Today, as we celebrate the feast of St Bede I’m reflecting on this from today’s gospel:
“Let the little children come to me, do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
It always takes me back to my days as a primary school teacher, looking for the qualities that Jesus might be talking about. I was often struck by the insight and perception the children I taught. It seemed to me to come from their openness and attentiveness.
St Bede, a monk from the north-east of England, who lived a monastic life from childhood managed somehow to hold on to and develop these qualities through his long life. This is not something that would have come easily. Bede lived in challenging and dark times. From childhood he knew danger, uncertainty, suffering and the fragility of life.
Yet through all this he was able to keep the openness and attentiveness to God that seems so natural to children. Throughout all his challenges and hardships seeking the presence of God was the heart of his life as a monk. It enabled him to retain the openness and attentiveness of a child, and to discover the wisdom that can only come from an awareness of God’s presence
Through a simple life dedicated to study, writing, teaching and prayer he was able to discover and share some of the treasures of the kingdom with countless generations of Christians. It seems to me that his life embodies the qualities Jesus calls us to in this gospel.
Where are you being called to be open and attentive to the presence of Christ in your life today?