Children of God

In 1965, the 4th centennial of the founding of the Catholic Church in the Philippines was observed. Cebu City was the centre of the celebration since it was there that explorer Miguel de Legazpi constructed a church in the place where the image of the Sto Nino (Holy Child) was found. It was circulated that Pope Paul VI would make a historic visit creating keen interest among people from all walks of life.

In the morning when the Holy Father (he sent a representative) was to hold the Papal Mass at the Reclamation Area, I, then 9 years old, climbed up the star apple tree that stood tall outside our house. From the top, I saw, from the distant, the surge of people around the chapel built specially for the occasion. With the rush of excitement within me, I went down from the tree and dashed to the site. It must have taken me 30 minutes to arrive at the venue filled with worshippers. Determined to reach the stage where the altar was, I wriggled my way through a sea of moving bodies. I was already near the foot of the stage when I realised that I could no longer breath and that I was about to be crashed under the weight of crowd.

Suddenly, a man pulled me out from my dire situation and raised me up. It was at a perfect moment for as I was above the crowd, a priest on stage handed to me a commemorative medal. When the man placed me down – so excited was I that I ran as fast as I could and reached home in less than 20 minutes. I showed everyone in the house of my prized possession – and told little of the near-death situation I experienced. The commemorative medal did not stay long with me though, for a visiting aunt exchanged it with his son’s hand-me-down polo shirt that I did not really like.

How does the Lord look at children? But when Jesus saw what was happening he was very much displeased with his disciples and said to them, "Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they. Don’t send them away." (Mark 10:14) Children have a special place in the heart of the Lord for they are innocent and totally dependent in Him. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10) When individuals mature, they shed off the child in them and adapt to the demands and expectations of the world. They tend to believe more about themselves and their abilities, oftentimes putting God at the sideline of their lives. By doing so, the mature easily succumb to temptation, sin and even spiritual emptiness amidst material abundance.

We must at all times keep the child in us alive in our hearts; see more the beauty of this world rather than the surrounding ugliness; feel more the love of brethren instead of the hatred espoused by the wayward. We must keep our faith in the Father who never forsakes His children. If we do so, we shall be handed each an eternal medal that cannot be taken away from us, that serves as badge of entry in the pearly Gates of Heaven.

by Mel Libre