And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. ? Mark 10: 16

I held the blanket in front of my face while I slowly lowered it inch by inch.The face at the other side was wide-eyed with expectancy. With a grand gesture, I dropped the blanket and yelled, ?Peek-a-boo!? and the baby erupted in a gurgling laugh. It sure is easy to please a baby! I wonder what?s making her laugh though. Was it the suspense or the sheer repetition? Hmm, come to think of it, it must be me ? and I?m not kidding! If she sees a total stranger shouting ?peek-a-boo?, she?ll probably end up crying her eyes out. I guess the basic premise that makes the game fun for her is because she knows who she?s playing with. And the best part is, she knows that without fail, whenever the blanket drops, someone she loves will be on the other side with a smile and with the words that she expects to hear. Isn?t it great that for us Christians, we know with certainty who we?re playing the game of life with? Isn?t it absolutely fabulous that even though we can?t see Him, we know who?s on the other side waiting to reveal His face? When the time comes, even if all He says is ?Peek-a-boo!? I know I?ll be happiest person in the whole world! Cez L.

REFLECTION:
Do you have a child?s blind trust towards your heavenly Father?

Lord, teach me to trust in you with my whole heart. 

James 5:13-20

James reminds us that we have a duty of care for one another. He tells us that we should always be ready to guide a brother or sister who has strayed from the right path back to the Lord. This, he promises, will be of great benefit to them and also great benefit to us. If we are vigilant in our care for others it is almost a certainty we will have the same vigilance in our own lives or else twe may be labelled as hypocrites.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing a song of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. 17 Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, 20 He should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

P S A L M

Psalm 141:1-2, 3, 8

R: Let my prayer come like incense before you.

1 O LORD, to you I call; hasten to me; hearken to my voice when I call upon you. 2 Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice. (R) 3 O LORD, set a watch before my mouth, a guard at the door of my lips. 8 For toward you, O GOD, my Lord, my eyes are turned; in you I take refuge; strip me not of life. (R)

G O S P E L

Mark 10:13-16

Why is it that Jesus uses children as an image of those who will inherit the Kingdom of God? I think that it has something to do with their innocence and willingness to trust. These are essential aspects of Kingdom living. If we want to live in God?s Kingdom we will have to learn to entrust ourselves to Him. We will also have to learn how to return to the place of innocence and purity through repentance and conversion. Jesus, show me the way to this place.

13 And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he became indignant and said to them, ?Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for James reminds us that we have a duty of care for one another. He tells us that we should always be ready to guide a brother or sister who has strayed from the right path back to the Lord. This, he promises, will be of great benefit to them and also great benefit to us. If we are vigilant in our care for others it is almost a certainty we will have the same vigilance in our own lives or else twe may be labelled as hypocrites. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing a song of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The  fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. 17 Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, 20 He should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

my reflections
think: Is my heart like that of a child?s?

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God?s special verse/thought for me today_______________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ______________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Joshua 6-9

Most, if not all of us, have been taught to pray early in life. It is part   of growing up in most families for a child to learn how to pray. Our first ?Angel of God, my guardian dear?? was welcomed with joy. When we said our first ?Our Father, in heaven?? our parents beamed with pride before our audience. It always warms our hearts to see a little child pray. But the most touching prayer any child can say is the one that comes from her  own heart, not memorized, traditional prayers, but that which spontaneously flows from the lips. It still is for adults.

On the one hand, the Lord refers to children in the Gospel today regarding entering the kingdom of God. St. James, on the other hand, reminds us in the First Reading about the power of prayer. What links these two readings for today?

Our prayer is more powerful if we carry a childlike attitude before God. Childlike attitude is one of innate confidence, sincerity and spontaneity before its parents. We must have the same attitude towards God. He is our Father, did not Jesus say? We are His children. Prayer is our communication, our dialogue, and our chat with our Father.

How do we pray? Do we talk to God with childlike trust? Or as adults do we approach Him with pessimism or even cynicism that the wounds of our personal history infect us with? Do we listen to God with the heart of a child? Or do we dismiss God as nice character in fairytales?

No matter how advanced we have become in years, in wisdom, and in experience, before God, who is our Father, we must remain children. We have to maintain an attitude of confidence, sincerity and spontaneity towards Father God.

How truly blest the children are! They may have little wisdom and sophistication but they have so much faith and simplicity. And it is faith and simplicity that opens the floodgates of grace to us.

Be like the little children. Be childlike not childish. Be a son or a daughter to God today, tomorrow and always. Fr. Bobby T

REFLECTION QUESTION:

I will not allow the child in me to die. I will allow God to nurture it, to care for it, to listen to it, to talk to it, to make it grow more and more unto the image and likeness of Jesus, His Beloved, my Brother.

Abba, Father!

St. Walburga, virgin, pray for us.