Episode Details

Handing on the Passover – St. Joseph and His World with Mike Aquilina

Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor explore the Finding in the Temple through the experience of Joseph and Mary, placing the event within the rich setting of Jewish pilgrimage and Passover tradition. Aquilina explains how twelve-year-old Jesus was entering adulthood according to Jewish custom, learning from Joseph how to participate fully in the Passover rites, including the offering of the lamb and the sacred meal that foreshadowed the Eucharist. Joseph’s role as teacher and father takes on deep significance as he guides Jesus into the rituals that point toward His future sacrifice and mission.

This also reflects on the anguish Mary and Joseph experienced when Jesus was missing for three days; the fear, exhaustion, and heartbreak of searching through the crowded city, while also considering the emotional shift that occurred when Jesus spoke in the Temple among the teachers. Joseph and Mary begin to recognize that Jesus is moving into a new stage of His life and vocation, creating both wonder and sorrow for them as parents. It connects this moment to the deeper meaning of the Passover meal and Christ’s institution of the Eucharist, showing how the hidden years of Jesus’ youth reveal profound spiritual and historical connections rooted in Jewish worship and family life.

You can find the book on which this series is based here.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. How does viewing the Finding in the Temple through Joseph’s perspective deepen your understanding of his role as a father?
2. What can Joseph and Mary’s anxious search for Jesus teach you about trusting God during moments of fear or uncertainty?
3. How does the Jewish Passover tradition help you better understand the meaning of the Eucharist?
4. In what ways are parents called to guide children toward faith and spiritual maturity as Joseph did with Jesus?
5. How do pilgrimage, worship, and shared prayer strengthen families and communities in faith?
6. What does Jesus remaining in the Temple reveal about His awareness of His divine mission?
7. How can reflecting on the hidden years of Jesus’ life help you grow in holiness within ordinary daily responsibilities?
8. What emotions might Joseph have experienced as he realized Jesus was entering a new stage of life and purpose?
9. How does understanding the historical and religious setting of Scripture enrich your prayer and meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary?
10. What lessons about sacrifice, obedience, and trust can you draw from this Gospel event for your own spiritual journey?

About the Book

He is a man of many titles. Head of the Holy Family. Spouse of the Blessed Virgin. Guardian of Our Lord. Terror of Demons.

Though he is only briefly mentioned in the Bible, and never once has a quote attributed to him. St. Joseph is likely the best-known “silent” character in all of history, but theologians have spent centuries contemplating him.

In St. Joseph a