The True Child Of God

Children are wonderful. Their spontaneity and abandon express their freedom and vulnerability. In every child is always a potential, a development, and an accomplishment. As a new Director of our parochial school, I have decided to go around during breaks in order to meet the children. I am in great anticipation of the discoveries and joys in every encounter. One such school day, after their break, I saw a young boy near the canteen crying. I approached him and ask him why he was not in his class and crying. He said that the classes were too long and they keep changing teachers! It turned out that he was a grade one student and was experiencing a period of adjustment from his preparatory school where classes were relatively short and there was only one teacher in charge! I brought the boy to the Guidance Counselor's Office and they told me that it was a natural occurrence for grade one pupils.

In another incident, a grade three student was also crying. When asked why, he said that some of his classmates were spreading word that he has a boyfriend. I asked him if it was true and if he felt offended? He said it was not true and felt bad about them who he considered his friends. I told him not to take them seriously and that he just show everyone that he was not gay but was just being friendly to everyone, boy or girl. That if there was anyone who knows himself well, it was himself.

The innocence of a child! This lies at the heart of Jesus' message in today's Gospel. He used this to respond to the disciple's reluctance in accepting somebody who does things similar to what they do. But came the answer from the Lord that whoever is not against you is for you! The person is a child of God because he does good. He was not doing anything offensive to God. While the person of the person is important, what he does, that is, his way of life, is more crucial. That was our situation when we were children. As children we might have had some mischief deeds, naughtiness, mistakes etc., but we were always candid and free. There was always the intention to achieve the best and do what is good. Our limitations and weakness sometimes bring us to failures and worse, ill actions. Nevertheless, before the eyes of God, we are still good. Given ample knowledge and a formed conscience, we can be good!

God wants us to be perfect because He is perfect. But He only expects us to strive giving our best. He encourages us to make use of everything He had bestowed on us. He does the rest! As creatures, we are wanting. But our dependence on Him and humility allow us to be completed and complimented by God. With this attitude, we can never go wrong. We will never be against God. Our goodness which He gave from our birth remained. Let it loose!