Ordinary Time: when the Kingdom arrives small and unannounced
They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.” He took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
'Allow the little children to come to me.' When did your child's approach start to feel like an interruption instead of an arrival? The disciples rebuked the bringers, guarding what seemed important. You know the reflex: a half-finished sentence, a task that can spare another minute. The folded list becomes your refuge, and it is a poor one.
But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation. Not patience. Not a sigh. Indignation. Then he took those children in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. The Creator's flesh wrapped around a small, warm body. That is the specific grace: the incarnation. Your child is not the break in your devotion; your refusal is the very rebuke Jesus answered. Your child's tug at your sleeve is a summons, not an interruption.
The Kingdom belongs to such as these. So who stands between your child and Jesus' touch today?
Your child's tug at your sleeve is a summons, not an interruption.
Lord, give me arms like Yours, quick to open and slow to be too busy.
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