Child-like Faith

This Child

My mom and I at my baptism. Sorry for the bad quality!

When I was a little kid, I found comfort and security in my mother’s arms so much that I couldn’t sleep unless I I was resting in the softness of her skin. I felt like no one could harm me, I guess you could say I felt invincible. When I was scared or felt at danger, I always went to her. Just being near her was enough to feel completely at peace. I couldn’t explain it and I didn’t bother trying to think why I was at peace, I just let myself be at peace when I was with her.

As I reflect on this, I learn a little bit more what it means to have child-like faith, and the meaning behind the words of Jesus when He said “truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3).

The Lord is reminding me to be like how I was when I was a child. I should never stop being a child when it comes to my relationship with Jesus and my Mother Mary. Being an adult, I might feel like I can protect myself physically and that I’m pretty self-sufficient. However, when it comes to my spiritual life, I know nothing. I am like a child all over again, not knowing many things, only knowing I need help. I need to depend on my Father and Mother for protection, nourishment, comfort, guidance, and growth.

As a kid, when I was sick, I didn’t know what could make me better. I depended on my mother’s remedies and her consultation with my doctor. I feel like that’s what Mama Mary does for me. She knows my spiritual sickness and provides the necessary remedies. She brings me to the Physician of my soul, Jesus Christ, and tells Him of my sickness. The Doctor listens to Her because He knows that She loves me very much and would like to see me get well. I cannot get spiritually well, unless I give myself to my Mother, and allow Her to take care of me.

Heavenly Father, help me to always recognize that I am truly a child in my spiritual life. That I know nothing at all—only that I need You, I need Your help, Your presence, and Your graces. Humble me, Lord, that I may be able to surrender my life into the hands of the Mother you have given me, to take care of me in every way. Amen.

“It is up to you, young followers of Christ, to show the world that faith brings happiness and a joy which is true, full, and enduring” – His Holiness Benedict XVI

The genius about children is that they rarely try and trick people. When they push something on you – make you eat this, try this, play this, watch this – it is simply because they love it themselves. They only want to share that joy with others.

When you see young people serving Christ joyfully, it changes people who see it. Because we don’t gain anything worldly from this. If anything, we face more trials and sufferings at the hands of the world. Loving God, and spreading His word and works, will bring backlash from the fear and doubt in others. And we will get hurt.

But with child-like faith, we must continue to serve our God. The joy He gives us, we must give to others. Even if it seems like we fail, time and time again, we must remain steadfast. Because even if we gain nothing from this world, we gain everything at home with Christ, where we belong.

Confirmation

As I prepare for a talk I am to give to grade 8 students who are preparing for Confirmation, I decided to go through my old Confirmation scrapbook. It’s an amazing feeling to rediscover the person you were before and I couldn’t help but laugh at myself when I read my letter to the pastor of my parish.

“One reason I really want to go through with Confirmation is because I want to be closer to God. I want to be closer to God because soon I will be passing grade eight in elementary school and I will go straight to high school for grade 9. In high school there will be a lot of pressure in doing bad things that I do not want to do and the pressure will just grow higher and higher. There are many different characters in high school and I will need all the help I can get. I also need God because high school will also pile homework on top of me. I need help from God to help me keep my strength in completing my homework.”

If only I could revert back to a time where I had a child-like faith and when I thought high school homework was the hardest thing to do.

The Lord does not ask too much of us. Sometimes I think that the Lord piles a lot of weight on my shoulders but sometimes that’s just me piling it on myself. What the Lord asks of us is very simple, He asks us to love Him. That’s it. He doesn’t ask us to conquer the world, but only that we go to Him whenever we feel conquered by it. We must remember that we are children, vulnerable and often foolish. In humility, we must learn to always turn to the Lord in our inequities. Why should we turn to a world that is relentless without mercy when our God is relentlessly merciful? It’s the child-like faith that allows us to trust in our Father without doubt, without fear, and without failure.

Always has the Lord been there for us and always has He shown Himself to us; it is us that forgets the warmth of His embrace. As I browse my Confirmation scrapbook, I am able to witness the ways in my life in which the Lord has guided me. The victory is already won in that the Lord has already claimed my life. The closing prayer is my personal prayer made during my preparation for Confirmation.

By the way, my Confirmation saint is St. Francis Xavier.

Dear God, please give me the strength to live each day to the fullest. Protect those who are dear to me. I believe in only one God. I believe in only one faith. Keep me strong and keep my Catholic Faith alive. My life is to You, my love is to You. Protect my soul and repel me from every evil. Amen.