Gospel Mt 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
Reflection
A blessing is a good thing and we want good for our children. Such a simple act of contact, laying hands on someone and yet so powerful. If we were living in the time of Jesus, would you want a blessing from Jesus for your children?
Growing up as a child, I remember my grandmother giving us a blessing on our foreheads before we would leave. This was something I always looked forward to; receiving a blessing from my grandmother. (Sure, as I got to be a teenager, it was a little awkward, but I still looked forward to it.)
In May of 2021, I was thinking of my grandmother's family, and looked them up on the internet (not something I do often) to see if there might be any information on them. I found my grandmother's sister had passed away. We would call her Chutka Tillie. She was such a loving and beautiful person, I would love to talk with her, as she had so many great stories from her past. I felt awful that I did not go to her funeral, but as I read the obituary, I found that her funeral would be the very next day. I was in shock as to this discovery, and I actually did not have plans for that day and I could go to the funeral. I immediately called my Mom to see if she wanted to go, and she said she was actually going to the Rosary as we spoke. She said she would meet me at the funeral the following day.
After the funeral, I asked my Mom if she wanted to come and spend a few days with me at our home. She agreed and we got to have my children's grandmother stay with us for three full weeks.
We were leaving for a volleyball tournament in Florida and so my Mom went back home with my sister. Before she left, she made sure to make the sign of the Cross on each of our foreheads and bless us.
Five days later, I got a phone call from my brother saying Mom had passed away.
The human touch is so powerful, especially with our children. We are living in a culture where people are cancelling each other, the "cancel culture". This is the world our children are living in, and without even realizing what they are doing, they try to cancel out their parents and grandparents. We need to reclaim our role as parents/grandparents and remember that our touch and contact with our children is important. A hug, or a simple touch can be very therapeutic. Bless your children and grandchildren. It is a good thing. Jesus wants this for them.
May God bless us all.
Comentarios