Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Jesus has yet another teaching moment for His disciples in the Gospel today. One might hope that they would have learned better by now, but today we find them at it again, trying to prevent people, in this case children, from approaching Jesus. In His response to them Jesus also reveals how we might best approach Him and His Father in heaven, with a childlike trust and acceptance.
Imagine back to when you were young, do you remember a truly extraordinary gift that you received?. Take a moment to re-experience the wonder and the delight that that gift brought. How satisfied and joyful you were. This is the same experience our loving God wants to for us when we are given the great gift of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus invites the disciples, and us, to approach this unfathomable gift as a child does, without reservation. A child does not question their own worthiness, or the motives of the giver, or how they can repay generosity, as we adults might. We must receive the gift of God’s Kingdom like a child because we could never hope to be truly worthy, and nothing we could give in return could level our relationship with God. When we receive God’s gifts like a child we put all these worries aside and embrace His boundless generosity.
In the past three Gospel readings Jesus has lifted up children as spiritual models for all of us. On the one hand, they represent the vulnerable and dependent in our world. On the other, they represent an innocent and exuberant joy in all that is good. When we give up our human inclination to pursue and cling to power and influence, we are free to embrace God’s freely given gift of life with childlike awe and enthusiasm. I invite you to join me this week in exploring how we can be more like a child in our reception of God’s many gifts and blessings.
I wish you and your loved ones continued blessings of good health, new hope and great peace,
Fr. Paul
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