Gospel (Mt 19,13-15) - At that time, children were brought to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said: «Leave them, do not prevent the children from coming to me; in fact, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like them." And after laying his hands on them, he went away from there.

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

It is a beautiful and tender image of Jesus surrounded by children. The disciples, who had also seen long lines of sick people brought to Jesus, do not understand and try to push them away. Evidently they consider it a nuisance for Jesus that the children flock towards him, admittedly a little confused. Jesus stops them. « Leave them, do not prevent the children from coming to me; in fact, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like them." It is an important statement: the kingdom of heaven does not belong to the great, to the influential people, to those who can always assert their rights. By pointing to the children, Jesus shows how his kingdom is open to all those about whom the world does not care. At the time of Jesus, children were not considered, and only after the age of thirteen were children admitted to the study of Torah. Being a child was not considered a value. For Jesus, children are people to be loved, looked after and raised with great care. They too have the same dignity as the disciples. Jesus wants the disciples not to send anyone back, not to resemble the men of the world who are strong towards the weak and cowardly towards the powerful. Adults must learn from children that simplicity and openness of mind that are necessary to welcome the kingdom of heaven. This evangelical page is an invitation for us so that we welcome the Gospel with the availability of children and we worry, as Jesus did, about the countless children of today so that they grow up not in the school of violence and self-love, but in the school of Gospel of love. The way of children is that of humility, simplicity, of being helped, of depending on the father, of relying on the mother. We always start again with those who need protection and love, to be like children.