22nd August

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18, 3 & 4

Like small children

This makes me think a lot because I am inclined to only believe what my intelligence can understand. However, as I really wished to enter the kingdom I accepted to become like a child instead of always wanting to analyse everything.

Since then I have noticed that the people who have a deep relationship with Jesus Christ are those who are simple in their behaviour. In this way they become children. What is the greatest difference between an adult and a child? The child trusts and relies on somebody who is bigger than himself. The adult thinks that he can judge everything himself. He wants to be his own master.

As far as I am concerned, I only could have a relationship with Jesus Christ when I accepted to become small. One doesn't approach to God because our intelligence weakens but because it gets free from what is superficial and searches for what is vital. The simplicity of a child can sometimes touch the intelligence of an adult. When suffering doesn't lead us to rebellion - may God keep us from rebelling ourselves - it can help us to remove the shell of our sufficiency to find him who is near to us: Jesus Christ.

Sister Emmanuelle