Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were brought to Jesus, that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. Jesus then said, “Let the children be! Don’t hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are humble, like these children.” Jesus laid his hands on them and went away.

Reflections
“The kingdom of heaven belongs . . . to these children.”
A number of things might be learned from children: (1) Children are experts in living in the present moment, in the “now”. The cares of the world do not distract them; they are not caught up in them; they are able to capture and enjoy, without difficulty, the beauty and goodness a moment brings be­fore them. They are simply there. In contrast, we adults have the tendency to be overwhelmed by the daily conduct of human affairs. We are held back in/by worries, disappointments, frustrations, and fear. As a result we miss out the joy and “life” that each day carries. We forget that the “now”, the present, is a gift; and, it offers us a world of many (sometimes endless) possi­bilities. (2) In children, humility is always at work. They are humble in the sense that they do not have to arm themselves with preten­tions. “I am/have more . . .”, “I am greater . . .”, and “You are less . . .”, are not in their consciousness. He is simply her/he to herself/himself, and you are simply you to her/him. It does not worry them about our impression of them. (3) It is easy for children to let go. To us adults, worries, disappointments, frustra­tions and fear are strongest.

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