The “The finding of Jesus in the temple” is the “surprise mystery”: Jesus disconcerts everyone. For the first time, He consciously and explicitly manifests —with words and deeds— his divine condition... For Him, moreover, those were days of indescribable joy: for the first time He entered the Temple, the house of his Father, being conscious of it. And, in fact, He stayed there... (read more: Jesus Christ, true God and true man).

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1^st) «Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover» (Lk 2:41). The family of Jesus —the Holy Family— is practicing and observer of the Law (read more: Which religion did the Child Jesus learn and practiced?). Their generous piety stands out: Saint Mary and Saint Joseph —the two, wife and husband!— went up to the Temple every year, never missing that appointment (it wasn’t an obligation for women and children). That meant “renouncing the Child” leaving him some days —almost two weeks— with someone of trust in Nazareth: for Virgin Mary that was a huge sacrifice!

2^nd) «When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom» (Lk 2:42). The joy of Virgin Mary is easy to understand: the whole Family united could finally go on a pilgrimage and She did not need to leave her Son behind to go to Jerusalem. However...

As we see, Jesus was educated in the religion of his parents. It is logical! What language did Jesus Christ speak? The one of his parents. What food did He eat? The one of his parents. What religion did he practice? The one of his parents. Years later, Jesus Christ founded another religion (read more: “Loyalty" and “novelty” in Jesus' doctrine). But could He have founded the Christianism if his parents had not taught him to pray as a Jew?

3^rd) «The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it» (Lk 2:43). The fact that his parents didn’t notice it is no mystery: what we do not understand is why Jesus did not warn them. Evidently, He was aware of what He was doing and what would happen... Why did He do it? That’s a big mystery! After all: He is God and He is in his “House” for the first time, with full knowledge of it (read more: «They found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers»). And He makes the most of it to “grow” by asking and debating with the doctors of the Law. A child in the midst of the doctors (cf. Lk 2:46): something unprecedented and unimaginable! It is God and, nevertheless, His most holy Humanity makes its way to maturity. He wants to advance like any other human: praying, studying, asking...

4^th) «After three days they found him in the Temple» (Lk 2:46). Staying within the mystery, we begin to glimpse the shadow of the Sepulcher: Virgin Mary will experience what it is to live with “Jesus disappeared” for three days (read more: Jesus, the “true Jonah”). She would discover it little by little, but God was already preparing Her for when the “hour” came (cf. Jn 12:23; Mt 26:45).

5^th) «Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?»(Lk 2:48). These words of the Virgin are of incalculable value! We feel very identified with Her (read more: Children of God: Trust in Divine Providence): Mary anxious, Mary disconcerted, Mary asking —almost complaining—, Mary delicate and also worried about her husband (Joseph was also anxious!). Why? Jesus, why? (read more: God won't submit to experiments).

6^th) «Why were you searching for me?» (Lk 2:49). When Mary asks “why” and Jesus responds with another “why”, He was actually answering like: “You have no right to ask me this question"... Disconcerted over bewilderment! What is probably happening here is that we can ask God anything except the “reason” of everything. In any case, God does not act “just because”, that is, arbitrarily. He has his reasons and at the same time we have to accept that «so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts» (Is 55;9). The saints intuit those reasons, although not without praying, studying and asking... (read more: Where was God?).

7^th) «Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?» (Lk 2:49). Here is a strong reason, this is the point of view of the divine Son: the Father. The will of the Father! «Teach us to pray» (Lk 11,1), they asked him. «You should pray: ‘Our Father (...), your will be done'» (Mt 6:9-10), He replied. Anyway, as Benedict XVI once said: «Only God is God». (read more: The Saint Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael).

8^th) «But they did not understand what he was saying to them» (Lk 2:50). Mysteries are mysteries, although with prayer, experience and time we can sometimes get into them. This is what happened to Joseph and Mary: at that moment they «did not understand». And what did they do? Still, accept, ponder... And everything remained the same: «He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them» (Lk 2:51). Although, in fact, not everything continued exactly the same: «His mother treasured all these things in her heart» (Lk 2:51). Virgin Mary —together with Her husband— worked Her faith... Thus, Mary did not ask “why” anymore: neither at the wedding at Cana in Galilee, nor at Calvary... She accepted to be our mother without asking why! Let God be God! (read more: God “let us do”, but “He does not forsake us”).