Jesus reminds us of the wisdom of the little ones among us. One thing that kids know better than adults is how to ask for help. Eric Immel, SJ, reflects on our need to ask for help and hand our burdens over to Jesus. Based on the readings for Sunday, July 9, 2023.
Sometimes, I wish I were four again, and NOT forty.
I’m Fr. Eric Immel, and this is my one-minute homily.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that children know a lot of things those of us a bit more advanced in our ages forget. Perhaps more than anything else, what kids know better than adults is how to ask for help – how to turn over their needs, wants, and burdens to someone else.
When I was a little kid, I couldn’t do much on my own, and so I had to ask for what I needed – a snack or drink of water, a band-aid when I scraped my knee, a word of comfort after a bad dream, a hug when I was sad.
As we grow up we take so much pride in caring for ourselves that we sometimes forget – no matter how old we are, we can’t do this alone – we need each other to survive. And when we remember this, perhaps we might find courage to go to Jesus, who knows our burdens and promises us comfort and rest.
