To watch Fr. Joe’s homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: CLICK HERE!
There is no doubt that our Scripture Readings this weekend speak to the wonder of marriage. Marriage that calls a couple:
- Not to perfection, but to commitment
- To the hard work of patience and understanding… and more
- Despite disappointments and failed expectations, to center their lives in the love of God and so much more…
Today however, I would like to center in on the last few lines of today’s Gospel, with the children coming to Jesus…
Many of us are aware of the picture of Jesus sitting on a rock surrounded by serene children gazing attentively at him. Those of us who know real-life children doubt the genuineness of this artwork.
In the time of Jesus, children did not have rights and were often regarded as property. The Disciples even felt that Jesus had more important things to do than to waste time on children. But, Jesus being Jesus, has another message for us: by serving children, we serve God.
As we know children often mirror the behavior they have observed from their parents or other significant adults. How many parents have been either embarrassed or charmed when they hear their own words coming out of the child’s mouth or the child insists on doing something exactly the way a parent does it.
As we hear in the Gospel today, how do you think the children emulated Jesus blessing them?
God created us to be in relationship so we could mirror God’s presence to each other…
Simply put, Jesus wants us to BLESS each other… A blessing that happens or can happen not just at home, but needs to happen every day in many many ways! Like Jesus, may we grow in being more and more welcoming of one another and other into our lives and bringing and being blessings to one another and others every day.
Finally, since children do say the darnedest things (Art Linkletter), let me close with this amusing anecdote: One day a 4th Grade Catholic School teacher asked her students: “Does anyone remember the words Jesus spoke about matrimony?”
One student trying to think of Jesus quotes, shouted out, “Yes, Teacher! Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.’”
May we all know what we are doing as we bring the blessings of Jesus into the lives of our children and others in and through our lives of faith daily.