Be like the little children! (Matt 18:3)

For a few days i wanted to update/write on here BUT things kept coming up and hmmm...

Just a while ago, i decided to AT LEAST transfer ...and take a look at... last week's photos on the computer. When i did the "transfer" i found this:

...that is certainly not the best of photos yet it's just beautiful! Faith was a little sick today and hence she missed school. Apparently at one moment she decided to write and draw this and Christabel took a photo of it :-)

(both Faith and Christabel are sisters of mine :-)

What's so great about that picture? I mean is it much? NO but it actually surprised me! Faith, thank God, is a great child and it's normal for her to draw/write things like that yet i wasn't expecting that photo...

MANY children, not just Faith, do that sort of thing: they write to Jesus or draw Jesus. That photo just stared at me and i was like WOW! :-O ...i think that's part of what Jesus meant when he asked us to be like the little children!

Little children are spontaneous and will not fear what people think. Children won't hesitate to say this is right and this is wrong nor do they find difficulty in accepting and loving Christ. I think we've a lot to learn from children. ;-)

"Jesus we love you!"

wrote Faith

Does her "we" include me?

Does her "we" include you?

WHEN was the last time we said that to Christ?

Just Believe! (Mk 5:36)

“My little daughter

is at the point of death.

Come and lay your hands on her

so that she may get well and live.”

(Mark 5:23)

As i heard the Gospel being read at Mass today, I just couldn't help thinking: how amazingly simple and yet sincere this prayer was! How heartfelt it must have been! Jairus, a "synagogue official" (Mk 5:22) at the mere sighting of Jesus casts himself down "at His feet"! (Mk 5:22) An important man humbles himself - "pleading" at the feet of Christ! Yes he was an official, yes he was important but all of that was placed aside when his daughter fell ill. Jairus was first and formost a dad. At Mass i just couldn't help thinking how truly, astonishingly powerful this dad's prayer was! How much love this dad had!

It is written that at one point, "while Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Mas­ter any further?” (Mk 5:35)

Can you imagine this dad's heart at hearing those words? Can you imagine the pain and the sorrow? I can't ...it's too big to imagine but he must have been broken at that moment - torn apart on the inside!

Jesus sees and having "overheard" their remark adresses this father saying unto him:

'Do not be afraid;

only have faith!'

(Mk 5:36)

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Later on we read that Jesus did indeed raise the child up!

"taking the child by the hand he said to her,

'Talitha, kum!'

which means, 'Little girl, get up'.

The little girl got up at once

and began to walk about,

for she was twelve years old."

(Mk 5:41,42)

It was Christ's words that restored life unto this little girl yet she would NOT have had that if her dad hadn't prayed for her! She would NOT have had that unless her dad hoped for her against all odds. This dad had a great love and a tremendous faith: all For his daughter!

A father's prayer is powerful

if his faith is in Christ! :-)

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On a slightly Different note:

Maltese is a semitic-derived tongue and hence some words used in the Gospels are actually very similar to what we (Maltese) use! The Maltese imperative for "get up!" is actually "qum!" Talitha is the name of one of my sisters and so ...you've probably guessed this already... i get to hear this phrase every single morning! At around 6:45am dad comes about calling "Talitha Qum!!!"

Yet joking apart ...well that was actually true but anyway... dad has played, and still (Thank God) does, an extremely important role in our, my siblings and my own, life. Along with mum he has instructed us in the Catholic Faith - teaching us to pray and praying with and for us, taking us to Mass when younger, encouraging us to attend Catechism and supporting us in this spiritual journey. He does not read this blog actually - because if he saw what i've written he'd tell me to erase this paragraph - but that's the truth: dad has and continues to lead by example. That little girl in the Gospel had a great dad ...i and my siblings do so too ...and i'm thankful. :-)

(Just in case you're wondering:

NO he is not perfect but he's doing his best.

And just in case you're wondering:

NO i don't always obey but i'm doing my best too!)

Talitha this is for you to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiLM_4YBQmY

Nothing unclean will enter it! (Rev 21:27)

St.Paul states:

4 when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son.

He came born of woman and subject to the Law,

5 in order to redeem the subjects of the Law,

that we might receive adoption as children of God.

6 And because you are children,

God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son

which cries out: Abba! that is, Father!
7 You yourself are no longer a slave

but a son or daughter,

and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

(Gal 4:4-7)

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In today’s Liturgy of the Word we read of the infant Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple. He is “high Priest” (Hebrews 2:17) and hence the Church on this day, particularly during Holy Mass, celebrates also the Consecration of Priests :-)

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Using the Psalmist's words the Church exclaims:

(Ps 24)

7 Lift up, O gateways, your lintels,
open up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may enter!

8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, the strong, the mighty,
the Lord, valiant in battle.

9 Lift up your lintels, O gateways,
open up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may enter!

10 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
he is the King of glory!

This Psalm, beautifully set to music by “Sons of Korah”

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO77-m4SS3M&feature=related)

talks of the Creator who visits His people. It speaks of the Awaited One – urging us to “open up” our hearts that He, the “King of Glory" and "Lord of Hosts" may enter in!

Yet earlier on, this Psalm had asked:

“Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in His holy place?”

(vs 3)

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Speaking of Heaven, Revelation states clearly that:

“nothing unclean will enter it”

(Rev 21:27)

St Paul, in his letter to the Romans wrote that we have

“all have sinned and all fall short of the Glory of God”

(Rom 3:23)

Looks to me like we’re in

BIG TROUBLE!!

But there’s hope!!! :-)

Malachi prophesized that He, the Awaited One:

“will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So Yahweh will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. 4 Then Yahweh will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days” (Mal 3: 3,4)

and then in the second reading st.Paul, through his words indicates that this prophecy has been fulfilled:

“16 Jesus came to take by the hand not the angels but the hu­man race. 17 So he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every respect, in order to be the High Priest faithful to God and merciful to them, a Priest able to ask pardon and atone for their sins.” (Hebrews 2)

Just in case I’m still wondering, st Paul in the letter quoted previously states that

“all are graciously forgiven

and made righteous

through the redemption

effected in Christ Jesus.”

(Rom 3:24)

AH! What a relief!!! :-)
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Simeon rejoiced, praising and thanking God at seeing the Christ child! He knew that this little infant came to deliver us!

God's word states:

4 when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son.

He came born of woman and subject to the Law,

5 in order to redeem the subjects of the Law,

that we might receive adoption as children of God.

6 And because you are children,

God has sent into your hearts the Spirit

of his Son which cries out: Abba! that is, Father!
7 You yourself are no longer a slave

but a son or daughter,

and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.
(Gal 4:4-7)

What about me though? What is my reaction? Do I, like Simeon rejoice? Do I, like st.Paul believe that I am TRULY a child of God? If so then am I living like a child of God?

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All quotes are from the Christian Community Bible

(Catholic Pastoral Edition)

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