Michelle had entered the Church to take shelter from the pouring rain. It was quite dark, but a light shone from the side aisle, almost an invitation to go in that direction. As Michelle walked, she found herself in front of a beautiful Nativity scene with a spotlight on the Bethlehem grotto. Her attention is immediately caught by Baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, with open arms and a sweet smile. She stands there, captivated by that small, silent statue yet capable of emanating great peace.
Have you ever thought about Jesus as a child? How did he live? What did he do? How did he grow up? Imagine when he began to walk, guided perhaps by Joseph’s firm hand and encouraged by Mary’s loving gaze. Who knows how many times he fell before he learned, or possibly, the Son of God succeeded immediately. Think of him as a child running outside in the fields and streets of Nazareth, playing with his little friends. Who knows what he was thinking? How was Jesus doing in school? It is hard to imagine he struggled to study; He, who knows, actually, indeed, is the Truth! Despite His divine status, he was probably very good yet not an arrogant know-it-all! Indeed, God came down from heaven to enter our lives: in Jesus, became incarnate, a man like us.“The Son of God … worked with human hands, He thought with a human mind, acted by human choice, and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He has truly been one of us, like us in all things except sin” (Gaudium et spes, 22).
Let our minds think of Jesus as the Emmanuel, God with us who “advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Lk. 2:52). After thirty years of private life, we find him engaged in the mission entrusted to him by the Father. Where did the Child Jesus go? Has he perhaps been lost? No, the Messiah has maintained a childlike heart, not childish but pure, clear, simple. Not only that; in His mission, He spends time with children and invests in them: the third episode of the first series of “The Chosen” shows just how Jesus played and joked with children, taught them the Torah, and counted on their freshness and genuineness.
In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ attitude toward children and how he relates to them is very clear and explicit: “And people were bringing children to him so that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he became indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.’ Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them” (Mark 10:13-16).
Jesus shows a predilection for children: he welcomes, heals and resurrects the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus (Mk 5:41-42), the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Mk 7:29-30), the son of the widow of Naim (Lk 7:14-15), the epileptic child (Mk 9:25-26), the son of the Centurion (Lk 7:9-10), the child with the five loaves and two fish (Jn 6:9). To us, readers of the 21st century, this focus may seem to some just a tender note, to others suspicious and unfortunately evocative of the many abuses we have come to know about. In Jesus’ day, however, it was simply incomprehensible to show all this care for children, who were considered, at best, an appendage of their mother, therefore without consideration, value, or identity of their own. Only a male in his thirties could consider himself an adult and thus be heard! We can also add that children could not approach characters of a certain fame, on pain of lowering their consideration with the adult world.
Certainly, Jesus, in his interior freedom, had no problem going against the flow. He was not worried about others’ perceptions of his attitude toward children. But there is more to consider: why does Jesus choose to refer to children? What, after all, does Jesus see as so important about a child that he should be worthy of such respect and care, even of being identified as a model?
Let us think of the Child Jesus that Michelle saw in the Nativity scene or perhaps a child in our lives, and let us observe him. Children are entirely dependent. They need others: when a child is born, it vitally needs care, without which it would die. A child’s life is easy, and he lives a beautiful life. He lives serenely and develops; one does not perceive sadness or heaviness in him; on the contrary, one notices the simplicity and spontaneity of knowing that one is wanted and cared for. A child knows himself to be loved and has a fundamental trust that others can be relied upon to care for them.
When he is in need, he asks without shame because it is customary to ask for help rather than struggle on your own; when hurt, he cries, not caring how this appears in the eyes of others; if he does not know, he asks and asks not caring how his question may be perceived. A child can also marvel at the wonders of nature or things around him; with his bright eyes, he wants to learn and tends to be fascinated and intrigued by his surroundings. Jesus sets children as a model to imitate because spontaneity is better than calculation and programming; trust is more desirable than suspicion of others and their intentions; to inquire liberates far more than fear of judgment; carefreeness increases the quality of life while heaviness aggravates it.
The invitation for our personal prayer is now to think of our lives as that of children and to feel that we, too, as Children, are loved and wanted first of all by God: even if we have not had the opportunity to experience human love, the Father loves everyone: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands, I have engraved you; your walls are ever before me” (Is 49:15-16). God’s love is His initiative, free, not due, and unmerited by us. It is a gift received, a sign of His love and election: “Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you” (Is 43:4).
There is one more aspect to ponder: a gesture evoked in verses 10:15-16 of Mark’s Gospel quoted above: “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.” Jesus gave a catechesis for the disciples, reiterating that those who are like those children are at home in the kingdom of heaven. To the children, however, Jesus does not address a word but lays his hands on them. Imagine the scene: one by one, they receive personal attention from Jesus and a word of blessing, that is, “saying well”, and a gesture that touches their bodies. It is Jesus entering into a personal relationship with each of them, as he does with each of us today! His touch also has a physically significant impact because children, in their simplicity, are naturally receptive to physical contact. Jesus, for his part, also expresses materially the care and protection he reserves for each of his children.
Some questions can help your personal reflection: am I capable of living as a Son, Daughter of God? Do I recognize that, as the apostle Peter says, “He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7)? Do I ask for His help, presence, and intercession for the needs I recognize I have? Do I live life’s circumstances somewhat lightly, not out of superficiality but with Trust in the One who wants, desires me? Am I aware of His touch on me?
An objection might arise: this all sounds so beautiful and poetic, but what does it really mean? More importantly, how can we actually live as children, while by age, physical, mental, and spiritual growth, we become adults? There is certainly no time machine capable of bringing us back to start again! God does not mean this but asks us for something much more refined. To be spiritually reborn, regenerated by the Spirit to awaken the child in us with its freedom, trust, wonder, and joy. This is possible: we do not become children again; instead, we become AS children; that is, we live from the natural posture that God gave us by creating us as his children. By living this way, we will be capable of amazement at God’s daily gifts, beauty, friendship, and love. Being children means living simply with trust and deep gratitude, without fear of admitting one’s frailties, labors, or needs. There would be no need to maintain a status because nothing is more extraordinary or dignified than being children of God.
This month, we place ourselves in the school of children, through one of these concrete resolutions:
- Let us look at them in that innocence and spontaneity that we, as adults, have lost.
- Let us thank the Lord for the gift of children who help us rediscover a new disposition of openness of heart: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike” (Mt 11:25).
- Let us welcome the children knowing that in them we welcome Jesus himself: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).
This month’s meditation is by Sr. Elena, AVI.
