Humbles

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.  Zechariah 8:7-8

He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-5

Piety

"We woke this morning and learned of yet another night filled with unspeakable terror, this time in the city of Las Vegas, and by all accounts, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. My heart and my prayers, and those of my brother bishops and all the members of the Church, go out to the victims of this tragedy and to the city of Las Vegas. At this time, we need to pray and to take care of those who are suffering.  In the end, the only response is to do good – for no matter what the darkness, it will never overcome the light. May the Lord of all gentleness surround all those who are suffering from this evil, and for those who have been killed we pray, eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them."

(October 2 statement by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), after the latest deadly mass shooting – this time in Las Vegas.

Study

The disciples seem fairly preoccupied with gaining positions of influence in heaven.  The mother of James and John requested that her sons sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in heaven.  Today, the Gospel gives us a question from the disciples who want to know who will be the greatest in heaven.  There may also be a hint of who will have power and influence in the church of the current world.

Jesus, once again, gives them, the medicine that they do not want. He picks out one of the least powerful of all people in society – a child – and tells them to imitate the child.  Jesus could have used many examples.  He could have used himself.  He could have pointed to his mother.  He could have pointed to the many power-less people whom he cured. 

The NAB reminds us that “the child is held up as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed innocence of children but because of their complete dependence on, and trust in, their parents. So must the disciples be, in respect to God.”  The last shall be first – indeed!

Action

Think about the excitement of a First Holy Communion Mass.  The children – decked out even-better-than-Sunday-best white dresses for the girls and blue suits for the boys – will eagerly approach the altar with wondrous eyes and outstretched hands.  Our pastor emeritus, Fr. Donald Greenhalgh, has a habit of inviting the First Communicants to gather around the table as he led the Eucharistic Prayer.  Those wondrous eyes opened even wider.  Many of the children gather so were basically at eye-level to the table.  In just a few minutes, they would take another step toward full initiation in the covenant of faithfulness and justice that Zechariah describes. 

When do we lose that sense of wonder?  When do we start taking this covenant for granted?  Watch the Communion line next Sunday…do you see people treating this as a close moment to Christ – the closest possible?  Or do they barely raise their hands to receive the Body and Blood of Christ?

Maybe that is why we need guardian angels – not for the likes of these children – but for the likes of those who have grown accustomed to the relationship and seemingly take it for granted.

Pray today that the guardian angels will watch over the victims of the senseless shooting in Las Vegas and heal those who are injured and comfort those family members of those who are mourning the death of the victims. And that the same guardian angels will return us to a state of wonder and awe and total reliance upon God.