DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Thursday, February 14, 2019

People were bringing little children to Him in order that He might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. – Mark 10:13-16

This moment Christ is certainly a tender moment, yet within that tender moment there is a reprimand, “Don’t do that; don’t you ever do that!”.  Christ chastises His disciples for speaking sternly to the children and their parents, not for reason of any misbehavior, but for reason that the children were not to bother the rabbi as He taught.

I believe this tender story is a teaching about this new Realm of God which Christ announces is on the verge of Becoming.  This new Realm of God will be visionary, not a clinging to the Past or yearning for the Past’s return, but rather reaching out into the Future and filling the Future with possibilities Divine.  It will be a children’s crusade of a hopeful and optimistic kind.  This New Realm will not be about a perpetuation of the Past but about the creation of a Future, a brighter future, a fulfilling future, a holier and more loving future, a future that will witness the ways of heaven slowly becoming the ways of earth.  I believe … this is the vision of the Gospel and also … its essence and intent.

Loved Ones, are we a people trying to revere the Past or are we a people trying to realize the Future?  Are we a people trying to preserve our grandparents’ world or are we a people trying to prepare our children for wonders still to come?  Heaven is alive in this Present Moment leaning into the Future Moments about to arrive.  Heaven is not in the Past, only the traces left in its journeying through Time.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz