Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are childlike. As an adult, how am I to be like a child?
As I think of my own childhood, one aspect is that my parents provided me with food, clothing, shelter, and other needs. Likewise, Jesus calls us to be dependent on God. We are not to worry about what we should wear or eat or drink (Matthew 6:25-31), but we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). God knows what we need (Matthew 6:32).
Another way to receive the Gospel like a child is to receive it with the disposition of simplicity. It seems to me that in the church and academic circles along with religious discourse in current times, people make the Gospel more complicated. There are debates on what and who are accepted, what is the “right” way to do things, etc. In all of that, the Gospel message of God’s love, mercy, and justice for all people gets lost. It is important that we remind ourselves again and again of this message. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have the responsibility to live the Gospel out and to put God at the center of our life.
May you experience God's love today and may those you encounter today experience God's love through you.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI