The statue was made using the Flemish style and depicts the young Jesus in imperial regalia. The image is often depicted carrying a scepter and a globus cruciger--a sphere with a cross--symbolizing Christ’s rule over all the earth.

The readings today have also been selected specifically for this feast. In the first reading, we listened to the struggles of Judah. In order to appear powerful among the neighboring kingdoms, the kingdom Judah had relied too much on the wealth and influence of other nations instead of calling out to God. In her vulnerability, Judah diluted her identity as God’s people in order to fit in. This eventually led to crisis and to the prophecy we heard from Isaiah today. Isaiah prophesied not military might, but a child whose rule will be far-reaching.

In the second reading, Paul speaks to the Ephesian church of having the identity of being adopted as children of God through Jesus. In embracing that identity, we embrace all of Jesus, including His self-sacrificing love that led to the cross. It is vulnerability of a God becoming man that leads us to hope.

In Mark’s Gospel today, Jesus rebukes the disciples from preventing the chidren from approaching Jesus. In the chapter preceding today’s gospel, the disciples had been arguing with each other as to who was the greatest among them. Yet Jesus says, “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”. Unless we are vulnerable as children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

Researcher Brene Brown in her attempt to understand what allows people to feel love and belongingness discovered that one important factor is in fully embracing one’s own vulnerability:

“They fully embraced vulnerability. They believed that what made them vulnerable made them beautiful. They didn't talk about vulnerability being comfortable, nor did they really talk about it being excruciating...They just talked about it being necessary. They talked about the willingness to say, ‘I love you’ first ... the willingness to do something where there are no guarantees.”

Brown continues and says that the opposite of embracing our vulnerability is numbing it. Because vulnerability is oftentimes uncomfortable, we try to numb it with things we think will make us feel better. May it be swiping through interminable Tiktok videos, a spending spree, a food binge--anything that will clutter our mind and prevent us to confront our vulnerabilities.

Yet Brown points out that it cannot be selective. “You can't numb those hard feelings without numbing the other affects, our emotions. You cannot selectively numb. So when we numb those, we numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness.”

A few days ago, in the English center, Sister Flor, Jessie and I were talking about how best to bless the images of the Sto. Niño as well as the children. Some had commented that having people approach the sanctuary may make it a bit chaotic. Yet there is something beautiful about people coming forward as a liturgical act. It is an act of vulnerability, that these people, unpredictable and imperfect are able to come forward and be touched by God’s blessing.

“Let the children come to me. Do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”

You are enough. We are enough. We need not be perfect to receive God’s love. God sees us as we are. In this mass, I would therefore like to pray for the grace of courage. May we, like Jesus have the courage to embrace our own vulnerabilities in order that we able to recognize God’s blessings.

Later in the mass, before the final blessing, we are going to ask those who have images of the Sto. Niño and those who want to have their children blessed to approach the sanctuary.

By Fr. Jody Magtoto, SJ