Spiritual Childhood
One
I recently returned to Colorado to visit my parents, and there was one particular day that was surprisingly warm, so I took a walk. While walking I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. It was a noise that I hadn’t heard in some time, and it was so shocking, I literally stopped walking and froze to listen. I heard the sound of children playing during recess at school! The sound was so joyous, and brought back so many memories, that I had to pause to enjoy it. The sound of children playing joyfully without a care in the world is truly a heavenly sound, and brought my mind to a passage in the Gospels, “Unless you change and become like little children you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 18:3) This passage refers to what saints like Thérèse of Lisieux called spiritual childhood. Jesus is not calling us to perpetual immaturity and childishness, but rather perpetual love and trust and childlikeness. A child trusts his mother and father completely, so much so that he or she can enjoy the present moment and the graces therein with compete joy, without worry. The child knows that their mom or dad has everything under control. Do I trust that my Eternal Father and Heavenly Mother have everything under control? … What is it that worries me most? … Do I have the trust to patiently wait for my Mother and Father to take care of it, and let me know what I should do when the time comes?
Two
Jesus makes very clear: if we DO NOT change and become like children, we will not enter heaven! These are astonishing words! Does He really mean I won’t enter heaven if I don’t become like a child? How can an adult become like a child? In Luke’s Gospel, chapter 10, Jesus discloses to His teaching, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” (Lk 10: 21.) St. Thérèse teaches that to remain childlike before God is to recognize “our nothingness and to expect everything from God, as a little child expects everything from a father; it is not getting upset our worried about anything.” (Way of Trust and Love, p. 37-38.) When we trust in God, we are free to allow the frantic world to pass us by, and take time to be still, attentive to both our Father, and the beautiful world in which we live. With stillness comes peace, with peace comes attentiveness, and with attentiveness comes gratitude and wonder. This is why becoming a spiritual child is necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven! “Be Still and Know that I am God” Be still and know I will take care of you. Be still and know that I am your Father
Three
This call to spiritual childhood is particularly troubling to those influenced, I include myself in this, by a heresy that Pope Leo XIII identified back in the 1890’s called ‘Americanism.’ Did you know we Americans have our own heresy? This heresy places human liberty, ingenuity, self-reliance, and productivity above prayer and trusting in God. This Heresy says “It is by our effort that the world is ran. Get busy, and quit wasting your time on prayer. Its up to us alone.” Now, Americanism is not bad because it demands action and hard work. We should take action and work hard. The problem with Americanism is that it places acting, working, productivity and self-reliance over trust in God. Now, let me be clear, to live out spiritual childhood is not to be lazy and inactive. Spiritual childhood means we recognize that God is interested and active in our lives, down to the smallest detail. He knows what must be done. We should first be still and listen before we begin working. Human tools, human weapons, human ingenuity are incapable of changing the hearts of the world. God knows how my Friends, family, loved ones, co workers and all he has placed in my life may be led closer to Himself. Trust in His plan. Be still, and attentive to Him.
Four
Advent is the time to especially live spiritual childhood. It is a season where we celebrate the coming of the Christ child. Christmas should be a time of enchantment; a time of joy and cheer; a time of innocent excitement. It is the perfect season to respond to our Lord’s call to change and become childlike. I think there is a real desire for people to do exactly this, which is why some of my neighbors put up lights right after Halloween. We all really hunger for a time of innocence and joy, for a house filled with wonder, love and gratitude. There is something heavenly and Godlike about that element of Christmas, something that speaks to an even deeper truth: Jesus really does come to all his children to give us something unspeakably good, and creation itself shouts for joy at this gift, and awaits it with eager anticipation. Blessed Mother Mary, help me to have the Joy and Peace that you had as you awaited the coming of Jesus.
Five
King St. Louis commented that he spent much time reflecting on two churches that factored heavily in his life—the church where he was baptized, and the church where he was consecrated king. He emphasized that he had much higher regard for the church where he was baptized because there, he became a child of God. His earthly kingship would end, but his eternal kingship in Christ would go on forever. Our spiritual childhood is rooted in our baptism, which makes us God’s own children. To the extent we trust our Heavenly Father is the extent we have embraced this reality of our divine sonship. A child has a vivid imagination, and loves helping dad with tools, which become weapons, exploration equipment, dinosaur bones, etc. Helping dad becomes not so much fixing the bike but an adventure! God is a loving Father and wants us to dig into His toolbox, with this one surprise: He wants us to explore with Him, fight with Him, discover with Him, rescue with Him. His tools are meditation, the rosary, the Sacraments, and charity, especially friendship. Using our imagination in prayer sets the scene for a quest to unfold. I assure you, your childlike adventure with your Heavenly Father in prayer will uncover treasures more valuable than crowns, castles, or kingdoms. Or, rather, you’ll uncover your heavenly crown, castle, and kingdom; you’ll discover you yourself are an eternal son or daughter of God, and an inheritance beyond your wild imagination awaits! Just make the effort and trust our good and gracious Father like a child!