MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
MONDAY OF THE TWENTY SIXTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
ST JEROME, P.D. (MEMORIAL)
Job 1:6-22
Luke 9:46-50
EMULATING THE CHILDLIKE DISPOSITION
Our Lord Jesus teaches us through today’s gospel, the best attitude and disposition that every Christian must desire to have to be able to relate well with others and with God.
The infighting among his disciples because of the position of being the first after Jesus, brought this senerio. Who becomes the head after Jesus? Who takes after him? This is always the seemingly same instinct in every man, when unnecessary competitions, squabbles, envy and pettiness arise in any community or association of people. This common features are always prevalent in relationships of men especially when there are gathered in a community or society.
The disciples of Jesus were not immune from same attitude and inclination and this brought about their quest to know who takes the first position after Jesus.
But Jesus uses the occasion to teach them very important lesson in life. Jesus sets a child before them, and tells them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Jesus uses the figure, the character and disposition of a child to instruct his disciples. That being a child in mind is the key to becoming first and the greatest. What actually is the mind or precise attitude of a child.
A child is dependent, yet innocent, simple and trusting. Children have no mind of their own, they do not seek self importance and are not proud and arrogant.
The story of the ordeal of Job is a concrete example of the display of the mind and childlike spirit and disposition we must aspire to imbibe. Job, who was a very successful, wealthy and influencial man, in a matter of days, lost everything he possessed and acquired and became a pauper. But in this situation, Job displayed the childlike spirit of dependance, trusting, innocence and simplicity before God. He accepted all that happened in good faith and declared: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”. In fact, the last commentary testified that, “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
The childlike disposition and spirit of total trust in God, overly dependent on God, having an innocent attitude to life, and always being simple in everything is necessary for good relationships, healthy living and attainment of righteousness and life.
For man does not own anything, we are gifts to the world. We control nothing but only what God puts in trust at our disposition and we are nothing but what God has made of us. Our wealth, our being, our beauty, our life and all our possessions are God’s gifts and endowment. Even the gifts of nature, faith and all are gifts from God. Our responses to God’s gifts must never be to dominate, or to use in subjugation or to accumulate or even to use to oppress. But the right attitude is to accept all with a heart and disposition of simplicity, dependance, trusting and innocence.
There is even no need to be controlling, jealous, or envious of other like the disciple who tried to stop the man casting out demon. Jesus tells us, “Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.” Rather, we need cooperation, understanding and collaboration in life and living to be able to succeed.
Lord Jesus Christ, you came humbly to us, in simplicity, and in total dependence on God our Father, in innocence of heart and mind. We beg you to grant us same disposition of simplicity, innocence, trust and total dependence on you. May we be childlike in attitude and disposition so as to win life and gain your eternal blessings through Christ our Lord. Amen
Fr Norbert Uchuno
