Mary

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Friday, 26 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of how beloved we all have been by God, and how great is the love and compassion which our loving Father and Creator for each and every one of us. That is why we should always strive to nurture our love for God and also our faith in Him, as if we do not nurture this love and faith we ought to have in us, they will wither and we will not get close to the Lord and we may even find ourselves shutting ourselves off from His love and kindness, from His grace and blessings. Each and every one of us should always strive to be ever closer to the Lord, and we have to begin it by living our lives from now on ever more faithfully in the Lord’s path.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet of God spoke of the words of the Lord to His people, telling them all of the love which He has always had for them, and how He called upon them all to return to Him once again. He would lead them all once again back to their lands and take care of them as He had always done, after all that the people had to endure came to pass, all the punishments and hardships that they would have to endure because of all of their sins and wickedness. The Lord did not despise or hate His people, and He still loved them all after everything that they had done to them, their disobedience and wickedness which were truly abhorrent. But God wished to reconcile them to Himself, and thus made the way for them to return to Him.

That was why He sent them His many prophets and messengers to help and guide them down the right path, turning away from all the wickedness which they had committed in life. He sent them the prophet Jeremiah as a sort of final warning, telling them of all the punishments and hardships that they would very soon had to face and endure for their disobedience and sins against God, the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, and the deportation of many of the people of God to distant places in Mesopotamia, in Assyria and Babylon, as what had also happened to the northern half of the kingdom of Israel, destroyed by the Assyrians a century or so earlier on. He wanted them all to realise the errors of their ways and to return once again towards His light and love.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and the ones assembled to listen to Him as He used the famous parable of the sower to teach them about what He intended to tell them, which we have also heard in our Gospel passage yesterday. This parable of the sower highlighted the importance of us allowing the seeds of faith that the Lord has sown and planted in us to grow well and wonderfully in our hearts and minds, just as He has explained to the people then, how those seeds that landed in the places that were inhospitable and improper for the growth, germination and development of seeds either did not even manage to germinate, or were destroyed soon after because of the inhospitable conditions.

It is only those seeds that landed on rich and fertile soil which managed to germinate, grow and prosper wonderfully into plants that grew well and bear a lot of rich fruits, with products in thirty, sixty and hundredfold of what was planted earlier on. This is a reminder therefore for all of us tonight that we must always strive to provide this fertile environment for our faith and love for God to grow and develop, as the people of Israel and Judah failed to do so mainly because they allowed themselves to be swayed by the path of sin and wickedness, by the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures and ambitions which made them to abandon God’s path and His Law, His righteous ways and commandments, and instead seeking to satisfy their own selfish and worldly desires in life, and hence, fell into the trap of sin.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, who are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and hence, they are the grandparents of the Lord. Accordingly, our current Pope, Pope Francis proclaimed earlier a few years ago that this celebration of the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne would also be the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, remembering all of our own grandparents and senior members of our family, and of all the elderly people in our midst. Not much was known about the life and actions of St. Joachim and St. Anne, but what is certain is that they were upright and devout people, who raised up Mary to be an obedient and a holy person in her own right.

We are reminded today to be appreciative and grateful for our grandparents and our elders who have shown us their love, care and concern. In our world today, due to changing nature of the family and relationships, many families tend to neglect their elders and forget about them, and many people do not even live with their own grandparents and the elders anymore, and this led to many of the latter facing hardships, challenges and loneliness in the conduct of their daily living and actions. We must not forget all the love that they had shown to us, much as how the Lord our God Himself has loved us all patiently. Our elderly and grandparents often made many sacrifices and went the extra mile for us without us realising it, and we often realised it only when it is already too late for us to do so, when they are no longer by our side.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore as we have been reminded to develop that strong and genuine relationship with God, let us also remember those around us especially our elders and grandparents, all those who have loved us and are now living through their twilight years. We should continue to love them all and develop a strong, genuine and loving relationship with our elders and grandparents, in all that we do in our lives. Let our love for our elders and grandparents be good examples and inspirations for everyone that more and more people will continue to grow in love for their family members particularly their elders, and grow ever stronger in their faith in God. May God bless each and every one of us, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 26 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 13 : 18-23

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the kingdom, but does not take it seriously, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath.”

“The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word, and accepts it at once with joy. But such a person has no roots, and endures only for a while. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up.”

“The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word, but then, the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word; and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil, it is the one who hears the word and understands it; this seed bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”

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Friday, 26 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Friday, 26 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 3 : 14-17

Come back, faithless people – it is YHVH Who speaks – for I am your Master. I will select one from a city and two from a family and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and prudence. And when you have increased and multiplied in the land in those days – it is YHVH Who speaks – people will no longer speak of the Ark of the Covenant of YHVH; it will not be remembered or missed, nor shall it be made again!

Then they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of YHVH’ and all the nations will gather there to honour the Name of YHVH; and no longer will they follow the stubbornness of their wicked hearts.

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Tuesday, 16 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures in which the Lord told us all that we really must have faith and trust in Him, and we should not allow any sorts of obstacles and hardships, difficulties and challenges from discouraging us to follow His path and remain faithful to His ways. Each and every one of us as Christians must always be trusting in Him, realising that it is He alone Who is the source of all Hope and strength for us. Without Him, we have no firm and strong anchor in this life, and as such, we may easily be swayed and swept by the various obstacles and challenges in life, which may lead us into the wrong paths that are not in accordance to God’s ways. It is important that we should always focus ourselves on the Lord at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord spoke to the king of Judah, King Ahaz, and the people of Judah that they all should not be afraid or be fearful of the mighty forces of the Aramaeans and those of the Kingdom of Israel arrayed against the Kingdom of Judah. They should not be afraid or side with their false and pagan gods, but instead, they should return wholeheartedly towards their one and only true God, the One and only One Who could protect them against their enemies, the One who had always loved and cared for them all those while. The Lord would never abandon His people and He would always stay by their side. It was often those people who had voluntarily abandoned the Lord for all sorts of worldly distractions and temptations.

The Lord would prove His words true when all the plotting and efforts of the Israelites of the northern kingdom and the Aramaeans were foiled and both of their kingdoms were eventually defeated and crushed by the rising power of the Assyrians. The Lord showed His people that no matter what was being planned and plotted by man, it is ultimately God’s will that will triumph in the end. And if we allow Him to guide us in our path, then in the end, through our faith in Him, we shall share in the glory that God has bless us all with, the true joy and happiness that He has prepared for us, and all the things that He wants to share with us, His beloved people. If we can only have genuine faith in Him and trust in Him, then we shall have the full share of His glorious inheritance and blessings.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew, we heard of the lamentations and the rebukes which the Lord Jesus spoke up against the cities of the region of Galilee such as Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, all those places where the Lord had carried out many of His works, performed many miracles and taught in their synagogues. Yet, as the Lord showed, many of the people in those places still did not really believe in Him and what He had taught and shown them. Some among them, particularly those who belonged to the group of the Pharisees and those who supported them even publicly doubted Him and accused Him wrongly at more than one occasion.

It is understandable therefore why the Lord aired out His frustrations. This is because they themselves had seen everything that God had done through His Son and yet, they kept on hardening their hearts and minds, refusing to believe in Him although they had the knowledge of the teachings and words of the prophets of God and the Law. The Lord had patiently helped and guided them in giving them everything they needed through His Son, manifesting His love in the flesh, to make Himself approachable to them. Yet, they stood by their pride and ego, thinking that their ways and actions could not be wrong and that they were right in judging others based on their own flawed understanding of God’s Law and His ways.

And yet, God still loved His people nonetheless, doing everything He could for everyone, even for those who have doubted and refused to listen to Him. He bore His Cross willingly at the moment of His Passion, His suffering and death on that same Cross for the sake of all mankind, forgiving all those who have slighted and wronged Him, those who had falsely accused Him of wrongdoing and blasphemy to advance their own plans and ambitions, and to secure their own positions and privileges in the community of the faithful people of God. He prayed for those who have persecuted and rejected Him, and forgave them from their sins and wrongdoings. He continued to show His ever generous and patient love even when those whom He cared for, had disobeyed and been stubborn in refusing to accept Him.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, on which occasion we commemorate the Blessed Mother of God, Mary, as the great Patroness of the Carmelite Order, the religious congregation also known as the Carmelites which had a longstanding and strong devotion to the Blessed Mother of God, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Tradition and history of the Carmelites highlighted that the Blessed Mother of God herself appeared to St. Simon Stock, one of the early members of the Carmelites, showing the now popular Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This brown scapular eventually became part of the Carmelites’ habit and deepened the devotion of the members of the Carmelites, as well as countless others outside the Order, to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Today as we mark with rejoicing and joy this Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we are all reminded to follow the path shown to us by Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who as the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour has always been pointing the way towards her Son, Our Saviour and Hope. We should keep in mind God’s great love and ever enduring patience and compassion for each and every one of us, and how by extension, through His own loving Mother, He has been willing to reach out to us and to gather us all to Himself. We must not take His love, kindness, compassion and mercy for granted, as if we continue to ignore His kindness and mercy, and carrying on doing what is evil and wicked in God’s sight, we will eventually be condemned by those same sins and wickedness which have not been forgiven by God.

Let us all therefore do our best that we may renew our trust in God and commitment to Him, by striving to do our best in each and every moments of our lives in becoming ever better followers of God and His cause, in obeying Him, His Law and commandments, inspired by the examples of the many holy men and women who had gone before us, but whose lives were truly pleasing to God in all things. And the best role model that we can have is truly Mary herself, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose obedience to the Lord and virtues should be great inspiration for all of us to follow. May all of us therefore continue to glorify the Lord by our lives, in every actions and deeds, in our every interactions with one another, now and always. Holy Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Tuesday, 16 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Matthew 11 : 20-24

At that time, Jesus began to denounce the cities in which He had performed most of His miracles, because the people there did not change their ways.

“Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon; it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.”

“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead! For if the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Matthew 12 : 46-50

At that time, while Jesus was talking to the people, His mother and His brothers wanted to speak to Him, and they waited outside. So someone said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with You.”

Jesus answered, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look! Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

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Tuesday, 16 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Psalm 47 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6, 7-8

Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise in the City of God, His holy mountain. Beautifully elevated, it is the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion, heavenly mountain, the City of the great King. Here, within her lines of defence, God has shown Himself to be a sure fortress.

The kings assembled together, advanced toward the city. But as soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they panicked and took to flight.

Seized with fear, they trembled, like a woman in travail, or like ships of Tarshish, shattered by a strong wind from the east.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Tuesday, 16 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Isaiah 7 : 1-9

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, king Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, laid siege to Jerusalem but they were unable to capture it. When the news reached the house of David, “Aram’s troops are encamped in Ephraim,” the heart of the king and the hearts of the people trembled as the trees of the forest trembled before the wind.

YHVH then said to Isaiah : “Go with your son A-remnant-will-return, and meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. Say to him, ‘Stay calm and fear not; do not lose courage before these two stumps of smouldering firebrands – the fierce anger of Rezin the Aramean and the blazing fury of the son of Remaliah.’”

“‘You know that Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted against Judah, saying : Let us invade and scare it, let us seize it and put the son of Tabeel king over it. But the Lord YHVH says : It shall not be so; it shall not come to pass. For Damascus is only the head of Aram and Rezin the lord of Damascus. Samaria is only the head of Ephraim and Remaliah’s son is only the lord of Samaria. Within fifty-six years, Ephraim will be shattered and will no longer be a people. But if you do not stand firm in faith, you, too, will not stand at all.’”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Zechariah 2 : 14-17

Sing and rejoice, o daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people, but My dwelling is among you.”

The people of Judah will be for YHVH as His portion in His holy land. He will choose Jerusalem again. Keep still in YHVH’s presence, for He comes, having risen from His holy dwelling.

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Saturday, 8 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, after we have celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today we recall the great loving heart of Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, who has loved us all most generously and wonderfully just as she has always loved her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. From her Immaculate and most loving heart, just like that of her Son’s Most Sacred Heart, we have seen a great outpouring of love and affection, through which she has always patiently taken care of us, as our adoptive mother, who cares for us and for our salvation through her Son.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet Isaiah spoke joyfully about the coming of God’s salvation to His beloved people, reminding them of all the love which God has shown to all of us constantly and repeatedly. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming of God’s blessings and love, rejuvenation and reinvigoration for all of His beloved people, restoring them to grace and honour, after they have all fallen from grace and rebelled against Him, reminding them that after all, they were still beloved and dear to God, precious to their Lord and Master, Who have always desired their conversion and liberation from the many temptations and distractions, obstacles and other things that had pulled them away from their paths towards God.

The prophet Isaiah came at the time when the fortunes of the people of God, the Israelites had been getting very low, as they faced lots of trials and challenges, which were all because of their own infidelities and refusal to follow the path of God. They hardened their hearts against Him and turned away from His generous love and kindness, refusing to listen to the many messengers that God had sent to them to remind them of their obligations and missions in life, in their need to follow the Law and commandments of God, just as the Lord has taught them. They chose to follow the path of evil, wickedness and worldly desires, instead of following and obeying God. They continued to do so even after God has repeatedly shown His love and patience, always having reached out to them to show His love for them.

They persecuted the many prophets and servants of God out of their stubbornness and in their continuing desire to follow the path of sin, and as a result, they fell into their predicament, being divided one against another, and facing a lot of hardships and sufferings, which led to the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel and the deportation of many of its people just around the time when the prophet Isaiah began his mission in the southern kingdom of Judah. But God wanted to reassure His people that despite all these and the punishments that they had to endure then, and would have to endure in the future, God would always still love them as a loving Father, as a Father Who chastised His wayward children but One Who did so out of genuine love and care.

From our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus during His younger years at the age of twelve went to Jerusalem for the Festival and celebration of the Passover. In this quite well-known story, the Lord Jesus purposefully stayed behind in Jerusalem at the Temple when His family went back to Nazareth after the festivities which caused His parents, St. Joseph and Mary to be really worried and went back to Jerusalem to find the young Jesus, and found Him at the Temple. There they saw Him in deep discussions with the Temple priests and the teachers of the Law, revealing His Wisdom and part of His true nature as the Son of God Incarnate.

We heard how Mary and St. Joseph both showed their concern and worry, because Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem without their knowledge, and yet at the same time we also heard how Mary kept everything that she had experienced, witnessed and heard in her own heart. This is coupled with whatever she had experienced and witnessed earlier on, such as at the moment when the Baby Jesus was brought to the same Temple of Jerusalem shortly after His birth, and the man of God, Simeon spoke of everything that the Child would be, echoed by the prophetess Anna who was also there to witness the occasion. All these were kept by Mary in her heart, who kept on loving her Son throughout her whole life, the wonderful love that she has shown Him from her Immaculate Heart.

And she would indeed bear great burden and pain in her heart, pierced by the great sorrow which she had witnessed when she saw her own beloved Son suffering and dying on the Cross at the moment of His Passion. She still committed herself nonetheless, following her beloved Son even right up to the foot of the Cross. This is the same kind of love which God has shown His people earlier on in our first reading today, one that He told them through the prophet Isaiah, a love that is truly selfless, compassionate and wonderful, love that is ever nurturing and genuine, love that is ever patient and life-giving. And it is this same love which Mary herself has given to all of us, whom she has taken to be her own beloved children, as we have all been entrusted to her by the Lord Himself, at the moment of His Passion and death, that we may become her children, and she become our mother.

Throughout history, our loving Mother Mary has shown herself to various people especially during time of great conflicts and great hardships in the Church, and through her apparitions and examples, many had been touched by her love and the efforts she had done in calling all of us out of the darkness and into the light of God. Mary’s most amazing and love-filled Immaculate Heart has indeed shown to each and every one of us this generous love which she has always had for all of us. She wants to lead us all to her Son, and as our loving Mother naturally she does not want any one of us to be lost to her or her Son because of our sins, which may lead us all into eternal damnation and destruction. If that happens, then there will be no hope left for us, only darkness and despair.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us appreciate the great love that Mary, our loving Mother and the Mother of Our Lord and God has for us from her Immaculate Heart. Let us all also have the same love for her and for her Son, our Lord and God, and also for one another, so that in all of our ways and actions in life, we may truly be filled with love, befitting our mission and calling as Christians, that is to be loving just as the Lord has loved us. May all of us continue to love one another most generously, and follow the loving examples of our Blessed Mother at all times. Most Immaculate Heart of Mary, loving Mother, please pray for us all your children, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 8 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 41-51

Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was customary. And when Jesus was twelve years old, He went up with them, according to the custom of this feast. After the festival was over, they returned, but the Boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it.

They thought He was in the company, and after walking the whole day they looked for Him among their relatives and friends. As they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem searching for Him, and on the third day they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And all the people were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

His parents were very surprised when they saw Him, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for You.” Then 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 this answer.

Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them. As for His mother, she kept all these things in her heart.