Jesus Blesses Little Children

Reflection on the Gospel of the Saturday In The Nineteenth Week In Ordinary Time

Matthew 19:13-15

The Gospel of Matthew is also called as the Gospel of Parables because it has the most teaching of Jesus in parables. many of the people during Jesus period were poor, helpless, weary, uneducated and had lack of sophisticated understanding. Therefore they blindly followed the teaching of those who should authority, like the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees. They had the responsibility of following a total of 613 laws given to them to follow and maintain a relationship with God. Out of the basic 10 Commandments, these teachers of the law and the elders derived multiples laws and imposed them on the people to follow them, without knowing the essence of the Law. On the other hand Jesus taught a understandable way to relate to God, “Abba”. Today’s Gospel reading is the best example to understand this. He welcomed little children and blessed them and mentions that to be part of God’s family we need to become like little children, and to relate to God as Our Father.

Let’s reflects on word “little children”

Characteristics of children: 

1. Little children are innocent, easily forget things and are quick to reunite with their enemy, there is no hatred in their heart.
2. Children do not keep grudges in their heart.
3. Children always depends on their parents for their needs and wants
4. Children always trust their parents teaching and action
5. Children always copy their parents behaviour, attitude and character and take them as their role model in their life
6. Children always seek protection and guidance from their parents whenever any strange things happen to them.
7. Children remain open minded and open hearted, due to this openness they remain happy.
8. Thus in children there is no space of jealous, pride, worry, greediness, unfaithfulness, hatred, grudge, selfishness etc.

Let’s reflects on word “Heaven” 

• Heaven is a place where there is happiness, holy, love, kindness and mercy, in short it is an absence of all sorts of evil.
• Since children on the whole; mind, heart and soul are pure and holy and have no evil, we can find heaven in them.
• Today, Jesus invites each one of us to be like little children, solely depending on God the Father and follow his guidance.
• To enter kingdom of heaven Jesus is the only way and his teaching helps us to follow his way and leads us to live holy and a healthy life in all the circumstances. 

Let’s scrutinize our conscience and remove all evil; in thought, mind and heart, present in us and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, so we remain in God’s Presence (Heaven), forever.