St. Clare, virgin

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Ezekiel 2:8 – 3:4

Listen then, son of man,

To what I say and don’t be a rebel among rebels. Open your mouth and take in what I’m about to say.”  I looked and saw a hand stretched out in front of me holding a scroll. He unrolled it before me; on both sides were written lamentations, groan­ings and woes.

   He said to me, “Son of man, eat what is given to you. Eat this scroll and then go; speak to the people of Israel.” I opened my mouth and he made me eat the scroll and then he said to me, “Eat and fill yourself with this scroll that I’m giving you.” I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey.

 He said, “Son of man, go to the Is­­raelites; speak to them with my words.

 

Ps 119: 14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

How sweet to my taste is your promise!

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

At that time the disciples came to Je­sus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Whoever becomes humble, like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.  See that you do not despise any of these little ones, for I tell you: their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father.  What do you think of this?

If some­­one has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you: when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray. It is the same with your Father in heaven: your Father in heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish.

 

Gospel Reflection：
A six-year-old boy was abandoned by his family in Nairobi, Kenya. At his tender age, he learned how to survive by selling scraps until a family employed him. He then searched for his family to no avail thirty-six years later, he was already a successful businessman.

His dreamy:  to rescue as many children so that they will not suffer like he did. He and his wife opened a home – not an orphanage. He became the “father to the fatherless.”

His name is Charles Mully. Since 1989, the year his first home opened, he pulled 12,000 children from the streets. Many of them became successful themselves.

When asked about the guiding voice of his mission, he would say he still thinks like a child. He does not hate. He just wants to gather as many playmates as he can and assures everyone they will never be abandoned .