Sacred Scripture
At that time Jesus said in reply, “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.” (Matthew 11:25-27)
Reflection
Today’s Scripture always evokes a smile from me because it continually reminds me that the more I enter into a filial relationship with God the Father, the closer I will be drawn to Him.
To do that, I am also reminded that we have been given the gift of Jesus Christ. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus is the perfect revelation of God – a God who loves us completely, unconditionally, and perfectly.
But we forget that sometimes, don’t we?
We need to remember that we can’t get to know the Father as Father unless we see ourselves not just as children, but his children. Doing that only requires that we be open like children, we need to be receptive and trusting, we need to learn from Jesus, who is the revelation of how to relate to the Father as a beloved Son.
So let’s stay on that thought and relate it to our life. Whenever we give life to anyone, we can do things that others cannot do and that others cannot understand. Whenever we give life to another person, we are connected to that person forever. However, it is done, whenever life is given, connections are formed and those connections are essential for us. Because when life is given and connections are formed, two things invariably emerge: worth and sacrifice.
It is only when we give life to one another that we really understand our own worth. It is in the process of being connected to others that we see who we are and what our true value is. When we are connected, our life has meaning
Connections also lead us to sacrifice. If we are connected to others, we feel their pain. When others to whom we are connected make bad decisions or are in danger, we suffer with them. Because once we begin to love someone, it is only a matter of time before we suffer with them. Once we are connected to someone, we will, in time, also be hurt. Whenever we give life to someone, we must be willing to lay down our life time and again. Both worth and sacrifice flow from the connections that support us, the connections that come from life that is shared. This is nothing new. It is our experience. It is simply the way things are.
The good news found in this scripture is this: this giving of life that leads to a connection out of which worth and sacrifice flow, is not limited simply to us. It also applies to God. God is the one who gave us life and so God is bound to us by bonds that cannot be broken. Just as the Good Shepherd cares for the sheep and is willing to lay down his life for the sheep; God cares for us and is willing to do all that is necessary to help us. Because of this, we should never doubt our value in God’s eyes. Because of this we should never think that God has forgotten us, no matter how difficult our life becomes. God has given life to us and like a mother, can never stop caring for us, can never fail to save us.
We can doubt our own value but we should never doubt that God cares for us. . Others can look at us and see us as expendable or worthless. They can point to us and ask God, “How could you love these people? They are so selfish, so judgmental, so wounded. How could you care for them? How could you be willing to lay down your life for them? We could never do it.” But to that question, God would simply shrug and say, “They are not your children.”
Prayer of The Day
Lord Jesus, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.
Daily Note
Jesus is the icon of the Father and also speaks not only of the Father but also what he hears the Father saying. His whole mission on earth was to help us establish this loving bond with the Father, teaching us by his example and explicit instructions to pray, “Our Father.” And the way we enter into that relationship with the Father is not just through spiritual childhood but entering into Jesus’ spiritual childhood. Jesus joyfully exclaims in prayer, “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!”
