“She-sus!”

Just a few moments ago, I was sitting on the couch with my sweet lil’ nephew, Joey, and listening to him pout about not having his “She-sus” (how he pronounces Jesus now) with him. But before I go on, let me share a few things first.

For those who don’t follow me on Instagram or aren’t friends with me on Facebook, let me tell you: Joey loves Jesus. He loves Jesus in a way that is different from most toddlers his age. I don’t know of anyone else who has had or currently has a fervent love for Jesus the way he does at this age. He’s so special. I usually refer to him as our “little saint”, our “up and coming family priest”, or even “the future pope”. When he’s at my house, he asks to watch Daily Mass in the morning around 8 and he does his own procession with his crucifix around the kitchen table. He even sings songs to “She-sus” (Jesus) and “Mah-ree” (Mary) on the piano. On top of that, he imitates the consecration of the Mass by elevating an object (usually his crucifix, sometimes a cup) followed by a bow or his version of a genuflection! He is truly one of a kind.

I was sitting there listening to him pout and his eyes began watering. I kept telling him gently that Jesus is in his heart. (We’re still working on that.) The crucifix he loves to carry most is too big for a person his size and it even has sharp edges (due to the representation of rays). See it here… you can see why we take it away from him!

Now that that’s been mentioned, the reaction that occurs after the crucifix is taken away is what I wanted to focus on. Because Joey is already so close to Jesus, every time Jesus is taken away he responds in sadness. His crucifix is equivalent to a child’s all-time favorite toy. He tears up and even cries sometimes. It hurts me a bit to see that he feels sadness in that way already, most especially since it’s Jesus we’re talking about here. While Joey doesn’t truly understand who Jesus is yet and why Jesus is always shown on a cross, the call to love Jesus in the way he does rings ever true. As we grow older, we want answers with substance and even with scientific proof. As humans we naturally want reason and logic. Be that as it may, Jesus calls us to have faith in the mysteries on which our Church was built on, and what was built before the universe was ever created. Difficult, but attainable. The belief in Creation, the Trinity, the Eucharist, church teachings, and so forth… He calls us to love & trust in His will because He, above all, knows what is truly best for us. He calls us to have faith.

Observing all of this as his “ti” (auntie) got me thinking…
Would I respond the same way if I’m not able to be near Jesus in the Tabernacle? How would I react if Jesus was taken away? How would I respond if I know Jesus is being taken away from someone? Why do I struggle with my faith? As Catholics, the greatest gift we have here on this earth is the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Am I truly and fully aware of that? Do I make enough time for Jesus in prayer? Does the way I live my life create beautiful music to show how much love I have for the Lord? If not, what can I do to fix that? These are all questions I’m asking myself this morning.

It’s incredible how much you can learn and be reminded of from a little child’s great faith! Thank you, little one.

“At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” –Mt 18:1-5 (NAB)

Keep the faith,
Fatima