Mt 11:25-27
[On one occasion,] 25Jesus said, “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 the childlike. 26Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Reflection:
You have revealed them to the childlike. There is a beautiful poster of hide-and-seek in our school of theology—a group of learned theologians are looking for Jesus and they are unable to find him. Two small children find Jesus hidden in a bush, with a forefinger over his lips, signaling, “Shhh!”
A little girl is brought out of the church because she is so playful and noisy. Outside the church, the little girl sees Jesus sitting quietly. Surprised, she asks the Lord, “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be inside the church?” Jesus replies, “Oh, I was thrown out like you for being too playful and happy.”
We often imagine Jesus as a serious, sullen person. He is a man of laughter, I believe, with a joke or two up his sleeves. If he were a sour, grouchy person, people will not flock to him, and children will not run to his lap to be blessed by him. It is said that one sign of holiness is when children enjoy your company. Have the screws of your halo loosened if you notice children avoiding you.