Gospel
‘Do not hinder the little children from coming to me, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’
Matthew 19:13-15
At that time: Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ And he laid his hands on them and went away.
The Gospel of the Lord
Everything and Nothing.
In Jesus’ time, children had no value; they were not even considered people, to the point that they were referred to interchangeably as “slaves” or “children”. That is why the disciples sent them away so that they would not bother Jesus.
But Jesus, on the other hand, surprises them by saying that “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”.
For God has a special love for those who are considered “nothing”. Saint Paul says: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; what is weak to shame the strong; what is lowly and despised, what is nothing, to bring to nothing things that are” (1 Cor 1:27-28).
So, “To come to be everything, desire to be nothing in anything” (Saint John of the Cross).
But Jesus, on the other hand, surprises them by saying that “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”.
For God has a special love for those who are considered “nothing”. Saint Paul says: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; what is weak to shame the strong; what is lowly and despised, what is nothing, to bring to nothing things that are” (1 Cor 1:27-28).
So, “To come to be everything, desire to be nothing in anything” (Saint John of the Cross).
Applied to Married Life:
Carla: I’ve spent my whole life waiting to be valued by you, and it turns out that the path is to become nothing.
John: Well, to me you are everything, even though sometimes I don’t show it.
Carla: Don’t worry, darling. Sometimes the Lord allows me not to feel valued even though I am, so that I may learn to love in the midst of the trial.
John: Then let us keep trying to be nothing, so that the Lord may be the one to place us wherever He sees fit.
Carla: Amen.
John: Well, to me you are everything, even though sometimes I don’t show it.
Carla: Don’t worry, darling. Sometimes the Lord allows me not to feel valued even though I am, so that I may learn to love in the midst of the trial.
John: Then let us keep trying to be nothing, so that the Lord may be the one to place us wherever He sees fit.
Carla: Amen.
Mother,
God saw your humility; may we too become small so that God can accomplish great things in us.
God saw your humility; may we too become small so that God can accomplish great things in us.