Reflection Date: August 14, 2021
Daily Reading: Joshua 24:14-29 & Matthew 19:13-15
Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe
During the time of Jesus children has no rights in the Jewish society. Perhaps, along with women and slaves, children were considered as inferior members of the society. However, the Gospels narrate to us how Jesus showed great respect, love and concern for the children. In today’s gospel, the parents who brought their children to Jesus wanted Him to lay His hands upon them. They had trust and faith in Jesus. For they knew of the physical and spiritual healing power which came from Jesus’ touch.
The Disciples were concerned about the well being of Jesus and so tried to shove the children away from Him. But then, Jesus in turn, rebuked His disciples for preventing the children from coming to Him. Moreover, the disciples were concerned and wanted to shield Jesus from the nuisance of noisy children. But Jesus delighted in the children and demonstrated that God’s love has ample room for everyone, including children.
No one is unimportant to God. He comes to each person individually that He might touch them with His healing love and power. Let us accompany, guide and motivate children and youth that we encounter in our neighbourhood, home, Church … let us enable them to experience God’s love and compassion through our life.
St. Maximilian Kolbe whose feast we celebrate today, upheld the sanctity and importance of family when he chose to sacrifice his life in the place of the man who had his wife and children. He was born in 1894 near Lodz, Poland. Raymond Kolbe became a Franciscan Conventual priest, taking the name Maximilian. He organized the Militia of Mary Immaculate for the conversion of sinners and enemies of the Church. He used modern printing and administrative techniques and also the radio to spread the faith and speak out against the Nazis atrocities at that time. He was arrested and later volunteered to die in place of a stranger at Auschwitz in 1941.
Fr. Joseph Cardozo, SJ | Contributor
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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