Open Arms, Open Heart

English Homily- Seventh Sunday of Elijah- Fr. Mark Owdeesh The apostles were debating greatness — status, money, worth — and Jesus answered by putting a child in front of them. Not as a cute illustration, but as a direct contrast to everything they were chasing. There is an important difference between childish and childlike: childish is reacting without thought, living by emotion, ignoring consequences; childlike is knowing your worth as a son or daughter of God and approaching him daily with simplicity, openness, and total dependence. We came into this world with nothing and will leave the same way — Christ wants that posture to be the flame that burns throughout everything in between. And our lives have more impact on those around us than we think — leading others toward or away from that same childlike posture, whether we intend to or not.