Children Adoration

By: Luke

I was so blessed this past weekend to have a wonderful experience! FMC put on it’s second annual “Proclaim” conference. This year our family was so blessed to be able to participate in and help out with the conference. The conference focuses on Fueling a missionary impulse in the Catholic church. Every penny of profit from this conference will be used to advance the Gospel in Asia. The conference excited, challenged, and convicted our hearts to be both more holy and more missionary for Jesus Christ.

One very special moment for me was when I was helping out with the Kid ministry. Three Franciscans; Fr. Peter, Brother Pio, and Brother Frances, agreed to host adoration for the kids. So we gathered about 30 kids, ages 6 months to about 14, into a room with a small table as an alter set with four lit candles and a ready monstrance. Fr. Peter brought in the blessed sacrament, placed the host in the monstrance, then he stepped back and knelt before our Lord. It was so Beautiful to see all of the children kneeling and adoring Jesus present in the Eucharist.

That moment in and of itself was very special. Seeing all of the children only a couple of feet away from our Lord, but it got even better. After we had all prayed in silence, and had offered some petitions to the Lord, Fr. Peter walked to the front of the room and offered a reflection. He told a bible story, from Mark 5:25, about the older women who had hemorrhaging for twelve years and how she hoped to just touch the garment of Jesus. Hoping that by just touching it she might be healed. Then Fr. Peter held up his Stole, one of his priestly vestments, and placed it around the monstrance.

“Stole”

Then he invited all of the children, starting with the youngest, to come up and touch the garment of Jesus. It was such a privilege to be there! To witness such a beautiful moment was very special. As the kids came up only feet from Jesus I invited them to kiss the stole if they wanted to. I know that some of the younger children may not have understood what was going on. But, I hope and believe, they may remember as they grow. That our God does want to have a real and intimate relationship with them. He wants us to know that we can approach close to his heart and He, Our Daddy in heaven, will receive us into his arms and hold us ever so close. Luke 18:16 “But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

Lord, help as all to approach you with child like hearts! Amen