25 February 2017
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The Young Messiah is a 2016 American biblical drama film based on the novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice. The Young Messiah envisions what life might have been like for Jesus as a seven-year-old boy who was just beginning to understand his powers. In many ways, Jesus is like a regular child. He likes to run around and play tag. He gets bullied. And, like all little boys who love their mother, he enjoys snuggling with Mary and hearing her tell stories. As a seven-year-old boy, Jesus asks many questions to his parents.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Perhaps, Jesus made this statement based on his own experience as a child. As a child, Jesus lives in humility because he is naturally weak. He lives in poverty as he owns nothing. He relies on Mary and Joseph as he is sure that they will always be there to help him. Finally, Jesus, as a little boy, is simple in his thoughts, words, and actions, and, only capable of little things, as he doesn’t quite realize that he is the direct line to God.
Let us honestly ask ourselves three questions: are we like little children who have full trust in our parents? Do we have humility like a little child to admit that we are weak and cannot do much on our own? Do we remain humble by avoiding pride and arrogance?