Homily for Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary time

With great care, the Church, usually after Baptism, prepares our youth for their First Communion and, a few years later, their Confirmation and future roles as teachers of the faith. Through the sacraments, we welcome them into the Church and embrace them as part of our family of faith. The importance of welcoming children is evident in today’s Gospel passage. In it, Jesus closely identifies with children, declaring, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Today’s Gospel suggests we can best encounter Jesus and His Father through children. Elsewhere, Jesus also identifies Himself with the most vulnerable — the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, and the imprisoned. Children, by their very nature, are among the most vulnerable; they depend on others for all aspects of life. This Gospel passage highlights that ministry to children and young people is a sacred and holy endeavor.