Live in the Present

Homily for Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

We have all heard explanations about the innocence and vulnerability of children as a way to read Jesus’ statement about the Kingdom of heaven belonging to them. However, there is another way that children relate to the world that is worth emulating.

One characteristic of children that is often overlooked is their ability to stay in the present. As the children gather around Jesus, they are not distracted, ruminating on what happened earlier, or planning tomorrow’s agenda.  They have not come with doubts or needs.  They are here to “see” Jesus with their whole being.  Without analyzing, rationalizing, or consulting sacred text, they “just know” who he is. 

Adults have a hard time with this kind of presence. We tend to drag the past around with us. Even though there is nothing we can do about it, we cannot let it go. Also, we spend a great amount of our time worrying about the future, making plans, growing expectations, looking forward to a better time. Children seldom do this kind of thinking.

Another characteristic of small children is that the word impossible is not in their vocabulary.  The big empty box transforms into the fastest race car ever, or the rocket that flies to the moon in just minutes.  They might not know who St. Ignatius is, but they instinctively take his advice to Dream Big!  One big dream I have is that more adults will read and follow the advice offered by Robert Fulghum in “Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”  For example:

•    Share everything
•    Play fair
•    Don’t hit people
•    Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody
•    Live a balanced life – learn some and think some, and draw some and paint some:  sing some and dance some, play some and work some every day.

Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.