“As long as you stay as a good hearted person, you will keep the innocence in your face.”

"As soon as you willfully allow a dialogue with temptation to begin, the soul is robbed of peace, just as the consent to impurity destroys grace. Temptation is necessary to make us realize we are nothing in ourselves. Don't be such a coward ….. be brave enough to flee." St. Jose Maria Escriva

Gospel Text: (MT 18:1-5, 10)
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Have you ever seen a child jump fearlessly into a pool toward the outstretched arms of her father or mother? Blissfully trusting in her parent’s protection, she is filled with confidence! This image of happy freedom can help us grasp the sense of security and peace we can know as children of God.

When Jesus called us to become like little children, he was saying that he wants us to regain some of our childhood innocence. When we were very young, we found it easy to believe in a good God who watches over us and sends angels to protect us. As we grow older, however, such comforting images fade, and we tend to lose our sense of wonder. Life wears us down and tempts us to become cynical about the closeness of God and the reality of our guardian angels. Faced with the inevitable pressures of adulthood, we may begin to believe—or resign ourselves to the belief—that we have no one to help us but ourselves. For better or for worse, we consider ourselves to be the masters of our fate.

Don’t let that happen!

Let Jesus awaken in you that joy and innocence you knew as a child—the same joy and innocence you felt when you first experienced his love. Christian maturity is not a matter of increased independence from God; it’s a deeper dependence on him! Even as an adult, you are still incapable of one day’s existence apart from his mercy and grace. From your first breath to your last, it is God who provides for your health, your relationships, your finances, your very life!