"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Given the power-oriented culture in which we live, with its belief that everyone should covet power, we need to hear Jesus' invitation to become like little children.
In today's brief gospel we hear him rebuke the disciples who suppose "The Rabbi" had no time for children. Why would a powerful man want the attention of children? Why would he schmooze with toddlers when influential men are standing close by? They certainly had no interest in children.
In a similar vein the Lord says we should be innocent like lambs and cunning as serpents. Perhaps that's what Pope Saint John XXIII meant when he said we should hear everything, say little and write nothing. Preschool children see everything, criticize little and write nothing. They are as innocent as lambs though they lack the cunning of serpents.
Saint John urges us,
"Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Every impulse might be called a spirit. There are animal impulses like hunger and thirst, impatience and anger. There are emotional impulses like suspicion and fear. There are natural human reactions that avoid conflict and prefer harmony.
And then there is the Holy Spirit which, moment by moment, counsels wait, speak, act, lead, follow or flee -- or any of a billion other possible courses of action. The child is subject to impulses, especially of pleasure and pain, satisfaction and disappointment; but the child of God is subject to God's Spirit.
This is where the cunning of the serpent appears. We see this in the life of Jesus. Throughout his career he advanced toward Jerusalem, except when he backed away from it. He eagerly went about healing everyone who came to him, except when he moved on to the next town and village. Sometimes he called crowds of people together and sometimes he withdrew to solitude. He obeyed only his Father in Heaven, but he was subject to Mary and Joseph, to Annas and Caiphas, to Herod and Pontius Pilate. He did not hesitate to challenge his enemies but he silently endured their abuse as they arrested, condemned and led him to death. The Son of God listened continually and attentively to the Spirit of God.
Our time is no less troubled and no more complex than that of Jesus. Every age is violent; every brilliant culture has its shadow. Throughout the ages the saints have preferred to listen to the Holy Spirit. They were often harassed by civil and ecclesial authorities and canonized by the same. As Jesus rebuked his contemporaries,
Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building.
The child of God is guided by the Spirit of God, who counsels when to speak and when to be silent, when to act and when to do nothing. The Spirit of God knows the time; and that the right thing in the wrong time is the wrong thing. During this troubled time when political, social and church authorities can only agree that everyone else is wrong, we beg the Lord to send us the Spirit of Jesus.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.