The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us with commitment that may be best appreciated through the eyes and love of children.
In the reading from the Book of Joshua, the Israelites proclaim “we will serve the Lord”.
* [24:30] Following this verse the Greek translation of the Bible (the Septuagint) adds: “They laid with him there, in the tomb where they buried him, the flint knives with which he had circumcised the Israelites at Gilgal, when he brought them out of Egypt, as Yhwh commanded them. There they are to this very day.” (Joshua, CHAPTER 24, n.d.)
Psalm 16 is a song of Trust and Security in 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). (Psalms, PSALM 16, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Blesses Little Children.
* [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. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)
Tom Purcell comments that of course, there are exceptions, but until they learn otherwise, young children generally are trusting, love unconditionally, are generous, uncorrupted, empathetic. They see good and do not recognize bad. A child’s natural reaction would be trust, to give and not calculate the cost, to hug instead of recoil, to smile and welcome instead of turning away. A child is more open to seeing the world as a place of wonder to be savored instead of a place to be feared and avoided.
I think Jesus reminds us to be open to the child-like impulses in us all – to love and act and be more innocent and trusting and generous. I think Jesus holds up the child as an example of what His call to be loving and compassionate and open to all God’s creations requires. It seems to me that to answer His call we need to unlearn what moved us from our childish naturalness to guarded adulthood. St. Paul famously wrote “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, etc. . . .” I think Jesus might have said “When I was a child, I loved as a child, saw good in people, I opened my heart and arms to them, I comforted them, I was there for them. I was like the bird on the branch singing with pure joy for the gift of creation. I was mesmerized by the lilies in the field in their beauty and simplicity. Now that I am a man, I need to find that child within me again.”
My prayer today is to find the simple grace of that child within me as I navigate the complicated life of being an adult in our modern world. (Purcell, 2023)
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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Joshua 24:14-29 comments that Joshua knew that each person would face temptations on every side. It would be a challenge to learn how to live in freedom as God’s people. It’s a challenge we deal with as well.
Whom you will serve. Will you serve your own self-interest and the false gods of pleasure and power and riches? Or will you serve the Lord? God is the One who created you, who called you as his own, and who sent Jesus to lay down his life for you. He is holy and mighty, and he is merciful and loving. He cares for you, and he never gives up on you. He gives you the Holy Spirit to help you follow him. Keeping these truths in mind, consider the many ways the Lord has led you to this “today.” Let them remind you that he is trustworthy and completely reliable.
Then decide. Choose today. Whom will you serve?
“Lord Jesus, I choose you today. I lay my heart and my mind before you and ask for the grace to walk in your ways.” (Meditation on Joshua 24:14-29, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that, in the time of Abraham, the Hebrew people recognized many gods. Joshua is calling the Israelites who are about to enter the Promised Land to serve the Lord alone. Joshua died at 110 and did not quite come to the level of Moses at 120. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus' assertion that a true disciple is childlike in trust, pure love, and faith.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces spoken word poet Amena Brown who responds to the question, “How do you know when you’re hearing from God?”
I try to explain how God is pleading with us
To trust
To love
To listen
That God’s voice is melody and bass lines and whisper and thunder and graceSometimes when I pray, I think of her
How the voice of God was lingering in her very question
How so many of us just like her
Just like me
Just like you
Are still searching
Still questioning, still doubting
I know I don’t have all the answers
I know I never will
That sometimes the best thing we can do is put our hands in the middle of our chest
Feel the rhythm there
Turn down the noise in our minds, in our lives
And whisper,
God
Whatever you want to say
I’m here
I’m listening (Rohr, n.d.)
The Spirit presents us with many occasions to connect with God and our relationship to children is a gift to understand how to approach fullness of life.
References
Joshua, CHAPTER 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joshua/24?14
Matthew, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19?13
Meditation on Joshua 24:14-29. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/19/763050/
Psalms, PSALM 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16?1
Purcell, T. (2023, August 19). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081923.html
Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Prophetic Path: Love and Liberation: Weekly Summary. Richard Rohr. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-prophetic-path-love-and-liberation-weekly-summary-2023-08-19/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Let the Children Come to Me. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug19
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