Gospel (Lk 10:21-24)

In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Commentary

We continue preparing for our Lord’s birth. Today the Church offers us a Gospel passage in which Jesus, imbued with the joy of the Spirit, praises his Father for having chosen those who are little to reveal to them the mystery of his Love.

At the start, we may be struck by Jesus gratitude that his Father has not revealed these things to the “wise and prudent.” Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit, perhaps the most precious of all; while prudence is a cardinal virtue that leads us to identify and want the good in every situation.

Why then does it seem that there is a certain contempt in Jesus’ words towards the wise and prudent? Our Lord, with that expression, surely wants to draw our attention to those who are wise and prudent in a false way.

Jesus points to children as a model because they are teachers of true divine wisdom and prudence. Young children see everything good they have as coming from their parents, just as wisdom leads us to esteem and savor only God as our highest good.

Likewise children have a clear and simple view of the world, which enables them to quickly turn their thoughts into deeds. They don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the consequences of their actions or how they will be viewed by others.

Our Lord wants us to become small so that He can become great in us, and not in spite of us. Thus He will enable us to see the world and people through his eyes.