Here in the community of the Catholic Worker House, we learn from each other partly through the stories we share with each other. We learn from hearing how others have grown.
This morning another Catholic Worker and I were on our way to pick up a donation of food. While we were in the car, he was telling me about how he brought his daughter, when she was only a few years old, to a monastery. For much of the visit, the little girl was wearing a miniature wedding veil. At one point when she was wearing the veil, one of the nuns was teaching her one of the tasks done at the monastery. A photo was snapped of the small child performing her work, thoroughly enjoying it. In the picture, the young girl is full of glee, overflowing with joy and happiness as she went about her work.
This morning her father was relating to me how the nuns took her as an example. The nuns had been consciously aspiring to live each moment with the joy and spontaneity of a child, yet simultaneously with the wisdom and knowledge of an adult. For years to come the nuns referred back to the little girl as an exemplar of how to live with a spirit of joy and spontaneity, like a little child.
The nuns saw that the child provided a model for them to follow. She simply set herself to the job before her, and joyfully reveled in what she had to do in that moment.
We can learn much from those who are little. We do well when we do not take ourselves too seriously. Of course we should not forget what we have learned, but we should also have the humility to realize that there is much we do not know. We are called to have the humility to be willing to learn from little children, for as Jesus told us, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.*
When we worry about nothing, but out of great love of God, with much faith in Him, simply trust in Him, we are filled with joy. We feel such abundant joy when we throw all our cares to Him, and trust completely in Him.
We are called to depend totally upon God, just as little children completely rely on their parents. We must become like little children if we are to enter the Kingdom of God.**
We can grow by becoming little. The one who humbles himself will be raised up.*** When we have the humility to learn from others, even from little children, we are opening our hearts to others and what they have to teach us. When we consent to learn from others, we open our hearts to them, and thus love them.
As we love others, we grow closer to them, and thus closer to God. Let us humble ourselves, learn, and love, and return back home to God. Amen.
* Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16
** Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17
*** Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14
This morning another Catholic Worker and I were on our way to pick up a donation of food. While we were in the car, he was telling me about how he brought his daughter, when she was only a few years old, to a monastery. For much of the visit, the little girl was wearing a miniature wedding veil. At one point when she was wearing the veil, one of the nuns was teaching her one of the tasks done at the monastery. A photo was snapped of the small child performing her work, thoroughly enjoying it. In the picture, the young girl is full of glee, overflowing with joy and happiness as she went about her work.
This morning her father was relating to me how the nuns took her as an example. The nuns had been consciously aspiring to live each moment with the joy and spontaneity of a child, yet simultaneously with the wisdom and knowledge of an adult. For years to come the nuns referred back to the little girl as an exemplar of how to live with a spirit of joy and spontaneity, like a little child.
The nuns saw that the child provided a model for them to follow. She simply set herself to the job before her, and joyfully reveled in what she had to do in that moment.
We can learn much from those who are little. We do well when we do not take ourselves too seriously. Of course we should not forget what we have learned, but we should also have the humility to realize that there is much we do not know. We are called to have the humility to be willing to learn from little children, for as Jesus told us, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.*
When we worry about nothing, but out of great love of God, with much faith in Him, simply trust in Him, we are filled with joy. We feel such abundant joy when we throw all our cares to Him, and trust completely in Him.
We are called to depend totally upon God, just as little children completely rely on their parents. We must become like little children if we are to enter the Kingdom of God.**
We can grow by becoming little. The one who humbles himself will be raised up.*** When we have the humility to learn from others, even from little children, we are opening our hearts to others and what they have to teach us. When we consent to learn from others, we open our hearts to them, and thus love them.
As we love others, we grow closer to them, and thus closer to God. Let us humble ourselves, learn, and love, and return back home to God. Amen.
* Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16
** Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17
*** Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14
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