“At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
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.
And whoever receives one child
such as this in my name receives me.”” (Matthew 18:1-5.)
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
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.
And whoever receives one child
such as this in my name receives me.”” (Matthew 18:1-5.)
Saint Jerome offers the following insight on this verse from today’s Gospel Proclamation:
We must seek for reasons for individual sayings and actions of the Lord. After the coin was found, after the tribute paid, what do the apostles’ sudden questions mean? Why precisely “at that time” did the disciples come to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Because they had seen that the same tax had been paid for both Peter and the Lord. From the equal price they inferred that Peter may have been set over all the other apostles, since Peter had been compared with the Lord in the paying of the tax. So they ask who is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus, seeing their thoughts and understanding the causes of their error, wants to heal their desire for glory with a struggle for humility.”
He called a child to him to ask its age or to show the image of innocence. Or perhaps he actually set a child in their midst — he himself, who had not come to be served but to serve — to show them an example of humility.
Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Just as this child whose example I show you does not persist in anger, does not long remember injury suffered, is not enamored inordinately by the sight of a beautiful woman, does not think one thing and say another, so you too, unless you have similar innocence and purity of mind, will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Or it might be taken in another way: “Whosoever therefore humiliates himself like this child is greater in the kingdom of heaven,” so as to imply that anyone who imitates me and humiliates himself following my example, so that he abases himself as much as I abased myself in accepting the form of a servant, will enter the kingdom of heaven. (Commentary on Matthew, 3.)
He called a child to him to ask its age or to show the image of innocence. Or perhaps he actually set a child in their midst — he himself, who had not come to be served but to serve — to show them an example of humility.
Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Just as this child whose example I show you does not persist in anger, does not long remember injury suffered, is not enamored inordinately by the sight of a beautiful woman, does not think one thing and say another, so you too, unless you have similar innocence and purity of mind, will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Or it might be taken in another way: “Whosoever therefore humiliates himself like this child is greater in the kingdom of heaven,” so as to imply that anyone who imitates me and humiliates himself following my example, so that he abases himself as much as I abased myself in accepting the form of a servant, will enter the kingdom of heaven. (Commentary on Matthew, 3.)
Collect
O God,
Who open your Kingdom
to those who are humble and to little ones,
lead us to follow trustingly
in the little way of Saint Thérèse,
so that through her intercession
we may see your eternal glory revealed.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your So
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Who open your Kingdom
to those who are humble and to little ones,
lead us to follow trustingly
in the little way of Saint Thérèse,
so that through her intercession
we may see your eternal glory revealed.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your So
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Glory to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen
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