Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mark 10,13-16

People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples scolded them, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' Then he embraced them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This episode takes place while Jesus had stopped to rest during the journey to Jerusalem. It was customary to present children to rabbis so they would bless and lay their hands on them. This is what happens to Jesus and probably, upon seeing the children that flocked around Jesus, the disciples tried to distance them. But Jesus rebukes them because he wants them near him. And how can we not think of the millions of children who in our contemporary world do not know to whom to go and who are exploited? Of the many migrant children separated from their parents by unjust and cruel laws against foreigners? This is why, those who get close to the children to assist them, to help them grow, and to defend them will certainly receive a great reward. And when Jesus says: "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it," he is setting forth a lesson that is central to the life of the disciple. This concept is repeated multiple times in the Gospels. The disciple is above all a child who receives everything from the Father and in everything depends on Him. This is the theme of the first beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." The poor in spirit are the humble, those who become children before God in order to depend on him and who consider themselves always children loved by the father because they "have received a spirit of adoption, [in which] we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom 8:15).