Jesus Blesses the Children
No fixed feast day in the calendar
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Jesus hugs the children, blesses them and says God’s Kingdom belongs to those who are like them
What is this event?
This is a very tender moment in the Gospel: Jesus stops to hug and bless the little children. In those days, children were often seen as unimportant. Jesus shows that to him, children are very precious.
The story
People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would lay his hands on them. But the disciples scolded them (cf. Mk 10:13).
When Jesus saw this, he was upset. He told the disciples not to stop the children. Then he added: “whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (Mk 10:15). After that, “he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.” (Mk 10:16).
In another place, Jesus even set a little child in the middle of the disciples and taught them: “unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3). For the Lord, children are not people left on the outside, but an example for grown-ups.
The Gospel does not say how many children there were, whether they were boys or girls, or in which village it happened. The stone wall and the village on the card come from the artist’s imagination, to help you feel the scene.
What does Jesus want to teach you?
The Lord does not tell grown-ups to be childish, but to have the heart of a child: simple, humble, trusting and ready to receive. A little child needs his parents’ care and trusts them. In the same way, we need God and receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a gift. The Lord also wants grown-ups to value and protect children.
A lesson for you
- Talk to the Lord simply, as you would talk to a close friend.
- Ask your parents to make the Sign of the Cross on your forehead before you go to sleep.
- Bring younger children to the Lord: invite them to Mass, and teach them to make the Sign of the Cross.
Identifying marks
- The Lord’s hand on a boy’s head: a gesture of blessing; the Lord welcomes the children, loves them and gives them his grace (cf. Mk 10:16).
- The Lord holding a little girl on his lap: the Lord is never too busy for little ones; he loves them and stays close to them.
- A boy with his hands joined, two children looking up at the Lord and smiling: the simple, trusting heart of a child is what the Lord wants everyone to learn.
- The Lord sitting low on a stone wall, bending down to look at the children: he lowers himself to the children’s height.
The text on this page is the card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Compiled by i-Catholic · About