Reading I
In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up
with the rest of his household
to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,
Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,
“Once the child is weaned,
I will take him to appear before the LORD
and to remain there forever;
I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there.
Gospel
Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.
Reflection
Among the multiple choices for today’s readings, the story of Hannah’s family in the temple complements today’s Gospel perfectly. These two episodes paint parallel portraits of holy families, modelling for us loving marriage, parenthood, and childhood on this Feast of the Holy Family.
Neither Elkanah nor Joseph speak a word in these readings. They show that being the head of one's family has nothing to do with domination or power. Both, while silent, have a strong presence in these stories of support for their wives and sons. Elkanah accepts Hannah’s plan to offer their son to God without question, and he accompanies her to sacrifice the bull on the day of the presentation. Similarly, we can picture Joseph constantly at Mary’s side as our Gospel describes how “they” journeyed, looked for Jesus, and found Him. A loving husband, and likewise an effective leader, is a man who facilitates the flourishing of others, rather than seeking to override them.
Mary and Hannah show how a loving wife seeks to establish unity with her husband. Hannah wants Elkanah to understand her desires and plans, taking time to explain her convictions. Mary speaks of Joseph and herself being of one mind: “How could you have done this to us?” she says. “Your Father and I have been looking for you….” As we see in these passages, a holy wife seeks to unite her heart and her plans with those of her spouse, fostering a relationship of mutual understanding and shared purpose.
Mary shows that to be a good and holy parent does not require all the answers. You do not need perfect theology or flawless problem-solving—you just need to trust. In the Gospel, our Blessed Mother, who never sinned, is anxious and confused. Her holiness is evident in how, in and amongst that disconcertion, she opted to ponder these memories of the child Jesus in her heart. Rather than lash out, she maintained prayerful trust in her Son, Our Lord.
Both Hannah and Mary teach the essential lesson that to love one’s child is not to smother or cling to him or her. To love one’s child is to offer him or her to God completely. Both women leave their sons in the temple—Hannah on purpose, Mary accidentally. But Mary “leaves” Jesus with God throughout her entire life, supporting His divine mission despite all the sacrifice it required. And we know that both stories continue, not with the two sons being lost forever, but rather with their presence and impact on the world widening. Samuel became a prophet. Jesus redeemed humanity. God, in His goodness, returns to us everything that we offer Him—beautified and magnified in ways we may not understand.
The clear connection between Jesus and Samuel in these stories is that both remain in the temple. Simply put: to grow in wisdom and holiness, we must remain in the house of the Lord and in communion with Him—uniting ourselves to Him in the Holy Eucharist and striving to know, love, and serve Him.
Let us pray, through the intercession of the Holy Family, that our self-sacrificial love and trust in God’s providence may be deepened today and every day.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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