O God, give me inner knowledge of you who became human for me so that I might better love and follow you.
Option 1:
Scripture: Luke 2:21-40
Reflection: Enter the story. What do you hear, taste, touch, see, smell? What do you notice about Mary’s and Joseph’s relationship with God? How might that have affected the way they raised Jesus?
Option 2:
Scripture: Matthew 2:13-23
Reflection and Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, how intimately you desired to know us, starting among us as an infant, leaving nothing out. Your love ties you to us—even when some among us drive you away into all kinds of exile. But you keep coming back to your saints and holy ones. Lord, I say yes to your being here housed in our flesh.” –Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ
Option 3:
Activity: Observe a child or children (your own, a friend’s, those at the park, etc). Imagine what Jesus was like at that age. Imagine God as a child.
Option 4:
Scripture: Luke 2:41-52
Reflection: Enter the scene with all your senses. What is Jesus like?
Option 5:
Art Reflection: “Jesus Among the Teachers” by Jesus Mafa (Luke 2:41-52)
Option 6:
Reflection: Consider the Scriptures from this past week on Jesus’s childhood. In what ways did Mary and Joseph yield to God’s will? In what ways did Jesus honor God?
Reviewing the Week:
Look back on the past week. What stands out to you the most as you have prayed and reflected on Jesus’s childhood? Where is your own heart as you consider actively following God’s purposes for your life in the way Jesus, Mary, and Joseph did? Talk with God about your reflections.