(The fifthteenth in a series of meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary by Rev. Addisalem T. Mekonnen, Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Senatus).
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Who am I?”
I think everyone has heard of the term “identity crisis,” defining an experience for someone going through a period of uncertainty and confusion in which one’s sense of identity becomes insecure, typically due to a change in their expected aims or role in society. It seems to me that this psychological concept of “identity crisis” could apply not only to someone as adult, but also teenagers. Teenagers are not adults; they are also not little children. So they seem to have that tension in which they are trying to mature into adulthood. They begin to see the world not only through their parent’s perspective and that of other people, but also through their own life experiences which influence their understanding of their purpose in life in relation to their identity.
Our Blessed Lord didn’t have an identity crisis as a little boy. But the fact of His going missing for three days became a real crisis for both our Lady and St. Joseph, Jesus’ foster father. Both our Lady and St. Joseph were shocked, afraid and confused as to why Jesus would stay in the Holy Temple for three days, especially because He had never intentionally caused them suffering, but only pure joy. Our Blessed Lord said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Our Blessed Lord didn’t apologize for what He did, as if He didn’t know He is the Son of God and Savior of the world. He justified His actions by revealing to them His identity in relation to His mission from His Heavenly Father.
The question our Blessed Lord presented seems to hearken back to the question God asked in Genesis to Adam and Eve. God asked Adam and Eve, after their fall: “Where are you?” This basically means, “Where do you stand in your relationship with me: is it as a close friend/family member or is far off, like a stranger or enemy?” In a certain sense, Adam and Eve experienced an identity crisis because they separated their identity from their mission. Our Lady and St. Joseph didn’t understand why Jesus would want to engage the religious leaders in the Holy Temple for three days. It seems as if they briefly forgot the inseparable connection of Jesus’ identity as Son of God and the mission He received from His Heavenly Father.
It was during their trial of temptation that Adam and Eve also forgot the connection between their identity and mission in relationship with God as creatures who are called to obey their loving Creator – just like the rest of creation in the universe. Luke wrote, “And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Our Blessed Lord was obedient to our Lady and St. Joseph because it was part of the mission He received from His Heavenly Father. We can carefully observe His identity and mission are never separated from each other. Jesus teaches us that, no matter how comfortable and familiar we become in our relationship with Him, we should try not to forget that we are His disciples and that our discipleship always involves receiving a special mission from our heavenly Father. Whenever our Heavenly Father calls us to accomplish a special mission, it will be revealed to us personally in Christ through the Holy Spirit. This special mission is to “repent and believe in the Gospel.” After all, we can’t give what we don’t have. We are called to mature in our understanding of discipleship and mission. Like our Lady and St. Joseph, we are called to ponder this mystery of faith in our heart.
Fr. Addisalem Mekonnen