Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Children are amazing! I am fortunate that I am around children in many circumstances. My role as mother and grandmother and my job caring for children as a pediatrician give me many opportunities to see how children experience the world so differently than we do as adults. In today’s gospel, Jesus places children as being “greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” What is it that makes children so remarkable, and how can we “turn” to become like them?
Jesus describes humility as a particular attribute that allows children to be the greatest in the kingdom. When I think about children, they do not try to be humble- this is just the way that they experience life. They recognize that they are unable to do many if not most things without the support of a loving adult. This does not make them feel unimportant, but actually this total trust and dependence on another only deepens their bond of love and bolsters their faith in the care that their caregiver provides. Jesus tells His disciples that unless you “turn” and become like children you will not even enter the kingdom of heaven. This idea of “turning” implies that we need to change directions- or redirect how we see God and our relationship with Him and creation. When we live in the Kingdom we are in communion with God, others and self. When we experience this union, we will be in “heaven”, but experiencing this requires our willingness to allow the turning to occur. To redirect our attention means we need to turn away from the many things that take us away from our complete trust in God. Things like power, possessions, greed, and hatred are only a few things that begin to overtake us as we grow into adults. These qualities begin to develop even as children mature, so the question becomes how do we slow down and in fact turn back to our previous ways of belonging only to God and His Kingdom.
Being humble like a child requires a sense that we do not have it all together, and we do not even need to have it all together- this is a very difficult stance, since we are groomed to become individuals who become “who we want to be” and “do whatever we want to do.” Humility begins with an understanding that we are nothing- really nothing- without God and all that He provides. A child looks at his mom or dad and sees in the parent someone who has created him or her, and therefore loves them unconditionally and will provide everything necessary to nurture them as they grow. To see God in this way requires a great “turning” for most of us, since we must abandon all of our attachments that stand in the way. Growing in our faithfulness to God requires prayer and coming to Him often as we choose to turn to Him and rely on His love and mercy. Over time and continual redirecting we begin to know in a deeper way that God is in fact all we need.
I have often wondered what Jesus is highlighting when he tells the disciples, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” When Jesus speaks of the “little ones” I think He is including all those individuals (both children and adults) who exist in simple, open and loving ways that allow them to be “pure in heart”. Because of this innocence, trust, and love they are the ones “who see God” just as Jesus proclaimed in the Beatitudes. Even the angels that attend to these little ones always look upon the face of God, for the angels recognize God’s reflection in these individuals who are so connected to Him.
So how do these “little ones” see God? If you watch children they approach the world with awe and wonder. They have no preconceived ideas about the world, and therefore they can find God is all things. Whether it is the messy avocado on their plate, the bird at the feeder, or the person holding them, they see the divine and they are amazed. This approach to life of finding beauty and grace in all creation is something I see frequently as I care for the various children in my life. Their spontaneous smiles, reaching out to explore new things with great anticipation, and freely given love illustrate just how much they know that God is with them, in them and all around them. This is how we too are called to live.
Living as a child in God’s kingdom is not something that happens suddenly but occurs over time. Every time we take the opportunity to seek and find God in another person or a situation helps us step closer to living in the kingdom. Allowing love to be the driving force of all that we think, do and say helps us on our path as well. Jesus exemplifies how we are called to live as a child of God. Trusting in the Father, living in the Spirit, and giving of ourselves and all that we are is how we can bring our life of discipleship to perfection. One of the best ways that we can become like children is to spend time with them and watch and learn from them. When we care for them and “receive” them as Jesus tells us to do, not only do we receive Jesus, but we are given opportunities to share in their joy, awe and wonder. Children are a blessing for so many reasons, and in many ways they can be just what we need to lead us on the path turning us closer to Christ and His Kingdom.
Loving Father, Your Son Jesus shows us how we are all called to be Your children. Through the power of Your Spirit, help us to humbly seek you and your love always. May we live our lives filled with faith in You, and in all that we do- may we give you glory. We pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen.
- Marylynn Herchline