Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Kukurtz
“The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child.” – Matthew 18:4
Children
are blissfully untouched by pride and prejudice. What child cares about
the color of a playmate’s skin or status in life? What child cares if
his shirt doesn’t come from an upscale shop as long as it has his
favorite cartoon character on it?
I
remember being this innocent. We were not wealthy but my parents
believed in giving me a good education. I went to a convent school with
children of the rich and famous. But money was tight. Once, my school
shoes were patched with electric tape. I didn’t care. School would be
over soon anyway.
At my prom, I wore a lacy pink gown my mother made that my cousin laughingly branded “kukurtz.” Short for kukurtinahin (curtain
material). I didn’t care. I thought it was pretty enough to be
alongside my classmate’s Pitoy Moreno gown. Now, you won’t catch me dead
wearing those things.
Status symbols that adults find important won’t qualify us to enter heaven. Wealth. Fame. Social stature.
Let’s bring back the innocence of a child so that we can focus on the more important things. Love. Kindness. Simple joys. Lella Santiago (mirellasantiago@yahoo.com)
2
REFLECTION:
Do we choose the people we respect and show kindness to by their looks and social status?
Teach us, Lord, to look at the world with the eyes of a child.
The Guardian Angels, pray for us.
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