Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." (Mk 10:15)
READING OF THE DAY
A reading from the Letter of James
Jas 5:13-20
Beloved:
Is anyone among you suffering?
He should pray.
Is anyone in good spirits?
He should sing a song of praise.
Is anyone among you sick?
He should summon the presbyters of the Church,
and they should pray over him
and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick person,
and the Lord will raise him up.
If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another
and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
Elijah was a man like us;
yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain,
and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land.
Then Elijah prayed again, and the sky gave rain
and the earth produced its fruit.
My brothers and sisters,
if anyone among you should stray from the truth
and someone bring him back,
he should know that whoever brings back a sinner
from the error of his way will save his soul from death
and will cover a multitude of sins.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 10:13-16
People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME - Mk 10:13-16
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
God's Word today teaches humanity the lesson that if they want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they must be like children.
At the beginning of the Gospel, the evangelist Mark wrote: "People brought children to Jesus so that He could lay His hands on them."
The "people" that the saint refers to include the children's relatives, such as grandparents, parents, older siblings, or those who care for the children. They were the people who heard Jesus preach, witnessed the miracles He performed, and followed Him. Every time He appears somewhere, they flocked there. Therefore, they have to bring their children and grandchildren with them to conveniently care for them. This number of children is not small. Thus in the Gospel of Saint John, when the Lord performed the miracle of multiplying the loaves, He said: "Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children." (Mt 14:21).
We know that children are often hyperactive. Wherever there are children, the place is noisy and loud, sometimes making it unbearable for adults to tolerate so they often scold and chase them away. That's why we understand why the disciples prevented children from coming to Jesus. As opposed to the disciples' unpleasant attitude, Jesus warmly welcomed the little children and taught the disciples a very important lesson: "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it."
Through this Gospel, Jesus teaches us three lessons:
First, educating children in the faith is the responsibility of parents. We need to guide children to the source of grace through the Sacraments, and hours of religious practice such as reciting prayers in the family, attending Mass, and visiting the Blessed Sacrament. It must be acknowledged that today, most parents are indifferent to this duty. Therefore, in the church and parish communities, there are many spoiled children due to our responsibility.
Second: We should avoid the disciples' attitude of preventing children from coming to God.
This is not the first time we have seen the unpleasant and unkind attitude of the disciples. Saint Mark told the story: John forbade an exorcist who was not part of the group of disciples. Saint Matthew also clearly stated their attitude when a Canaanite woman came to ask God to heal her daughter: "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." It is His right to give grace and blessings to whomever He wills. He delights when His children come to Him. But personal selfishness has caused us trouble because of the presence of our brothers and sisters, especially the simple children and the lowly.
Jesus' mission to earth was to fulfill the will of God the Father: to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and expel demons to bring people closer to God the Father. To get close to Him, one must become like a child: simply surrender, love, and trust absolutely like a child trusts their parents. The disciples angered the Lord by chasing the children away from Him. He reprimanded them again: "Do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
Third: We adults can impart life knowledge to children, but in this Gospel, God teaches us great lessons from young children, they become role models for those who want to go to Heaven.
Children are simple, not stubborn, quick to forget, and easy to forgive. It's how God loves children.
Therefore, anyone who does not have the heart of a child will have difficulty entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
The childhood spirituality of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus is the spiritual path for everyone on their way to Heaven. The smaller, simpler, and more humble you are, the closer you are to God. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like little children!
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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