I was delighted when reading the section he entitled The Metaphysics of the Manger.
Saward writes:
Another quote that I love dearly should remind us of all children and their reactions to their world. Reactions which surprise and delight us.
It reminds us to call upon that wonder which we surely had as little children.
Pippo amid all the Christmas wrappings enjoying a gift card, while ignoring the toys he received. |
Saward says:
He just loves looking at the cards. |
Mt 8:2-4 “And Jesus called a little child to him, set him in their midst, and said, “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Sarah says
Those are beautiful quotes. I'd never thought of it quite that way – “the wonder that things are.”
Betsy M says
Oh I love this idea Habou. I will be appreciating my little man's (16 mo.) facination with the world around him today.
lauren says
Beautiful post Habou! “The child in the garden knows that the grass is, but his wonder at this apparently ordinary thing seems to indicate that he is surprised that it should be at all.” I love this quote! Thank you for sharing and I will be sure to find me a copy of that book!
Lisa says
Habou,
Another reminder to be still.
Thank you.
Anne says
So nice! Thanks Habou. I think this goes along with the importance of bringing even young children to church, even though they are so “bad.” I had Jack at adoration when he was one and i was pregnant with Ann and it was a small chapel with a table alter and he slipped away from me and run UNDER the alter. In my pregnant state all I could do was grab his foot and yank him out! That was when I saw an old man waving me over to him. I was sure I was in trouble! Turned out he was a priest and he had called me over for a blessing assuring me that Jesus wanted Jack to be there and to be a child. 🙂
Gale says
I was touched this Christmas by the way children receive gifts. Yes, I know sometimes they can be greedy, and they can be all too transparent when they don't like a gift. But our pastor talked about how the Shepherds came to Jesus with nothing…no gift in their hands like the wisemen who came later. And he talked about we tend to like to be able to bring something…there's that awkward feeling when we are given a gift, and have nothing to give back. But when we come to Jesus that's how we come…empty handed. And that's how he takes us.
As he spoke, I noticed the children sitting in the pew in front of me, and my own children beside me. And I thought of how they accept gifts. They accept them freely without any expectation that they should have anything to give back. And while there may be something selfish in that there's also something very GOOD in it too. I was reminded of the verse that said that if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you have to become like a child.
Nancy says
Beautiful how the pictures illustrated the written words.
ayearinskirts says
I never thought of it that way, but it's true. The way children are almost astounded that things are, before they know what they are. I still don't fully understand what becoming “like a child” really means in that verse.
Flying Squirrel says
Oh goodness, Habou, that second quote made me burst into tears—the whole of theology flowing from such childlike amazement at being! How wonderful.
Sarah says
What a great post. Children do seem to enjoy the moment much more than we do. My daughter is a bit older than Pippo (21 months) and her obsession this Christmas (and in the days following) was the ribbon around the packages, it became jewelry for her and her toys. I wish I could get that much joy out of something so simple.
Habou says
I love the way Saward looks at things. I'm so happy to share this. In these quotes (actually in the whole book) he is pointing out how we can recapture a childish wonder. There are so many things in our lives to wonder about. Simple things we take for granted as well as extraordinary things. But most of all, there is so much to think about in the Nativity (for starters). It is overwhelming in its wonderfulness. Every time Christmas time arrives it is a new wonder.