Dear Friends,

The following passage combines two separate posts on that appeared on the St. Joseph’s Abbey Blog several years ago. The blog is one of the works of the Trappist Monks in Spencer, Massachusetts. In my opinion the insights contained therein are both cogent and helpful.

In the verses that precede today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus has pronounced woes on the cities where He has performed miracles; deeply disturbed, perhaps even saddened, that so many have not been open to the breakthrough of the Father’s compassion revealed in His mighty deeds. They missed it all. Apparently, God in Christ wasn’t big enough to meet their expectations.

But in this morning’s passage, there is lightness in Jesus’ heart, as He exclaims, “I give praise to You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, You have revealed them to little ones.” These little ones are ne’pios [νεπιος], in Greek—infants, helpless little children. Jesus rejoices because they cannot depend on their own wisdom, sophistication or intelligence but know only how to love and depend on their Father.

To them the Father reveals—literally uncovers—the hidden mysteries of the kingdom. Their loving, indeed their need for love, transforms them; their burdens are light, born out of love. Jesus is first among these little ones of the Father; He is the Littlest One, for He has emptied Himself and taken the lowest place; His only food is to do what the Father desires.

Jesus invites us back to a place of immense littleness, where with wonder and deep reverence, we will be one with Him and so truly children of the Father. Perhaps He is even inviting us back to what we might call the anguish of littleness. Not to put us down, but because He knows the immense freedom that is hiding there beneath our frustrations and defeats and surrender. He points to a treasure hidden in that low place where we can only depend on God our Father to provide for us. He knows, because this is how He lived and died and rose. A treasure is there because God understands; God is waiting to meet us down there in a low place, welcoming our need of Him. On the other hand, God is constantly “acting on our behalf, out of love for us;” drawing us into our truest identity. And since God preserves the universe in being; we believe that He acts in and with every creature in each and all its activities. This is not to say we are stuck in some plan, some occult predestination, but that God is always, always calling, beckoning us, drawing us to Himself, longing to fill us with Himself, drawing us into the Trinity. We name this Divine Providence.

During this time of vacation … and as we prepare for how it is we are to relax; (yep, that’s right … TAKE A REST!) Stop DOING stuff and begin to rediscover BEING in life and love; that is the lesson of the Sabbath discipline … none of us is so important that we cannot let go and let God be God. So, let us take a serious account of our spiritual lives and pause to find true rest for ourselves in God. The Scriptures invite us to look back and to acknowledge the presence and actions of God in our lives. We are coaxed to enter the great adventure of faith with awe and wonder, like the disciples running back to Jerusalem from Emmaus after recognizing the Lord in the “breaking of the bread.”

When the day gets long and we cannot seem to focus; it may be time for us to become like a little child and find a place to rest in the Lord … Acknowledging our littleness, let us present our burdens and cares to Him and as we place them in His hands, we will discover how sweet and light they become when we share them.

Be of good cheer and have a blessed and restful week!

Msgr. Grous