Happy Feast of Guardian Angels!
From today's Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
We often talk about how we want to be kids again; how life was so much simpler when we were kids: no stress, no worries, no problems. We had no other preoccupation but playing and eating (and pooping!). The thing is, life doesn't have to be as stressful or worrisome or problematic. The same God who watched over us when we were kids is still watching over us as grown-ups.
But, whenever we have arguments, the common lines would be: "Why don't you just grow-up?" or "You're acting like a child!" or "You're so immature!". Yet here comes Jesus telling us that we need to be like a child. All the qualities we associate with "acting like a child" are not really qualities of children:
Jesus is definitely spot on when He urged us all to remain always like a child: to see the world in the eyes of a child and to live life with the enthusiasm and spirit of a child. It's actually a formula for happiness.
From today's Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
We often talk about how we want to be kids again; how life was so much simpler when we were kids: no stress, no worries, no problems. We had no other preoccupation but playing and eating (and pooping!). The thing is, life doesn't have to be as stressful or worrisome or problematic. The same God who watched over us when we were kids is still watching over us as grown-ups.
But, whenever we have arguments, the common lines would be: "Why don't you just grow-up?" or "You're acting like a child!" or "You're so immature!". Yet here comes Jesus telling us that we need to be like a child. All the qualities we associate with "acting like a child" are not really qualities of children:
- Selfish. Most children are more than willing to share, even food they are about to put into their mouths. Most children are very perceptive about other people's needs and feelings. I see that in my son, who constantly tries to hug my stress away these days. I see that in my 3-year old nephew who strokes his cousin's arm, when I reprimand him.
- Narrow-minded. Children are the most adorably open-minded people I know. They look at everything with the eyes of wonder and awe.
- Materialistic. Oh, they're happy with the simplest most inconsequential things, which they can imagine into awesome things.
- Distrustful. On the contrary, children are so trusting, they are gullible most of the time.
- Lack of Faith. Children's faith in other people, especially their parents, are rock-solid. It's the kind of faith that truly moves mountains; the kind that keeps believing even when you've lost faith in yourself.
- Proud. They're not proud at all. Who wants to be proud, when it's fun being silly ... and even more fun being silly together.
Jesus is definitely spot on when He urged us all to remain always like a child: to see the world in the eyes of a child and to live life with the enthusiasm and spirit of a child. It's actually a formula for happiness.
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