Reflection for Monday, 26th week in Ordinary time

By


Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Memoria of St. Vincent de Paul

Today's WORD of GOD

Luke 9: 49

Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

Today's Reflection

The Spirit of Children

Children can Give Us a Glimpse of the New Jerusalem, for Zechariah Imagines the City with Boys & Girls Playing in the Streets; & in the Gospel JESUS Turns to Children to Teach about who is Greatest in the Kingdom of GOD.

By Nature, Children Sparkle with Life & Enthusiasm, whereas many of Zechariah’s Neighbours were Weary of Life. The Prophet’s Hopes for New Life & Bright Future were Greeted with a Disbelieving Yawn. On His Advice & that of Haggai the People had Rebuilt the Temple. But the Splendid Hope of a New Jerusalem Seemed

Impossible in Their Eyes. Zechariah Imagines GOD Asking, “Shall It; Be Impossible in MY Eyes also?”

Thinking of Children make Us Think in Terms of Family & that Means Sharing Possessions with the Wider Family. They make Us Ponder the Mystery of Life. As Adults, We must Think & Consider All the Responsibilities of Life. But Some Secret Part of Our Life Belongs Solely to GOD. Not only in the Process of Conception, Pregnancy & Birth, but also in many Other Important Moments of Our Existence, We can have Intuitions or Inspirations which Take Us by Surprise.

Children may Quarrel, Yes, but They Quickly Make Up Again. The Gospel Sketches 2 Scenes of Envy & Pettiness. The Disciples were Arguing about which of Them had the Highest Status. JESUS Turns to Some Children & Says that to Welcome a Child is to Welcome HIM, & “The Least One Among U is the Greatest.”

JESUS might even be Applying This to HIMSELF.

HE is the Least, at the Service of All; & yet HE is Always the FATHER'S Only Son, Receiving the FATHER'S Life & then Totally Sharing It.

Meeting him in Ordinary, Day-to-Day Ways

Rebuking HIS Disciples for Verbally Arguing about which of Them was the Greatest, JESUS Identifies HIMSELF with the Least, Like a Child. In that Time & Culture Children had No Rights or Power or Influence. They were Far from what the Disciples Wanted, in Their Dispute about Rank & Status. The LORD Sides with Those who are Marginalized by Society. HE is Present in the Ordinary, in Those who Seem to have Least to Offer. Since HE can be Met in such Everyday Ways, It is Easy to Miss HIM. Of Course, We Meet HIM in a Special Way in the Eucharist, but Our Joining with JESUS in the Eucharist Alerts Us to the many Ordinary, Day-to-Day Ways in which We Meet HIM & HE Meets Us.

Good Morning

GOD Bless Us All Today

Have a lovely day and a great week ahead.

Happy feast of St Vincent de Paul.