Humbly Least

Today’s Gospel Text: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.                  Matt 18:1-5, 10 

Reflection: From this gospel text we realize that there is a difference between the poor and the really poor in the Christian sense of the term.

There are those who are poor in the material sense and who have nothing and yet have everything and wouldn’t care a less when it comes to serving his neighbor or reaching out to him when in need, even though this could be a rare thing about them.

Whereas there are those who may have all the riches of the world at their disposal and they could have opted for that path of self sufficiency and yet may have chosen to be nothing.

These are the ones who have turned and become like little children, who do not have self-centered goals and ambitions in life and hence would not do evil in order to achieve their own goals or visions in life.

These children would rather prefer to be cared for by their heavenly Father and look to him for sustenance and protection.

Their food would be to do the will of their Father who is in heaven (Jn. 4:34)  and since the Father cares for all his children, they in seeking to do the will of the Father reach out to the world, even in the isolated world in which they may opt to live in.

These are the least in the Christian community who men may want to despise most willingly as ones without talent; for what is talent without a relationship with God. 

Here we do not speak about the greatness of St. Peter or St. Paul but rather about the greatness of the lesser known saints, who were without fame or positions in their lifetime.

Here we are speaking about Mary too who although was the mother of our Savior and God and yet lived a humble simple and lesser known life.

The Lord indeed has looked upon the low esteem of his servant and surely henceforth all generation shall call her blessed. (cfr. Lk. 1:48)

Prayer: Lord, you who cast away the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly, grant that I may serve you with a humble spirit and a contrite heart. (cfr. Lk. 1:52)

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Jesus Provides

Scripture/Bible:  And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. 18 As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth. John 17:11-19

Reflection:  What will a sole bread winner do when he comes to know that he or she is no longer going to be there to take care of the children? What will the thinking be and what plan will they make to rehabilitate them? 

For at least three years they had dedicated their lives to Jesus and his mission and they had confidence that it was something special to follow Jesus, but now, thanks to Jesus, who never made them think of future worries, they were calm. 

If there was any one who needed to worry, it was none other than Jesus. Now it was really a moment of crisis; for he was indeed their only hope and they were going to see that hope visibly crushed. The life of him, whom they put their complete trust and hope in, was going to be snuffed out completely from their midst. 

What a crisis it is when the one you are dependent on totally or rather put your complete trust and hope in for everything, is now soon going to be no more. In such situations, a talk on eternity and eternal life and meeting the person in eternity doesn’t work.  

The only consolation that works is that of providence; who will substitute or provide for what we are going to lose. 

But with Jesus there was plan B always in place, may be it had not sunk in the dedicated disciples.They may have even taken sometime, even post resurrection for plan B to sink in; “Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me” 

If you think that the Dedicated Disciples were such fools or so slow to understand this plan B, it is still worse with many of us who face similar situations. We forget that God was introduced to us a Father by Jesus and as Father; he cares for us much more than our earthly father. Yet we keep worrying about the daily things of life as if God as our Father doesn't care about our tomorrow. 

Prayer: “O God, I believe that you are able to provide me with every blessing in abundance, so that we may always have enough of everything and that we may abound for every good work.” (Cfr. 2 Cor 9:8)

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

God is not just Up

Scripture/Bible:  But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." 18 This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. 30 "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. John 5:17-30

Reflection:  We worry, we fret about things and get worked up about small matters. If this is how we handle small things then how will we handle the bigger challenges of life?

As Christians it is never an excuse to be worrying about anything, more so since we believe in a God who is provident and is with us.

We worry as if God is distanced from us and that he created a world and left it to humans to work on it.  Worst still, at a universal and external level we are worried and worked up and prepare a plan and agenda to save the planet earth and talk about global warming and interpret the signs of the time as purely a creation of human greed rather than attributing it to human sin; the rejection of God and his plan.

Jesus in this Gospel text is clearly communicating to us that he is still working and that his Father is working still.   In other words; God is still at work in creation and that creation exists and things still move and days and night still in place and the livestock, crops and vegetations still produce, is all because of his providence. (Cfr. Mt. 6:25-33)

Further, God in Christ Jesus further bridges the gap between him and us and that very reason he was working still as the incarnate Son of God (cfr. 2 Cor. 5:19). In the necessary death and resurrection of Jesus, Emmanuel, God has made himself present with us all the more and in every way identifies with our human sufferings, pains and trials.  No longer is he just a provident God but he is now a God who is at work in us to will and work with us for our eternal Salvation. (Phil. 2:13)

Prayer:   Lord, to you I come as my Savior and redeemer, save me by helping me recognize your presence with me.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us