Jesus Says to be like Children — This is What He Means

I learned a few valuable lessons this morning.

This morning, I walked into the chapel before school to give 10 minutes to the Lord. I saw Fr. Jay (who told me he is still traumatized and feeling old from remembering that he knew my mom at camp 30 years ago) and Ms. Linda, who had to do this Mass by herself, since everyone else from Campus Ministry is at the senior retreat. Knowing that Ms. Linda needed help, I went to class, thankfully it was basically a study hall because our teacher is on the retreat, grabbed Bridget Moore, and went down for the third grade Mass. 

First, Fr. Jay’s homily, although it was geared towards third graders, was a great way to look at this passage from the Gospel. 

“Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, ‘Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace,’” John 2:13-25.

Fr. Jay said that Jesus was angry, and messed things up, but He never broke anything. Father then applied that to this idea: When we make a mistake, He allows bad to happen as a consequence, but He does not break us. He still loves us and wants to forgive us. 

The most valuable thing that I took away from Mass, though, was watching the third graders, especially at Communion. Every single one of them was extremely respectful and attentive. Every Catholic third-grader who had received his or her First Communion prior walked up and received the Eucharist, and there was so much beauty in it. I could tell by watching them that they all believed that they were receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus, I don’t even know how to fully explain it. It was beautiful. 

When Jesus says to be childlike, this is what He means. To have the faith of little children. They impressed me that much because, so many times, we Catholics forget. We forget about the importance of who we receive in the Eucharist. We receive the Eucharist and leave, completely forgetting about the gift we were just given. Jesus wants us to be like children — not to have less knowledge that we have gained growing up, but to have the innocent faith like them. 

A great place to start is by talking to Him about it. Come stop by adoration this Thankful Thursday. You can stay as long as you want, whether it is 5 minutes or 25. If you sign in at the back, your advisory gets put in a drawing for an ice cream party. And most importantly, it is a great opportunity to let Him show Himself to you and grow in this child-like faith.