Lay Down My Grown-Up-Ness

Jesus reveals the things of His heart in today’s gospel. First He gives thanks to the Father for choosing the childlike to reveal His truth. When I think of being childlike these days, I look to the elderly that I serve. Their lives are simple, humble, and dependent. They are honest and open and say what they mean. They pretty much get to play all day. They entrust their personal lives and space to the caregivers that serve them. They recognize their needs and limitations. They have special insight into life from the perspective of the innocence of their dependence on others to help them with the basic necessities of life. They teach me to be a gracious recipient of love, care, and kindness. They allow me into their long years of life as a sponge to soak up their wisdom, and their experience. They are vulnerable, but they trust those that care for them. They are beautifully receptive to tenderness. Sometimes they just need to be held or hugged. I find these qualities to be the same that would ultimately describe a childlike faith and today Jesus tells us that these are the ones that His Father chooses to whisper revelation to. How can I become one of these? I need to lay down my grown-up-ness and my independence and practice all of the above. Jesus is very close to the childlike and all I want is to be closer and closer to Him. 

Last, but not least Jesus teaches us is that we need to know Him in order to know the Father, and we need to know the Father in order to know Him. This is a basic revelation of the concept of the Trinity. Soon the Holy Spirit will enter the conversation and that concept will be complete. Our God is relationship and reminds us that we too were made for communion with one another. We know the Father through Jesus Christ and as followers of Christ, people should know Jesus through us. 

Today’s gospel is short, but so sweet. I want total dependence on God so that I entrust my care to His extravagant love and in that relationship, His heart will be revealed to me. This is the essence of a childlike faith. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 EX 3:1-6, 9-12

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
"I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned."

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
He answered, "Here I am."
God said, "Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your father," he continued,
"the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.
The cry of the children of Israel has reached me,
and I have truly noted that the Egyptians are oppressing them.
Come, now!  I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

But Moses said to God,
"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
He answered, "I will be with you;
and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you:
when you bring my people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this very mountain."

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1B-2, 3-4, 6-7

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of  Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Alleluia SEE MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 11:25-27

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."