Become like children

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the blessing of sharing our daily lives with children who remind us of sincerity, humility, kindness, and care.

Become Like Children

The Reading from the Book of Exodus proclaims the Reward of Fidelity.

* [23:21] My authority is within him: lit., “My name is within him.” (Exodus, CHAPTER 23, n.d.)

Psalm 91 praises The shelter of the Most High.

* [Psalm 91] A prayer of someone who has taken refuge in the Lord, possibly within the Temple (Ps 91:1–2). The psalmist is confident that God’s presence will protect the people in every dangerous situation (Ps 91:3–13). The final verses are an oracle of salvation promising salvation to those who trust in God (Ps 91:14–16).

* [91:1] The shelter of the Most High: basically “hiding place” but in the Psalms a designation for the protected Temple precincts, cf. Ps 27:5; 31:21; 61:5. The shade of the Almighty: lit., “the shadow of the wings of the Almighty,” cf. Ps 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8. Ps 91:4 makes clear that the shadow is an image of the safety afforded by the outstretched wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies. (Psalms, PSALM 91 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus identifies the Greatest in the Kingdom.

* [18:3] Become like children: the child is held up as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed innocence of children but because of their complete dependence on, and trust in, their parents. So must the disciples be, in respect to God.

* [18:10] Their angels in heaven…my heavenly Father: for the Jewish belief in angels as guardians of nations and individuals, see Dn 10:13, 20–21; Tb 5:4–7; 1QH 5:20–22; as intercessors who present the prayers of human beings to God, see Tb 13, 12:15, . The high worth of the little ones is indicated by their being represented before God by these heavenly beings. (Matthew, CHAPTER 18, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley comments that the Guardian Angel prayer is also a staple in her family.

 

When we fly, we always hold hands at take-off and landing and say the prayer. Even my 10-year-old granddaughter never misses saying it when she travels. A couple of summers ago when she was going to fly alone with her dad, she asked my daughter to go over the prayer with her so she could be sure to say it herself. 

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

to whom God’s love entrusts me here,

ever this day be at my side to light and guard, 

to rule and guide. Amen”

How can I doubt or be fearful? This song says it best! Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies] by Chris Tomlin. (Shirley, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Their angels behold the face of my Father in heaven,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"It is not right to despise anyone who believes in Christ. A believer is called not only a servant of God but also a son through the grace of adoption, to whom the kingdom of heaven and the company of the angels is promised. And rightly the Lord adds, 'For I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.' How much grace the Lord has toward each one believing in him he himself declares when he shows their angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven. Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ. Finally, the angels carry their prayers to heaven. Hence the word of Raphael to Tobias: 'When you prayed along with your daughter-in-law Sara, I offered the memory of your prayer in the sight of God (Deutero-canonical book of Tobit 12:12). Around them there is also the strong guard of the angels; they help each of us to be free from the traps of the enemy. For a human in his weakness could not be safe amid so many forceful attacks of that enemy if he were not strengthened by the help of the angels." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 57.1) [Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 18:1-5, 10 comments that Jesus telling the disciples they had to “turn and become like children” in order to even enter his kingdom must have puzzled them (Matthew 18:3). How could choosing to be unimportant make you important? It seemed backwards!

On today’s feast of the Guardian Angels, we encounter something else that seems backwards: that each of us has our own personal angel to help us! Angels are immortal beings who “always look upon the face of [our] heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). Why would they even bother with us?

So let the guardian angels be an example for you today about the greatness that comes from humility. Let them show you how love leads to joyful service. Ask your guardian angel to pray for you, that you could embrace that same attitude and make serving the Lord your top priority. And as you do, ask him to help you discern how you can best put your skills and talents to work for the sake of God’s kingdom.

“Lord, thank you for giving me a guardian angel to look out for me. Help me imitate the humility and servant’s heart of all the angels!” (Meditation on Matthew 18:1-5, 10, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler recalls the rebuilding of Jerusalem by Nehemiah. Ezra encourages them to learn the Law that opens up possibilities like when we are convicted by a homily and God has given us an opportunity to grow. In Matthew, Jesus says in the Kingdom of Heaven we have to become like little children. Jesus speaks of a special angel that watches over us, a marvelous concept but Friar Jude suggests that some are too involved with connection to a guardian angel.  Friar Jude notes that we need to view our guardian angel as a spiritual aid rather than a border collie that leads us along the road.

Fr. Mike Schmitz continues reading from the book of Nehemiah as we read of the many attempts to prevent Nehemiah from doing the great work of God. We also see the events that lead to Esther being chosen as queen and the goodness she will bring even in the midst of a broken system. Today’s readings are Nehemiah 6-7, Esther 1-2, and Proverbs 21:1-4.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Michele Dunne, who is the Executive Director of the Franciscan Action Network, an organization that seeks to embody Franciscan values in their work for justice for the earth and the poor. [1] In a recent issue of CAC’s the Mendicant donor newsletter, Dunne describes her deepening understanding of Franciscan witness.

For example, while I had always understood Jesus’s teaching to “take up your cross and follow me” simply as a call to bear patiently with the suffering inherent in daily life, I came to a totally different understanding after a long, frigid day spent at a climate protest in December 2019. Rereading the story (in Mark 8, Matthew 16, and Luke 9) at the urging of my friend and teacher the Rev. John Dear, I suddenly understood that Jesus was not speaking about patience with everyday suffering. As he faced escalating pressure—including from his friends—to stop speaking out against injustice, Jesus made it crystal clear that following him would require self-sacrifice, inconvenience, and possibly danger. How could I have missed that before? Maybe this new way of hearing was what “life to gospel” meant. 

The Franciscan path keeps the challenges coming but also supplies companions for the way. In 2021, I left a longtime career to join the Franciscan Action Network, where we are building an intergenerational movement for justice, peace, and creation rooted in the gospel and the examples of St. Francis and St. Clare. Our dozens of Franciscan Justice Circles across the country meet monthly in small groups, where we pray and take action together, discovering over and over again what it means to go from gospel to life and life to gospel. (Rohr, n.d.)

When my three year old grandaughter was setting the table for supper and she put out a placemat for her and her six year old brother who was going to join us later, it dawned on me how we learn to exclude and how blessed I was to receive her example of the Jesus exhortation to become as little children to experience the fullness of life.

References

Exodus, CHAPTER 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/23? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 18. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18?1 

Meditation on Matthew 18:1-5, 10. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/01/1399013/ 

Psalms, PSALM 91 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/91?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/gospel-to-life-and-life-to-gospel/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Their Angels Behold the Father in Heaven. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=oct2a 

Shirley, N. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-2-2025 

Humility and Shepherding

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to learn from Jesus' example of leadership that focuses on the needs of the community we are called to serve as a good shepherd.

Humility of the Good Shepherd

The Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy proclaims the Lord’s Leadership and the Call of Joshua.

a. [31:2] Dt 1:37; 3:23–28; 4:21–24; 34:7; Gn 6:3; Ex 7:7; Nm 20:12; Acts 7:23, 30.

b. [31:3] Dt 1:30–33; 3:22, 28; 9:3.

c. [31:4] Dt 2:26–3:7; 3:21–22; Nm 21:21–35.

d. [31:5] Dt 7:1–5; 20:16–18.

e. [31:6] Dt 1:29; 20:3–4.

f. [31:7–8] Dt 1:21; 31:23; Jos 1:6–9; 10:25.

g. [31:8] Ex 3:12; Jos 1:5, 17; 3:7; 2 Sm 7:9. (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 31|USCCB, n.d.)

The response is from Deuteronomy 32.

* [32:1–43] The whole song is a poetic sermon, having for its theme the Lord’s benefits to Israel (vv. 1–14) and Israel’s ingratitude and idolatry in turning to the gods of the nations; these sins will be punished by the nations themselves (vv. 15–29); in turn, the foolish pride of the nations will be punished, and the Lord’s honor will be vindicated (vv. 30–43). (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32|USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches about The Greatest in the Kingdom and The Parable of the Lost Sheep.

* [18:10–14] The first and last verses are peculiar to Matthew. The parable itself comes from Q; see Lk 15:3–7. In Luke it serves as justification for Jesus’ table-companionship with sinners; here, it is an exhortation for the disciples to seek out fellow disciples who have gone astray. Not only must no one cause a fellow disciple to sin, but those who have strayed must be sought out and, if possible, brought back to the community. The joy of the shepherd on finding the sheep, though not absent in Mt 18:13 is more emphasized in Luke. By his addition of Mt 18:10, 14 Matthew has drawn out explicitly the application of the parable to the care of the little ones.

* [18:10] Their angels in heaven…my heavenly Father: for the Jewish belief in angels as guardians of nations and individuals, see Dn 10:13, 20–21; Tb 5:4–7; 1QH 5:20–22; as intercessors who present the prayers of human beings to God, see Tb 13, 12:15, . The high worth of the little ones is indicated by their being represented before God by these heavenly beings.

* [18:11] Some manuscripts add, “For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost”; cf. Mt 9:13. This is practically identical with Lk 19:10 and is probably a copyist’s addition from that source. (Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

Tamora Whitney comments that children are innocent and trusting. And Jesus insists that the disciples welcome children and other humble powerless people in Jesus’ name. They are specifically warned against turning away anyone who would seem unimportant.

A shepherd with a big herd who found one of his sheep missing would search for that one sheep, even though he had 99 more, and rejoice at finding that lost sheep. A sheep, childlike, is lowly, and is also trusting. It’s the shepherd’s job to keep track of the sheep and keep them safe. Even if the shepherd might not feel the loss of one sheep out of a hundred, what would happen to the sheep that went astray? It would be in danger, out of the protection of its community. The shepherd has a responsibility to protect all the flock. The shepherd who finds and regains the lost sheep not only feels joy at regaining his property that might be lost but also relief in knowing that the sheep is now safe with the others.

God rejoices in the return of one of his own who was thought to be lost but is returned. But it’s not only because God wants a bigger following, but because he realizes that we, like sheep, out of our community are lost and in danger. Returned to the fold we can be safe in his protection in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Whitney, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “What it means to become a child of God,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century).

"Here the Lord not only repressed the apostles' thoughts but also checked the ambition of believers throughout the whole world, so that he might be great who wanted to be least. For with this purpose Jesus used the example of the child, that what he had been through his nature, we through our holy living might become - innocent, like children innocent of every sin. For a child does not know how to hold resentment or to grow angry. He does not know how to repay evil for evil. He does not think base thoughts. He does not commit adultery or arson or murder. He is utterly ignorant of theft or brawling or all the things that will draw him to sin. He does not know how to disparage, how to blaspheme, how to hurt, how to lie. He believes what he hears. What he is ordered he does not analyze. He loves his parents with full affection. Therefore what children are in their simplicity, let us become through a holy way of life, as children innocent of sin. And quite rightly, one who has become a child innocent of sin in this way is greater in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives such a person will receive Christ." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 27) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today. The Deuteronomy reading is a commendation of Moses to the people of Israel reminding them of the good the Lord has done . They are urged to be strong and steadfast even if Moses is going away. To receive the Kingdom, we have to trust, be innocent and meek with wonder and awe and we will be able to embrace the kingdom. The idea of the Guardian Angels assigned to protect us from material and moral danger is resonant in the Gospel. Friar Jude suggests the 99 could complain about seeking the lost sheep.  The lost one needs help. The broken need the attention calling Jesus to go out of His way to save our brother and sister. We are called to the same compassion.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, writes of conversion as an experience of participating in divine reality. 

A participatory theology says, “I am being chosen, I am being led, I am being used.” After conversion, you know that your life is not about you; you are about life! You are about God. You’re an instance of both the agony and the ecstasy of God that is already happening inside of you, and all you can do is say yes to it. That’s conversion and it changes everything.

True union does not absorb distinctions, but actually intensifies them. The more we give of ourselves in creative union with another, the more we become our authentic self. This is mirrored in the Trinity: perfect giving and perfect receiving between three persons who are all still completely themselves. The more we become our True Self, the more capable we are of not overprotecting the boundaries of the false self. We have nothing to protect after transformation, and that’s the great freedom and the great happiness we see in converted people like Paul. As Paul puts it, “Because of Christ, I now consider my former advantages as disadvantages.… All of it is mere rubbish if only I can have a place in him” (Philippians 3:7–8). (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to illuminate our action in response to our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and especially leader who loves and cares for his sheep.

References

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 31|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/31?1 

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/32?3 

Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Paul’s Conversion and Our Own. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/pauls-conversion-and-our-own/  

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Who Is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug12 

Whitney, T. (2025, August 12). Daily Reflection August 12, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-12-2025