Saturday of the 19th Week of Ordinary Time – Mt 19:13-15
Today’s short Gospel gives us a glimpse into the life and ministry of Jesus. We’re told that children “were brought to Jesus.” In Luke’s Gospel, we’re told particularly that infants were brought to Jesus, presumably by their mothers. There must have been something about the way Jesus looked, talked, and prayed that not only made parents feel He was a good man who could be trusted, but also that He really cared about the children and wanted the best for them. His disciples tried to prevent this, either because they thought it would annoy Christ, or that they were too young to receive any sort of benefit. In either case, Christ shows Himself to be a concerned savior who wants to do good even to the littlest members of His kingdom.
We could say that this attitude of Christ wasn’t simply for the infants of His day, but for all of us as well, since we are God’s children by adoption, and it’s to “those,” the ones who are child-like in their confidence in Him and love for Him, who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. On Saturday, a day dedicated to Our Lady, it’s worth remembering that she too looks at us as her beloved children. We can see this clearly in the apparition of Our Lady of Pontmain (Our Lady of Hope), an approved apparition that took place in France in 1871: “All the children described her as having profoundly deep and loving eyes, her face adorned with ‘smiles of sweetness.’ [One of the visionaries] has said ‘Like a true mother, she seemed happier in looking at us than we in contemplating her.’”
Today, we can ask ourselves about our trust in Christ’s and in Mary’s love for us. Do we approach them with child-like trust, confident that they only want the best for us, to do good to us? Do we let ourselves be drawn to Jesus and Mary, and to their goodness and constant care for us? Let’s ask, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, for the grace to trust in God and draw near to Him more and more every day.
