When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15 NABRE)
What is it about a newborn child that softens the heart? Perhaps it is because they are just so small. We see fingers and toes so perfectly formed yet tiny, almost like living replicas. We see small faces with eyes that look back at us and we wonder how that spark of life could possibly be! We hear them cry in hunger with small sound that is nonetheless perfect communication.
Though we don't remember it for ourselves, except by moments captured in photographs, each of us was once that newborn who affected someone else so deeply, who moved someone so completely that we are still here today because we were cared for. Each one of us was wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
In today's passage, Jesus calls us to be childlike. He calls us to remember those qualities of a child that we need to relearn. He teaches us the importance of being like children in our acceptance of God's kingdom.
And so, let us seek to regain the trust we had as children and let us depend on God for all our needs as we once depended on our parents. Let us trust that God is in control, that his kingdom belongs, in part, to each of us. And let us depend on his grace to provide for us in this life and the next.
Today, I will seek to be childlike, accepting God's kingdom in total trust and depending entirely on his grace as I live out my role in it.
Saint Francis of Assisi, patron of animals, ecology, Italy, and merchants, pray for us.
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