19th Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Saturday 17th August 2024

The scene in the Gospel speaks of the disciples turning away people who were bringing children to be blessed and so Jesus reprimands them. Why did the disciples turn the children away? Was it because they considered them a nuisance taking up Jesus’ valuable time? Perhaps if we look at the social structure in Jesus’ time, children and widows were considered as not having any rights and were often treated as non-people, then our eyes are opened too because Jesus acts against such societal prejudice and so welcomes the little children to be blessed.

Society is often dismissive of children, thinking that they are too young to know or understand anything. This is indeed unfortunate because children do have intriguing insight. And if we listen closely to them, their thoughts and words are simple but can truly connect us to the commands and nature of God. However, pious adults can become the stumbling block to drawing nearer to God, they despise the noises and cries of children which represents innocence of heart and conveying what God is trying to tell us.

The psalmist offers a prayer for the purity of heart. We often find ourselves drowning in worldly concerns and this clouds our judgement and taints our hearts. We need to constantly pray for purity of heart so that God’s Word can penetrate our lives and transform it into what God intended it to be in the first place.

Lord, make us channels of pure blessings to others.