God’s Kingdom For The Childlike In Attitude
Introduction
Ben Sirach reflects at length and with warmth on the first chapters of the Bible dealing with creation. He stresses particularly the role of people as masters and the center of creation. People, who organize creation, are or should be responsible for creation and are the voice of all creation to praise God.
With human progress in subduing the earth and traveling in space, we need today not merely to glorify our conquests, but also refocus our attention on our role of humanizers, which we have forgotten too much.
1 Reading: Sirach 17:1-15
God from the earth created man,
and in his own image he made him.
He makes man return to earth again,
and endows him with a strength of his own.
Limited days of life he gives him,
with power over all things else on earth.
He puts the fear of him in all flesh,
and gives him rule over beasts and birds.
He created for them counsel, and a tongue and eyes and ears,
and an inventive heart,
and filled them with the discipline of understanding.
He created in them knowledge of the spirit;
With wisdom he fills their heart;
good and evil he shows them.
He put the fear of himself upon their hearts,
and showed them his mighty works,
That they might glory in the wonder of his deeds
and praise his holy name.
He has set before them knowledge,
a law of life as their inheritance;
An everlasting covenant he has made with them,
his justice and his judgments he has revealed to them.
His majestic glory their eyes beheld,
his glorious voice their ears heard.
He says to them, “Avoid all evil”;
each of them he gives precepts about his fellow men.
Their ways are ever known to him,
they cannot be hidden from his eyes.
Over every nation he places a ruler,
but God’s own portion is Israel.
All their actions are clear as the sun to him,
his eyes are ever upon their ways.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
R. (see 17) The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Man’s days are like those of grass;
like a flower of the field he blooms;
The wind sweeps over him and he is gone,
and his place knows him no more.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children’s children
among those who keep his covenant.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Alleluia: cf. Matthew 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
Commentary
Sirach today gives us a litany of the glories of humanity. Created in God’s image, the human person is given strength and unmatched power on earth, the human senses and an understanding heart, wisdom, knowledge, and moral discernment. All of these qualities are highlighted, and yet there is not a word about personal immortality. Why? Because our spiritual forbears had not yet come to fully comprehend this idea.
As Christians, we are inclined to see life after death as the greatest gift. At the same time, it is worth the effort to consider the ways in which humanity has been blessed on this side of the grave. Consider the achievements of the human intellect. Our broader understanding of the universe, especially outer space, is greater than ever before. The triumph of modern medicine over many diseases, even if not complete, has made incredible strides. And from antiquity to modem times, the human spirit has been
elevated by the arts, by great works of literature, by musical geniuses such as Mozart.
But Jesus in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark carries us further. He receives children and sees them as the prototype of openness and total dependence. We too must have this attitude with respect to God. The realization that all good flows from God is the key to eternal life. Today then we are thankful for earth and heaven, for what is now and what is to come. It has taken us centuries to come this far, and there is even more ahead.
Blessing
Working for the integrity of nature is not just a fad that is in today, but a moral responsibility that also plays a very important role in the future of humankind. It is good that with the prophets we have rediscovered it! May almighty God bless you and our earth: the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!