Gospel Reflection

Dear Friends,

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus first addresses the Apostles by calling them: "Children". What an interesting greeting! Having gone through all the events of Holy Week - the Last supper, the Passion, the emotional and spiritual journey of following Jesus - the Apostles are addressed as "children". I personally don't often think of God calling me His child. It's common language and imagery in Scripture but sometimes I get too caught up in the responsibilities and demands of life to remember that God looks at me as His child. It's not just a nice sentiment or a term of endearment - in the midst of life's challenges and difficulties, God takes care of us as His children. There's a beauty and simplicity to being a child and a specific kind of trust that children have with their parents that we are called to cultivate. Children are pure of heart, free, and often, unable to perform certain tasks by themselves. I can't imagine what the Apostles were thinking and feeling in those days that followed Jesus' death and resurrection. But I am comforted by the greeting of being called a child because after all that the Apostles have experienced, witnessed and suffered, there is an invitation to rest in the arms of the Father. To embrace the childlikeness that every Christian is called to. We might not be able to understand everything that happens, but God is with us and loves us more than we can possibly imagine. May we sit and listen to God for a few minutes today as He calls us His children.

Amy Bishop, Development Manager