GOD, MY FATHER
Growing up, my parents loved me tremendously but also carried much anxiety caring for me. Though frustrating as a child, I now empathize with Joseph and Mary when they couldn’t find their precious young child, Jesus in Jerusalem for 3 days.
I was taught that being obedient to my parents was the most important thing I could do. As I grew up in the church, a desire captivated my mind: “I want to be a saint when I grow up! I want to be perfect just like them!” Little did I know that being a saint didn’t mean being “perfect” nor should it come from fear of punishment or of being unloved. It wasn’t till I started discerning my vocation that I understood that to be a saint simply means being free to do God’s will.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus’s earthly parents learn a humble lesson - that the most important will is that of our Heavenly Father. As I learn to surrender my own will for God’s, I’ve been graced with less fear and more courage to share with my family where my prayer with God is leading me. I didn’t always make the best decisions growing up and I understand now why my parents questioned my poor judgment. I was so stubborn and willful! But as I learn to love God first and above all, I am grateful for the freedom from expectations as well as the freedom to give thanks to my caregivers for all the love and care they’ve given me all these years.
What expectations am I holding onto? Who are they coming from? How may I invite Jesus into my heart and follow in his footsteps, seeking only the Will of our loving and Heavenly Father?
Nathan Dias