(The Prayer of Intercession precedes the Gift of Counsel from Our Lord)
Luke 2:50. “And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.”
Psalm 78:1-2. [77] “Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.” [From Book III of the Psaltery]
“Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. (Cf. Rom 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1; 1 Tim 2:5-8.) He is ‘able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.’ (Heb 7:25.) The Holy Spirit ‘himself intercedes for us . . . and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom 8:26-27.)” (CCC, 2634).
Our Father, 10 Hail Marys (contemplating the mystery), Glory Be and Fatima Prayer.
Excerpt from The Holy Family Rosary:
Our insight of God’s Grace that is presented to us today is in hindsight, yet in renewed reinforcement of knowledge that even though God asks, calls, chooses us to follow as Mary and Joseph were, we do not always know why, and will draw from this dialogue the lesson that we too must seek the face of the Lord as well as did Moses or David in our family and neighbor as His Holy Family’s concern to find and satisfy God through their Son as the Lord.
How else do we learn the perfection of faith but by trial and tribulation, tempted near despair as the devil’s main way to gain is by dispensing and testing us through fear? When asked, I pray we never grow weary of Christ explaining such profound mysteries in our continual need for help after so many years revealed.
Knowledge of Mary and Joseph not understanding the words spoken to them by Jesus in explanation of their earnest request allows us to be even more resigned to longsuffering, especially when seemingly coerced or forced to learn through horrific and uncomfortable times and/or events. And although Christ taught in parables, explanations were eventually given to all who remained faithful and pondered His Word in steadfast belief.
Clearly, if this method of God applied to His primordial Holy Family, through them we have the most wonderful and perfect examples in why we must be as patient with/in ours as well. Albeit suffering or not comprehending what has been said.
Imagine those following Jesus years later and desiring to learn of the Wisdom of God only to hear Him say: “I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.” [John 6:48-52]
St. John concludes: “After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” [John 6:67-70]
And although this meditation focuses on a time prior to Jesus’ adult ministry, any mystery of truth that we do not easily understand, either from God’s direct or indirect intercession of counsel, remains exactly the same for us today!
Fantastic views on that!