Tuesday 12^th August – Tuesday of week 19 of the year

Reflection: Matthew 18: 1-5, 10-14

AS LITTLE AS A CHILD

Sitting back to watch little children play can really be interesting. Their profound simplicity, innocence and readiness to forgive each other when they disagree stands as a huge contrast to our pride as adults. When Jesus says in today’s reading: “unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” what exactly is He getting at?

Jesus’ words came in answer to the question of who was to be the greatest in Heaven (Matthew 18:1). Contrary to what the disciples thought and what today’s world makes us to believe, Christ teaches that greatness is a direct measure of our humility (Matthew 18:4). As young people we are in that phase of life when we often think the world is at our beck and call. With our youthful strength and vigour we can easily become proud, disobedient to parents and constituted authority and rebellious.

Dear friend, this is the phase of life when we aspire for greatness. We all desire to achieve set goals and be successful in life. We all look forward to a bright future for ourselves; hence there is no better time for us to bear in mind Jesus words: “Humility begets greatness”. Both in our earthly aspirations and in our quest for Heaven let us hold on to this virtue. Remember, whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Let us become as “little” as a child as we open our hearts to God in total dependence and to what He desires to do in us and through us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I submit myself to you. Please root out every trace of pride in me. Help me to be humble and totally dependent on you always. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: CCC 526 – To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. For this, we must humble ourselves and become little. Even more: to become “children of God” we must be “born from above” or “born of God”. Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us.

HIDE A TREASURE: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6 RSV-CE

Readings for Today: Ezekiel 2: 8 -3:4; Psalm 119: 14, 24, 72, 103, 111,131; Matthew 18: 1-5, 10-14