25th Sunday "Servants of All Including Children"

In the Gospel, Jesus told His apostles, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill Him, and three days after His death the Son of Man will rise.” Shockingly, Our Lord just told them He was going to suffer and die and now they are discussing among themselves who was the greatest? Goodness, they certainly didn’t understand what He meant. In order to help them understand, Jesus told them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” But then it seems like Jesus changes the subject. But He really didn’t. The Gospel said, “Then taking a child and placing it in their midst, and putting His arms around it, He said, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

First Jesus tells His apostles, they are to be the last of all and servant of all and now He tells them to receive children, but why?

When Our Lord told them, He was going to suffer and die and then rise three days later, He was telling them HOW to be the servant of all and the last of all. By Jesus’ suffering and death and being treated as the least and by His willingness to suffer and die for all of us, He serves all. Jesus is the servant of us all. He said, “...the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28) And this is how the apostles and us are expected to be servants.

Jesus used the example of spending time with children, as way He wanted them and us to be a servant. In the time of Jesus, children were considered a nuisance, who were the least. To take time to just be with children, to listen to them, to play with them, to teach them to work, to teach them virtue, and how to pray is being a servant to them. There is the sacrifice of time. How sad when a child wants to talk to the parent and is told, “Leave me alone, I’m busy”.

Jesus wants you to be a servant to your children. School teachers and PSR teachers are very good servants of children. But most importantly, parents are the best servants of children. To be a servant of all, includes everyone, to visit the elderly, to take of the poor, to pray for all those in need, to take time to be with children is being a servant.

And when we come to adore, Jesus, we become a servant of Him, who wants our love, our time, our sacrifice of being with Him. Jesus wants us to bring our children to be with Him, and this is being a servant to children and Jesus. It doesn’t matter if little children squirm and fuss and cry during adoration. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.”

During Eucharistic Adoration, all of us should be servants of unborn children, to pray for their protection, pray for their mothers and fathers, who can be tempted to have an abortion. And pray for healing for those who made the terrible mistake. Jesus is rich in mercy. He loves each and everyone of us, most especially children. May our adoration never cease and may the Virgin Mary, keep us close to Her Eucharistic Son to teach us to be last of all and servants of all.