It’s pretty amazing that we are able to model our prayer after conversations with God. In today’s Gospel, Matthew gives us a glimpse into Jesus’ conversation with the Father. In Jesus’ prayer to the Father, He reveals the Father to His followers. By knowing Jesus, we come to know the Father. By following Jesus, we don’t just get to know of the Father’s existence, but we also learn how to communicate with Him and have a relationship with our Creator.
Jesus reveals something interesting about the human heart in this conversation with God.
I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
Matthew 11:25
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
We can joke about becoming “nose blind” to familiar smells, even somewhat unpleasant ones. How often do we, or people we know, *ahem children!* seem to have selective hearing and only sometimes choose to answer when we call. There is something to be said along this vein of thought when it comes to our faith.
It can happen where we feel like we’ve already learned this stuff. “Yes, the Bible is God’s Word. Yep, the Eucharist is the True Presence of Jesus. Of course, Mary is the Mother of God. I got it Father, Mass is important. Jesus died so we can go to heaven. Great.” Every single one of these statements has the potential to radically transform our life, and yet how often do they fall on deaf ears. Not ears of unbelief, but of flatness, boredom, or, as Jesus points out, the learned one who mistakenly thinks they know this stuff.
If you don’t believe me, look at the Pharisees. They literally knew all the things they needed to know in order to believe Jesus was the Messiah. They knew the prophecies, the signs. They had all the knowledge and learning. Jesus was the key that fit perfectly into the lock they had studied for the majority of their lives. And still, they missed Him. They remained so focused on what they already knew they missed what He had to reveal.
While we did take a year off of homeschooling in favor of our local Catholic school last year, next year we will be back into homeschooling once more. One of the things I’m most looking forward to is the conversations we will have about our faith. Before sitting down to write this, I asked our oldest three kids if they had had any moments when they felt like God was talking to them or revealing something to them. I shared the Gospel passage and explained how sometimes, because kids are more open to receiving new information, God is able to speak a little more clearly to them. They gave their permission to share the experiences they had.
John, age 11, shared about how one night, about 3-4 years ago, he was woken up by a dream. He looked over at a picture of Mary and baby Jesus that was in his room. He said it looked like Mary was looking straight at him. He looked away and when he looked back, her gaze was back on baby Jesus in her arms. I asked him what he felt God was trying to tell him. He said that he knows Mary is always watching out for him, just like she always watched out for Jesus when he was a boy.
Rosie, age 10, shared about her 4th grade teacher. Above her teacher’s desk was a sign that hung up all year long, “Let go and let God.” Rosie talked about how her teacher emphasized this phrase often at the start of the year to help set the tone for the class. When things get frustrating, let them go and let God handle it. When you don’t get the grade you wanted, let go and let God inspire you to study harder next time. When you lose something, let go and let God bring it back to you if you are supposed to find it. Rosie said that after a year of considering this phrase, she feels a lot more peaceful and is finding it easier to trust God in her life.
Sweet Clare, age 8, had only this to say, “You know, I know God has shown me things, but I never realize it in the moment. I have to think about it more.”
Jesus speaks to us in a whole host of ways. He does not miss a single opportunity to reach out to us in love and tender mercy. His Sacred Heart is overflowing with love for you. Hear His words with fresh ears this week. If you can, talk to a child about God. See if they will share something new they’ve learned about Him. It might be something you’ve known for years, but can we really ever stop learning these mysteries? There is always more, there is always a deeper layer to uncover. Don’t be satisfied with a surface level understanding of your faith. Dig in, with childlike curiosity, joy, and openness to whatever God wants to reveal to you next.
Daily Graces 