At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18, 1-4)
For the last 30-something years (except last year) my family and I have attended the children’s vigil Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Luke’s. When the girls were small, they were in the “Nativity Play”. Over the years it has remained essentially the same—only the “actors” have changed. I appreciate the children’s Mass for a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is the children themselves. I love children, always have.
This last Friday, the words of St. Matthew had me close to tears when during the homily, an elderly man seated behind me kept answering out loud the questions that Father Matt was asking the children: “What makes a holy family?” The man’s answer: Prayer. “What kind of prayers?” The Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be. “What are those prayers all put together?” His answer was almost shouted out—“The rosary!” At this point, a woman said in a hushed tone, “Dad, be quiet! The questions are for the children!”
I don’t know if the man was senile, or a victim of Alzheimer’s. No matter the reason, his child-like responses were right on the money! His daughter may have thought her father was embarrassing himself, but in my opinion he was just the oldest child there. And, like I said, I love children, because they are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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