19th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Become like Children (St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross)

 In his teaching about the Kingdom of God, besides his employment of a lot of agricultural imagery, Jesus often used the image of the child.  

Children are eager, energetic, and ready to learn and grow.  So should we be.  Eager to please the Lord by our conduct.  Energetic in our charity and generosity towards others.  And always ready to learn about our faith and grow in holiness.

Children are dependent on their parents for life, security, and education.  And so are all of us upon God. 

And Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”  

Childlike humility is characterized by its deep trust.  Imagine the child gazing into the eyes of their parents in wonderment, listening to every word they are saying and believing it, taking it into their heart.  That is supposed to be every Christians attitude toward God—straining our ears wanting to hear him, wanting to sit in his lap, lay our heads on his chest.

In today’s first reading, God tells the Prophet Ezekiel to be obedient like a trusting child and eat what he would give him. The chief sin of the people of Judah was their disobedience to God, their refusal to be obedient trusting children. “Be not rebellious like this house of rebellion, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.” Those words are also spoken to us. The world, the culture is rebellious toward God, refusing to eat the food God gives us. 85% of Catholics refuse to come to Mass weekly to be nourished by Word and Sacrament. So we must go to the them. It is commanded.

“Eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.” Notice how Ezekiel is nourished by God, then sent on a mission. And again, so are we. We are fed by the Word of God, in order to live by the Word of God, which entails speaking the Word of God to others, becoming prophetic instruments, speaking to the rebellious of the need to return to God, becoming fishers of men. 

Today, we celebrate a saint, Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, a jewish convert, who came to Christ late in life, who became like a child late in life. After a long career in philosophy, she entered the Camelite monastery. The year was 1932, Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany. In 1942, the Nazi’s arrested Sister Teresa Benedicta.  She and her sister Rosa, also a Catholic, were transported to Auschwitz in Poland by boxcar.  One week later, Sister was murdered in a gas chamber. She is celebrated as a virgin martyr.

May St. Theresa help us to trust God, to run like children to the cross, by which God is glorified and men are saved for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the conversion of atheists, agnostics, those who are cynical towards Catholicism, moral relativists, those who reject the Faith, and all lapsed Catholics, that the Holy Spirit will help them discover the Truth of Christ. 

That the Holy Father, the Bishops and all Clergy and Religious will be shining examples of fidelity to the Truth.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. 

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.