The Gospel reading for this Sunday depicts a scenario that might puzzle us. How could St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary not realize that Jesus had not set out with them from Jerusalem? How could they leave him behind for three days? We might be tempted to think that they grew careless and had a sort of Home Alone moment. But if we look at the cultural context of the passage, we can see that the situation is very understandable.
At the time of Jesus, people often traveled in caravans for protection, just as Joseph and Mary do in the passage. Recall the story of the Good Samaritan, where a traveler journeyed by himself and was beset by robbers. Having a group travel together provided safety. Since the caravan included extended family and acquaintances, Joseph and Mary did not need to be worried if they didn't see Jesus for a while on the trip back home.
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