APPLE OF THE EYE

When I was young, just like any other kid, I was the apple of the eye not only of my family but also of my relatives. I was told by my mother that my uncles and aunts would drop by our house just to see me. They would even bring my favourite food, [well, donuts] and entice me to play with them. My older cousins would always make me smile. They would even lend me their toys for us to share.  In a sense, at some point in my life, I became the centre of my family and relatives.

In the Gospel, Jesus asks His parents why they worry a lot. “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The child Jesus is actually telling His parents that they should not worry a lot. Although it is a natural tendency for parents to look for their children, the child Jesus calms them by saying that He is safe in His Father’s house. This is an instance where we can find the child Jesus teaching His parents of how things should be.

Kids are fun to be with and oftentimes, we learn things from them. Aside from being angelic, they give and show us a lot of things which we sometimes fail to see and understand.  Though we do not usually learn verbally from them, their actions teach us a lot. Their simplicity and docility teach us that life should be lived not in worries and complexity. They make us realize that good things are not always material and complicated.  Living this life is like the child Jesus being in the temple, in his Father’s house, that is, safe and worry-free. It is like putting in mind that we are always in the Father’s house.

Lord, you are the God of simplicity; teach us to live a simple and worry-free life. Never allow us to be disturbed by the worries and complexity of the world. Just like the child Jesus, may we always remember that we are always in the Father’s house. Amen.