Towards the end of his Autobiography, Marcel Văn writes,
People said: “Everywhere he goes, children surround him like flies round a rice pudding.” It is quite true.
But this is not a question of Marcel’s nature only, but also of grace:
If children attract us and are dear to us, it is not only a question of temperament but also because of the beauty and limpidity of their souls completely filled with God’s love. For me, living among a group of children is like living in paradise.
What is it? What is it about children in the Gospel?
Throughout the Gospel, we are painted a picture of a man, who is both human and divine in one person, who – among other things – had time for children. When he was asked about faith, he took a little child and used him as an example: you need to have faith like a child. When he saw a mother weeping over her dead child, he performed a miracle. When the disciples did not let the children bother their teacher, he disagreed. When stating quite simply that the learned had often missed the point, he expressed thanks that little children had not.
There is something about Jesus and children, and so, as Jesus is the great contemplative, something about contemplation and children also.
In children, if they accept it, there is a greater simplicity than in adults, even simple and good adults. They cannot do certain things by their own power and, no doubt, the Church of Heaven rushes to will the things they cannot and do for them the things they cannot. They are little mirrors of Jesus. Their souls can be beautiful and limpid, easily turned, kissed, and graced by the divine wind of the Spirit.
There is not making of children an object that is useful to us. That temptation in friendship is gone. Human beings who are children can simply be human beings; they will never be useful to us in any definite way. We can say goodbye to plans to imprint our will and get a planned, calculated return on our investment. We can only love these little mirrors of Christ for what and who they are. In other words, it is contemplation that comes more to the forefront.
Some related posts:
Contemplative in the Mud 