Then He Embraced Them

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. (Genesis 2:20)

May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.  (Psalm 128:5)

He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.” (Hebrews 2:11)

“Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. (Mark 10:15-16)

Piety

Remember, Lord, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with Francis our Pope and our Bishop and all the clergy. (Eucharistic Prayer II)

Study

Oh, that Francis. How we love him; how we are challenged by him. For some,

Jesus Blessing the Children
Bernhard Plockhorst [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

the meeting with Kim Davis was validation and confirmation of the Church’s view of same-gender marriage; for others, it was a slap in the face. For some, the meeting with prisoners was a comforting sign of mercy and the potential for redemption; for others, it was way too much turning of the other cheek, given the inmates’ crimes. For some, the meeting with survivors of clerical abuse was a sign of healing; for others, it was too little too late, or too much too long. In each case, those on all sides in a way wanted to keep the pope in a little box, all to themselves and their agendas and views. I suspect for Francis, it’s all about love and the conversion of hearts and souls and bringing them to the Kingdom.

Oh, that Jesus. How we love him; how we are challenged by him. In today’s Gospel, people are bringing children to him. The disciples don’t much like it; in a way, they wanted to keep Jesus all to themselves. Jesus rebuked the disciples and blessed the children, calling on all to accept him in childlike simplicity.

As we are told in today’s first reading, we need each other. Animals and birds are wonderful creatures, but they don’t fulfill our most basic of needs for human connection. May we strive to find ways to establish that connection in particular with those who don’t think or look like us, who may not understand initially the profundity and holiness of that connection. May we embrace them and bless them.

Action

Do a kind, unnoticed deed with humility for someone you find difficult to love.