12 June, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations for Every Day

“Unless You Turn and Become Like Little Children, You Will Not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”

1. At the beginning of their ministry, before they had been strengthened and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were as ambitious as most other men. One day the mother of John and James, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and asked Him if her two sons could have precedence over the other Apostles and sit on the highest thrones in His kingdom, one at His right hand and the other at His left. Jesus disapproved of this desire to predominate. “Whoever wishes to become great among you,” He said, “shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; even as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt. 20, 26-28)

On another occasion the Apostles came to Jesus and asked Him which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’ only answer was to call a little child and to place him in the centre of the group. “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 18, 3-4)

This is the lofty teaching of the Gospel. If we wish to be great and pleasing in the eyes of God, we must be unimportant in our own regard and in our relations with men. The Gospel involves an overthrow of human values. Anyone who makes himself insignificant will become great. Anyone who tries to make himself out to be a great man becomes of little account in the eyes of God. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Cf. James 4, 6; I Peter 5, 5) If we wish to please the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first thing we must do is become as little children. In other words, we shall have to suppress our ambition and vanity, and destroy our self-love so that the Sacred Heart may fill our hearts with the love of God.

2. Unfortunately, very few people give any consideration to the Gospel words which we have just quoted. Nevertheless, these words are in the form of a command and carry a formidable sanction. “Unless you turn and become like little children,” Jesus says, “you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Those who are proud, ambitious, and intoxicated by the acclaim of men and by the importance of their positions will be unable to pass through the narrow gateway of Heaven. They are attached to the world and they will have the world, but they will never have Heaven. We must make our choice between this world and Heaven.

In order to become like little children, we must be humble in the presence of God and men and we must acquire the simplicity and innocence of the young.

Innocence implies freedom from guilt and the possession of a childlike straightforwardness of attitude. Have you ever noticed the eyes of a child? They seem to reflect something of Heaven. Little children are angels upon the earth; this is what we must become. The simplicity of children leads them to entrust themselves completely to their parents. In the same way we must entrust ourselves completely to God and to His divine Providence in all the circumstances of our lives.

This is the spiritual childhood at which we must aim and which the Saints achieved, especially St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, St. Philip Neri, and St. Francis of Assisi. Let us ask the Sacred Heart of Jesus for this wonderful gift.

3. O Jesus, friend of little children, bless all little children throughout the world.