LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME!

From the desk of Fr. Ignatius Waters, cp

Sunday, 10th September 2017

Seeing the children trooping back to school reminded me of these letters children wrote to God. And these children were all under 11 years of age:

Dear God, are you really invisible? I’d like to meet you but it would be strange if I can’t see you. Was Jesus really your son or did you just tell him what to say? Do you get angry when I’m naughty? I’ll try to be good. That’s everything for now. Yours sincerely, Barney

 Dear God, how many angels are there in heaven? Do people become angels when they die or are angels different from people? Does everyone go to heaven or only good people? Do you mind when people don’t believe in you? I don’t think my father believes in you, but I know you are real. I hope he will be able to go to heaven too. All the best, Anne

Dear God, why did the father like the prodigal son better than his brother? Do you like good people better if they do some sins first? Alan

Dear God, why aren’t you friends with the devil? My teacher says he used to be an angel. Did you have an argument? When we argue at school our teacher makes us say ‘sorry’. Would you let him back if he said sorry? Maybe then he wouldn’t do all those bad things. Thank you, Beth.

Children, fresh from God, are so refreshing, so wise, so honest and open. They also think deeply about things. They want to know things. They want to understand. They wear you out with their why, why, whys! That’s probably why in the gospel, you remember, the disciples wanted to send them away. They thought they were doing a good thing in protecting Jesus; that he was already worn out from all the demands made on him. But Jesus wasn’t one bit pleased and he said, “No, let the little children come to me, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” A way of saying: “These children are not a nuisance. Far from it! They’re closer to God than anyone here!” No one was ever a nuisance to Jesus. He was never too tired, never too busy to give of himself and his time to anyone who needed it.

That same Jesus constantly gives himself to us, to be nourishment and medicine for our souls and bodies.  Communion was never meant to be a kind of reward for being good or for living a good life. It is much more like the spiritual medicine we need because we’re weak and fragile.

                               We just can’t live a Christian life without Christ!