September 28, 2015,
Monday
26th Week in
Ordinary Time Reading: Zechariah 8.1-8
Gospel: Luke 9:46-50
One day the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he took a little child and stood him by his side. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.”Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he doesn’t follow you with us.” But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
That a family should be kept small had long been the mentality of Europeans. Some European governments, probably seeing negative repercussions in the near future, are dangling incentives to reward pregnant wives. A woman I interviewed in Germany years ago remarked: “No amount of reward can tempt me to go through the hassle of child-bearing”. Mentality shift is not as easy as switching lights.
That children secure the future of a particular society is an immutable truth that will not change even if a major shift in mentality says otherwise. How paradoxical that the strength of society’s future should find anchor in children who are weakest, most dependent, and helpless at present. We prepare our future by giving them all the chances today.
Today’s Gospel would like us to expand our concept of children to include men and women of all ages who, like children, are helpless. “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.” A close parallel to this Gospel passage is the verse that says, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”
This is where Europe’s birth crisis lies. By ignoring moral principles in the manipulation of birthrate Europe not only endangers its future but also misses an important symbol reminding citizenry of the Christian duty to charity. In our country the symbol is the message, and the message is the symbol: our streets are awash with children who are lost, considered the least and treated as the last in society. If we fail to liberate them from poverty, even if we fill every corner with children, our society’s future will still hang like a Damocles sword threatening our species with extinction. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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