hair and a long, white beard to the Virgin’s left holds the Holy Infant. Three men stand behind the group, bending in to get a closer look. They want to know why this old man is so awe-struck. A Jewish priest stands in front of the group, with his back to us. His hand is raised as if he’s astonished, or maybe he is giving a blessing. Let’s understand this a little better.

According to ancient Jewish custom, the first-born son in every Jewish family was "presented," or dedicated, to God. Each mother also offered God a gift: wealthy families offered a lamb, and poor families offered a pair of white doves. This celebration happened in the Temple in Jerusalem when the baby was at least 40 days old. Modern-day Orthodox and Conservative Jews (and to an extent, Reform Jews) continue this tradition, which is called Pidyon haben . 

Do you remember the Ribera painting we looked at for the Third Joyful Mystery? It was called The Adoration of the Shepherds. There are two artistic devices that are used in that painting and the painting we are looking at today; let’s see if you can identify them.

​Remember how bright the Baby Jesus was in the Ribera painting? Do you see that again in this painting? The light is brightest around Jesus. The bright golden light you see in this painting is not a sunbeam or a moonbeam coming through the roof. This is a divine light that floods up and out from the Child Himself, can you see it? The Light has pierced and entered the dark world.

Can you see how Our Lady places her hand on her heart in the Rembrandt painting? Do you remember this from the previous mystery? We saw one of the shepherds doing this in the Ribera painting we looked at for the Third Joyful Mystery. Do you remember what it means? Yes, it means that Mary has realized something at a very deep level about God. This time, it’s something sad. Do you want to know what it is? Simeon told Mary that her own heart would be pierced with a sword. (Luke 2: 33-35)

It’s important to know that this didn’t literally happen, it didn’t physically happen. In other words, when the Blessed Virgin Mary passed from this world into Heaven, it was NOT because someone violently stabbed her in the chest. When Simeon said that her heart would be pierced by a sword, he meant that symbolically. Have you ever heard someone say, “My heart is broken because you did that” or “When he said that, he stabbed me in the back” or “I feel like I was punched in the stomach when she said that”? These are words grown-ups and older kids use to describe how they feel emotionally. All of these expressions describe deep sadness and disappointment.

​​She’s also very sad when she sees people in the world now doing things that do not help them get into Heaven. God the Father loves you very much and wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. All of the angels and saints – including our Blessed Mother—pray for you and will help you get there, where you will NEVER feel sad. 

If you want to pray the previous Mysteries also, go to
The Annunciation
The Visitation 
The Nativity

How exciting!! Only four days until Christmas!! Which Mass are you going to? Our schedule is on our Home page, and I hope to see you all there!

It's sometimes difficult to choose which Mass to go to. People have different cultural backgrounds which often dictate certain traditional activities like when to start your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, what kinds of things you eat, when you will open presents, when extended family will arrive for a visit (and maybe a sleepover!!),  and so on. I grew up following a Polish tradition; while my mom was busy making final preparations in the kitchen (and my dad was desperately wrapping gifts in the basement ...!) my sister and brother and I were in charge of watching the night sky. Record albums would be stacked and spinning in our 6-foot by 2-foot maple cabinet stereo system, and we would be humming, singing, and dancing along to Christmas hymns and songs -- Mitch Miller, Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Percy Faith, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass -- do you know these names?! LOL!

L'Adoration des bergers (The Adoration of the Shepherds)
by Jusepe de Ribera (c.1650)
oil on canvas
Currently located in The Louvre Museum in Paris, France​

Bonus challenge: Can you find the cow and the donkey? It's not easy to find the cow!

And what's up in the sky? It's not a helicopter! Tell your parents what's going on there.

If you want to pray the previous Mysteries also, go to
The Annunciation
The Visitation

For families ready to push it forward, add in one new prayer each week until you have a complete decade. Follow the outline:
Hold the Crucifix in your right hand. Make the Sign of the Cross properly, using the right hand only.

Still holding the Crucifix, state what you believe as a Catholic by saying the Creed.

Move to the first bead. Pray one Our Father.

Move to the next beads. Pray the Hail Mary three times, once on each bead.

Move to the next bead and pray one Glory Be.

Stay on the same bead. Announce the Mystery by saying these words: The Third Joyful Mystery, The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Roman Emperor ordered all citizens to pay their taxes, but they had to travel to their home cities to do it. So St. Joseph helped the Blessed Virgin Mary onto the back of a donkey, and they travelled to a town called Bethlehem. Bethlehem was so full of visitors that Joseph and Mary could not find a house or inn to sleep in, so they had to camp. They found a spot that was sheltered, and there in that place, Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born. Jesus' birthday was the first Christmas.

Stay on the same bead. Pray one Our Father.

Move through the next ten beads, praying the Hail Mary on each one.

Move to the next bead. Pray one Glory Be.

Stay on the same bead. Pray the Fatima Prayer.

Make the Sign of the Cross using the Crucifix. AMEN!

With this week's painting, I explored the ideas of hope and resilience with you. Let's bring those lessons into 3D: it's time to set up all pieces of your Nativity set, except one.

As you set up the stable, cow, donkey, hay, and manger, think of how Jesus' parents showed flexibility and toughness as they settled in and prepared for Jesus' birth... in a place they really didn't want to be.

As you set up the shepherds and sheep, think of their hope for a better life and their faith in this Infant to help them get there.

As you add St. Joseph, think of his joy when the Baby finally arrived; he saw that, for now at least, they were safe and sound, and he was grateful for it.

Don't place the Baby Jesus in the manger yet -- put that piece aside. You'll place Him in the manger on Christmas Eve night, or on Christmas Day. Instead, if your Nativity set has never been blessed, bring the statue of the Baby Jesus or the manger (crib) to Mass with you this week. It's Bambinelli Sunday! Ask the priest or deacon to bless it. (It should only be blessed once.)

Talk about this question with your family: How will I help others rejoice this season, even when everything seems disappointing or not as fun? I'm sure you will think of something fantastic.

Blessings,
Mary Acevedo, Director of Religious Education

The First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, the Annunciation, is here.

PARENTING TIP: Notice that my letter here is broken into 3 parts: painting reflection, Rosary prayers, and Advent application. You know your children best, and you have options:

• You could do all three of these activities back-to-back for a long period of time,
• or you could do all three but spread out (for example, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one before bed),
• or you can just do one of the activities and forget the other two!

The period of Advent should be peaceful, not stressful. Do what you can. Jesus knows your heart.
​Blessings,
​Mary Acevedo, Director of Religious Education

I'd like you to take a book from your prayer space and open it anywhere near the middle. Just look at it. It doesn't matter what page it's open to, and it doesn't have to be perfectly in the middle -- just open it sort of in the middle and lay it on a table or the floor or your lap. Look at it. See how the pages are joined? There's probably some thread or glue there holding the book together, and the pages smoothly come up from the binding and slope beautifully downward.

Like I said at the beginning, St. Luke inspired many artists, so the scene of the Visitation has been painted a lot. All of them tend to show St. Elizabeth bending or bowing toward Mary. In almost all paintings, they touch -- in our painting, they hold hands, but in some they are hugging or they are touching each other's bellies.

Sometimes Elizabeth and Mary are alone, and sometimes other women are in the room. These other women might be related to St. Joseph, Jesus' foster father, or maybe they are the mothers of some of the future Apostles.

You probably know that shells are a symbol of baptism. Can you find any in some paintings? If there are plants, look at those closely-- artists think of everything! Strawberries are a symbol of righteousness, and lilies signify the coming of Christ. Plants that look like weeds represent the humble path we walk with Christ.

The Annunciation with St. Emidius
by Carlo Crivelli (c.1486)
oil on wood transferred to canvas
Currently located in The National Gallery in London, England

Let's look at the painting again. It's hard to miss that beautiful peacock perched on the ledge over the doorway. The peacock symbolizes Jesus -- He's right there with God listening to His Mother say her 'yes.' Even more, the peacock symbolizes the Four Last Things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. How? Well, the "eyes" on the peacock's long tail feathers symbolize the "all-seeing" God, and the peacock's tough skin reminds us of Jesus' resurrection and ours.

It seems random that there's a gourd and an apple just laying in the street. The artist Crivelli included this produce in a prominent place for a reason, and he included it in so many of his paintings that it has become known as Crivelli's signature motif. Let's figure out why Crivelli liked it so much: Who in the Old Testament took a piece of fruit from a tree that they weren't supposed to eat from? The apple represents Adam and Eve’s fall from grace. The Blessed Virgin Mary is called the New Eve. We experience death through Eve, but Mary's 'yes' in the Annunciation made it possible for us to experience everlasting life with God in Heaven again. 

The symbolism of the gourd is taken from the story of Jonah. You know the story of Jonah and the whale -- that Jonah came out alive after an experience like that is a prefigurement of Jesus' Resurrection. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus Himself draws the parallel. In our own imaginations, we can see the shape of a gourd is similar to the shape of a whale. The story of Jonah ends with him sitting under a bush (Jonah 4: 6). Although not written in English in our Scripture, the original Hebrew language tells us this plant covered with gourds.

Together, the apple and the gourd tell us that, because of Mary’s 'yes,' the human race has been redeemed (saved) from the death of sin.

Here's a challenge: can you find the glass vase on the shelf in Mary’s room? It's exactly above the core of her body, isn't it? Crivelli chose a glass vase on purpose: it represents the perfect purity of the sinless Virgin. In other Renaissance paintings, artists painted a ray of light passing through the vase, which causes it to magnify and shine more powerfully. That symbolizes the fullness of grace and power of the Holy Spirit passing though Mary's soul, as she herself expressed to her cousin Elizabeth, as recorded in Luke 1: 46-56.

Finally, a word about the man with the Archangel Gabriel. His name is St. Emidius; notice that he's carrying a cathedral in his hands. Carlo Crivelli made this painting to decorate the Church of the Annunciation, and St. Emidius is the patron saint of Ascoli Piceno, the city in Italy where the church is located. Maybe you can visit it someday!

Hold the Crucifix in your right hand. Make the Sign of the Cross properly, using the right hand only.

Still holding the Crucifix, state what you believe as a Catholic by saying the Creed.

Move to the first bead. Pray one Our Father.

Move to the next beads. Pray the Hail Mary three times, once on each bead.

Move to the next bead and pray one Glory Be.

Stay on the same bead. Announce the Mystery by saying these words: The First Joyful Mystery, The Annunciation. When Adam and Eve sinned in Paradise, they lost their right to happiness. But God promised to send His only Son to regain this happiness for them. Out of all of the world, God chose Mary to be the Mother of His Son. When Mary answered yes, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God's Son, entered the world. This is called the Incarnation.

Stay on the same bead. Pray one Our Father.

Move through the next ten beads, praying the Hail Mary on each one.

Move to the next bead. Pray one Glory Be.

Stay on the same bead. Pray the Fatima Prayer.

Make the Sign of the Cross using the Crucifix. AMEN!