Saturday, August 17, 2013
19th Week
in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Jos 24:14-29
Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15
Little children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them with a prayer. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. Jesus then said, “Let them be! Do not stop the children from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as these.” So Jesus laid his hands on them and went his way.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
While the disciples considered children a nuisance Jesus looked highly at them as heirs of the kingdom. We do not differ much from the disciples. Consider for example how insensitive we are to children in the way we conduct business. We used to put “Go, Grow and Glow” on our billboards but we have replaced them with “Just Do It” without due regard to any subliminal message that may be harmful to children. If we really value children as Jesus did, the slightest possibility of harm to childhood innocence is enough reason for us to desist from pursuing a particular activity.
The ill effects of our indifference has spilt over to our own children. We have allowed the internet to pursue them to the inner sanctum of our families. We have even allowed economic considerations to eject us from our homes, leaving our children unaccompanied in their process of growth. The bottom line is: even our homes are no longer child-friendly.
Are children better protected in the womb? No, not all! Many fun-loving women today believe that pregnancy will only spoil the fun. They insist that it is their right to decide who to allow into their wombs and when. If the threat has gone up to the womb, where else will children be safe?
The good news is that God loves children. They are fruits of His great generosity to human beings in sharing His exclusive power to create. But from all appearances, we are tired of exercising this privilege. How unfair that after making it to this world we bar new entrants of our own kind through contraceptive use. Other countries are now striking their breasts for having done what we insist on doing with our population. In Japan, people are retiring late for lack of substitutes. Governments of other countries are dangling incentives so people would bear more children. But there are very few takers. Contraception is a mentality no incentive can alter overnight. Social paradigm takes centuries to shift.
Today’s Gospel invites us to do two things: Love children by giving them a chance to be born, and give them the right environment to GO, GROW and GLOW in the Lord.—Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:[email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.