Greatest in the Kingdom (Mt 18:4-5) by Alice Chapman

11 Aug Greatest in the Kingdom (Mt 18:4-5) by Alice Chapman

“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.” ~ Mt 18:4-5 (full readings)
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Alice’s Reflections:  It’s pretty clear that humility and trust are not highly valued in today’s world.  If anything, they are qualities we’re encouraged to discard as soon as possible as we grow older.  But it is the notion that it’s important to grow up fast and become wise to the ways of the world that Jesus clearly dispels in today’s reading.  What we are really called to do is to approach our Heavenly Father with the unabashed awe and trust of a child.  Jesus helped His disciples to understand that it’s only when they stopped measuring their importance by society’s standards and recaptured child-like faith, that they could truly begin to experience the Kingdom of God right here on earth.  And what’s more, Jesus tells us that receiving and loving a child in His name is like receiving Him!  Every child is like a little piece of heaven and has inestimable value.  This makes the work of Pro-Life advocates all the more important because we are not only saving lives, we’re helping to bring more of Jesus into this world that so desperately needs Him.
* Alice is a public health officer in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.  She and her husband Glenn have a son, Thomas..

Faith Challenge:   If you’re finding yourself distracted by the “hustle/get ahead” mentality of daily life, commit to taking just 5 minutes each morning to reconnect with God in prayer and recapture the child-like faith buried inside you.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel..
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Our Prayers: Pray LIFE Runners Creed to End Abortion.  Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, unceasingly. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  St. Clare
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Faith Quote:  “Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Through Christ our Lord,
Alice Chapman
Jer 29:11-13