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Wednesday, July 15, 1998

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St. Bonaventure


Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16
Psalm 94
Matthew 11:25-27

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bathed in the light

"Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to You I offer praise; for what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children." —Matthew 11:25

The minds of little children are like sponges. They absorb and remember so much of what's going on around them. We Christians can be like little children in our receptivity to divine revelation. We can be sensitive to and pregnant with God's presence. The teachings of the Church can impact and change our lives. The words of the Bible can seem to almost jump off the pages.

We will be very receptive to divine revelation if we are like "the merest children," that is, if we are like infants in our awareness of our dependence on God (Mt 11:25). When we know that without the Lord we can do nothing (Jn 15:5), we will constantly ask Him for help. Also, we will be very thankful for His graces and blessings because we know we need them and He alone has given them. Moreover, if we are aware of our own utter dependence on God, we will realize that everyone else desperately needs the Lord, whether they know it or not. Therefore, in love we will share the Lord, our faith, and His blessings.

Are you constantly praying, thanking the Lord, and sharing His good news? If so, you are a "merest child" bathed in the light of divine revelation.

Prayer:  Father, Your words are spirit and life (Jn 6:63).

Promise:  "The Lord will not cast off His people, nor abandon His inheritance." —Ps 94:14

Praise:  By his prayers, Saint Francis saved Bonaventure's life when Bonaventure was a child.

Reference:  (For more teaching on this subject, order our pamphlets, Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God, and Hearing God.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 29, 1997


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 2, 1997