Saturday, May 24, 2008
Welcoming the Kingdom
Today's Gospel is the oft-cited "let the little children come to me." I was struck by the likewise oft-cited "whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Usually, homilies focus on what it means to be "like a child," but I found myself more interested in the word "accept." What does it mean to "accept" the Kingdom of God? What does it mean to "enter" the Kingdom of God? It seems that by accepting the Kingdom, receiving it, taking it in, we enter in--we are taken into the Kingdom. It is sort of like receiving the Eucharist: we receive the Eucharist, taking the Host into ourselves, but it is we who are assimilated to the Eucharistic Christ, and not the other way around. Interestingly, Jesus in the Gospel says that this is related to being "like a child," whereas Augustine portrays the Eucharistic Christ as saying, "I am the food of grown men."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I am certainly in tune with the St. Augustine approach to the Eucharist sic I am the food of grown men. As a grown woman there is nothing more inspiring to me than the sight of a man reverently receiving Holy Communion. The second impressive thing about that beautiful man is the absence of a wedding ring.
Post a Comment