Jesus remained in Jerusalem." Our Saviour here gives us an example of renouncing the ties of flesh and blood when the service and honor of God are concerned. Hence, upon another occasion, He observed: " He who loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matt. x. 37.) All earthly friends are to be left for God, if He require it; and every advice of theirs to the contrary ought to be rejected, as proceeding from the enemies of God. Hence St. Jerome exclaims: "Trample over your father, trample over your mother, and with dry cheeks fly to the standard of the cross."
TUESDAY
Christ's Going to the Temple. — II.
I. Consider how Christ was employed during those three days. He was wholly occupied in divine things, in prayer and in conversation with the Doctors. Many spiritual writers think that He lived during those days without any other food than that which He procured by begging. This He did from His extreme love of poverty, and to fulfil the expression of the Prophet: " I am a beggar, and poor: the Lord is careful for Me." (Ps. xxxix. 18.)
II. Meditate on the behavior of Christ among the doctors. The modesty of His countenance, words, and actions won their admiration to so great a degree, that they admitted the divine Youth into their company. With all humility He asked them questions, and listened to their answers as a scholar and not a teacher, although He was the Wisdom of the Divinity Himself. His questions were prudent, and the answers that He gave to their questions astonished them. He zealously sought the glory of His Father in all this, and He did not act from ostentation. How contrary is the conduct of most schol-
