The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today connect the traditional observance of a Covenant with God to our development of an attitude that opens our Spirit to experience of Divine Presence.
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| Children welcome |
The passage from the Book of Joshua asserts the Covenant that God seeks with his people.
Covenant Ceremony1
Psalm 16 declares the wise and life-giving presence of God.
* [Psalm 16] In the first section, the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11).2
In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus presents blessing of the children as a lesson for our growth.
* [19:13–15] This account is understood by some as intended to justify the practice of infant baptism. That interpretation is based principally on the command not to prevent the children from coming, since that word sometimes has a baptismal connotation in the New Testament; see Acts 8:36.3
Tom Drzaic shares that as a child he would come to Jesus far more often than he does today. In today’s world he finds it harder to do this.
With a seemingly endless list of to do’s, in a culture that increasingly devalues open religious expression, it is no wonder that it is easy to slip into a pattern of unconscious indifference. So while this passage’s main message of coming to him in complete faith and trust holds true, it is a reminder to me to make time to come to him joyfully and frequently. It is a reminder to shut off those devices and look forward to sitting in a quiet place and reflecting on whatever I may be feeling, looking forward to growing closer to God and discerning on what God is telling us through my experiences and prayer.4
Don Schwager quotes “To such belongs the Kingdom,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century).
"Why did the disciples keep the children back? Not because of the children's wickedness but because it was not the right time. They did not want the Lord to be tired by the great crowd. To them he said, 'Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.' For children are ignorant of wickedness. They do not know how to return evil for evil or how to do someone an injury. They do not know how to be lustful or to fornicate or to rob. What they hear, they believe. They love their parents with complete affection. Therefore, beloved, the Lord instructs us that what they are by the gift of nature, we should become by the fear of God, a holy way of life and love of the heavenly kingdom - for unless we are alien to all sin just like children, we cannot come to the Savior." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 25)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Joshua 24:14-29 reflects that even after Joshua renewed their covenant with God, they eventually strayed again. Israel became divided, and the two kingdoms (North and South) both experienced defeat and exile.
Yet through the centuries, God never gave up on his people—and he never gives up on us. He knows our weaknesses, so he sent his Son to get us to our final destination of eternal life with him. And because he knew that our growth in holiness would not always happen in a straight line, he gave us a great gift: the Sacrament of Reconciliation. That’s how compassionate our God is! He wants to forgive us and shower us with his mercy, no matter what is taking us off course.6
Friar Jude Winkler describes the situation facing Joshua, the Israelites, and the slaves with them to choose Yahweh in a cultures of Henotheism. The text of the blessing of children for the Kingdom is likely the work of a converted Pharisee. Friar Jude describes our need for childlike simplicity, innocence and trust.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the Welcoming Prayer created by Mary Mrozowski (1925–1993), a spiritual teacher, mystic, and founding member of Contemplative Outreach.
Welcome, welcome, welcome.I welcome everything that comes to me in this momentbecause I know it is for my healing.I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions,persons, situations and conditions.
I let go of my desire for security.I let go of my desire for affection.I let go of my desire for control.
I let go of my desire to change anysituation, condition,person, or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God andthe healing action and grace within. [1]7
Fr Richard urges us to welcome the experience, It can move us to the Great Compassion. Don’t fight it. Don’t split and blame. Welcome the grief and anger in all of its heaviness. Now it will become a great teacher. Our Covenant is shaped by the events of our lives. The childlike condition implied by the Gospel today is connected to the surrender practiced in Welcoming Prayer.
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