Saturday of Week 19 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32 | Psalm 50:12-15,18-19 | Matthew 19:13-15
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ (Matthew 19:14)
We adults tend to complicate everything.
“Love one another as I have loved you.” But my boss is making my life a living hell. Why does he deserve love? You mean I have to bend over and take all his crap?
What would a child’s response be? “Find another boss lah! Being angry with your boss doesn’t make you a better person.”
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Fast & abstinence on Fridays? Does lobster count as meat? All-you-can-eat salmon sashimi is OK, right? (Incidentally, this is what started me on my decades-long association with my oldest friend, and what he used to drive more than one Catholic to silent fury over their inability to explain their “pious actions”.)
Ask a child to give up something she treasures each Friday, as a show of respect and love for the Christ who gave his all for us, and you likely won’t see such agonizing and internal bargaining.
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Eucharistic adoration: who does it more, adults or kids?
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As children of God, regardless of our mortal ages, we really need to get back to basics. Let us rediscover our eagerness to be close to Christ, to love without being selective or Machiavellian about it, to deny our desires without making a big fuss about it.
Lord, in trying to be grownups, we keep pushing ourselves away from You. Remind us to look at our children with new and learning eyes, to emulate their loving acceptance of others not like them, to glorify You in the Spirit of loving freedom rather than the spirit of personal gain, to find in ourselves the urge to be with You each and every day. Amen.