14 August 2021
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest, Martyr
First reading: Joshua 24:14-29 Responsorial Psalm 15(16):1-2, 5,7-8,11 Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15
STRIVE TO BE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Dear Christians, Jesus in today’s gospel tells the apostles who are stopping the children from approaching Him: “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Through His actions, Jesus is also teaching all of us of the spiritual childhood. Specifically, the Kingdom belongs to those who are like children.
This does not mean that we have to be childish in our dealings with people. It means that we must be childlike in our relationship with God so that we can approach Him with faith and confidence. We must treat God as our Most Beloved Father. As our father, we must obey him, humble ourselves, depend on him, be honest even as adults. We must never lose these characteristics of the children of God’s kingdom. In fact, they should be more pronounced in the life of the adult Christian. God wants us to have those characteristics in our relationship with Him and our neighbors.
Another quality of children that we can imitate is their trust. Children have to be trusting. They depend on their parents and other adults for their survival and they know it. Even an abused child will trust his/her parents for quite a while before growing embittered. We must have complete trust in God’s love for us. At the same time, we should not have pretensions about ourselves or our accomplishments. People who trust God are the people who can be trusted.
Comments