Reflections on Scripture | Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel 
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

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 becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

Reflection

Jesus continues his work with his disciples. He’s reminding them of something really important. What does it take to be a member of the Kingdom of God? What's the model? The model is a child. And so he's saying that for every adult that was willing to become like a child, and that would mean open, receptive, curious. That's what God wants each of us to become.

And he wants us to nurture those that are like children around us, those that are vulnerable and easily misled. So what he's really saying is the kingdom of God is made up of adults that live and act as loving and as open and as receptive as a child. It's a great, great image that frees us from so much that is negative in our adulthood.

Closing Prayer

Father, we work hard. We discipline ourselves. We get angry. We get upset. We do everything to try to make life better. Free us from some of that intensity of work. As we surrender the beauty of a child who simply is there to receive and take in and accept what is given. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross