{"id":9552,"date":"2026-05-13T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/?p=9552"},"modified":"2026-05-10T16:58:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T20:58:45","slug":"day-5-god-reveals-himself-to-those-with-childlike-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/consecration-to-the-hearts-of-jesus-mary-and-joseph\/day-5-god-reveals-himself-to-those-with-childlike-hearts\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 5: God Reveals Himself to Those With Childlike Hearts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

READING 1<\/strong>
Matthew 11:25-27<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that time Jesus declared, \u201cI thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READING 2<\/strong>
From Benedict XVI\u2019s homily to the International Theological Commission (Dec. 1, 2009)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have heard that our Lord praises the Father because he concealed the great mystery of the Son, the Trinitarian mystery, the Christological mystery from the wise and the learned, from those who did not recognize him. Instead he revealed it to children, the n\u00e8pioi<\/em>, to those who are not learned, who are not very cultured. It was to them that this great mystery was revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

… [I]n our time there have also been \u201clittle ones\u201d who have understood this mystery. Let us think of St Bernadette Soubirous; of St Th\u00e9r\u00e8se of Lisieux, with her new interpretation of the Bible that is \u201cnon-scientific\u201d but goes to the heart of Sacred Scripture; of the saints and blessed of our time: St Josephine Bakhita, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta and St Damien de Veuster. We could list so many!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But from all this the question arises: \u201cWhy should this be so?\u201d Is Christianity the religion of the foolish, of people with no culture or who are uneducated? Is faith extinguished where reason is kindled? How can this be explained? Perhaps we should take another look at history. What Jesus said, what can be noted in all the centuries, is true. Nevertheless, there is a \u201ctype\u201d of lowly person who is also learned. Our Lady stood beneath the Cross, the humble handmaid of the Lord and the great woman illumined by God. And John was there too, a fisherman from the Sea of Galilee. He is the John whom the Church was right to call \u201cthe theologian\u201d, for he was really able to see the mystery of God and proclaim it: eagled-eyed he entered into the inaccessible light of the divine mystery. So it was too that after his Resurrection, the Lord, on the road to Damascus, touches the heart of Saul, one of those learned people who cannot see. He himself, in his First Letter to Timothy, writes that he was \u201cacting ignorantly\u201d at that time, despite his knowledge. But the Risen One touches him: he is blinded. Yet at the same time, he truly gains sight; he begins to see. The great scholar becomes a \u201clittle one\u201d and for this very reason perceives the folly of God as wisdom, a wisdom far greater than all human wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could continue to interpret the holy story in this way. Just one more observation. These erudite terms, sof\u00f2i<\/em> and sinet\u00f2i<\/em>, in the First Reading are used in a different way. Here sofia<\/em> and s\u00ecnesis<\/em> are gifts of the Holy Spirit which descend upon the Messiah, upon Christ. What does this mean? It turns out that there is a dual use of reason and a dual way of being either wise or little….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there is the other way of using reason, of being wise\u2014that of the man who recognizes who he is; he recognizes the proper measure and greatness of God, opening himself in humility to the newness of God\u2019s action. It is in this way, precisely by accepting his own smallness, making himself little as he really is, that he arrives at the truth. Thus reason too can express all its possibilities; it is not extinguished but rather grows and becomes greater. Sof\u00eca<\/em> and s\u00ecnesis<\/em> in this context do not exclude one from the mystery that is real communion with the Lord, in whom reside wisdom and knowledge and their truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us now pray that the Lord will give us true humility. May he give us the grace of being little in order to be truly wise; may he illumine us, enable us to see his mystery in the joy of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REFLECTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We empty our hearts by embracing simplicity with a childlike faith. This is the path to true wisdom, to having a heart that can truly see. In seeking truth we do not need to be great scholars, but to approach divine revelation with humble trust, opening our hearts to the Lord in love. As St. Paul said, \u201cKnowledge puffs up, but love builds up\u201d (1 Cor 8:1). Pope Benedict XVI tells us to beware of being puffed up, of having hearts that are bloated by a false self-perception that overestimates our greatness and underestimates the greatness of God. Let us ask ourselves, \u201cHow do I approach the Scripture? My studies? My relationship with God? My ministry? Am I puffed up? Am I building up? How can I be more like the little ones so that I may be truly wise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRAYERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer of Abandonment by St. Charles de Foucauld
Litany of Trust<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consecration to the Heart of Jesus Through the Hearts of Mary and Joseph<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2026 by St. Vincent Archabbey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

READING 1Matthew 11:25-27 At that time Jesus declared, \u201cI thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-consecration-to-the-hearts-of-jesus-mary-and-joseph"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7bfMR-2u4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":208,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/emptying-ourselves-day-5-god-reveals-himself-to-the-childlike\/","url_meta":{"origin":9552,"position":0},"title":"Emptying ourselves Day 5 – God reveals himself to the childlike","author":"Father Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.","date":"March 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Day 5 - God reveals himself to the childlike A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew: At that time Jesus declared, \u201cI thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants; yes, Father,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marian Consecration"","block_context":{"text":"Marian Consecration","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Murillo_Descanso_en_la_huida_a_Egipto.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Murillo_Descanso_en_la_huida_a_Egipto.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Murillo_Descanso_en_la_huida_a_Egipto.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Murillo_Descanso_en_la_huida_a_Egipto.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Murillo_Descanso_en_la_huida_a_Egipto.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6612,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/pope-benedict-xvi\/fr-boniface-at-the-eucharistic-congress\/","url_meta":{"origin":9552,"position":1},"title":"Fr Boniface at the Eucharistic Congress","author":"monks4christ","date":"July 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Our Sunday Visitor Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks, a monk of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, was holding the Eucharist in a golden monstrance that shimmered as the spotlights tracked its progress through the crowded floor. After processing down the stadium\u2019s central aisle, and then placing the monstrance on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Evangelization"","block_context":{"text":"New Evangelization","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/new-evangelization\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hhh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hhh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hhh.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hhh.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":447,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/day-28-knowledge-of-jesus-christ-christ-became-poor\/","url_meta":{"origin":9552,"position":2},"title":"Day 28 Knowledge of Jesus Christ – Christ became poor","author":"Father Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.","date":"April 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Day 28 - Christ became poor A Reading from the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marian Consecration"","block_context":{"text":"Marian Consecration","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/2018_02_08_10_57_35-696_guercino_1-Editpix.jpg?fit=996%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/2018_02_08_10_57_35-696_guercino_1-Editpix.jpg?fit=996%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/2018_02_08_10_57_35-696_guercino_1-Editpix.jpg?fit=996%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/2018_02_08_10_57_35-696_guercino_1-Editpix.jpg?fit=996%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":252,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/prayers-knowledge-of-self\/","url_meta":{"origin":9552,"position":3},"title":"Prayers – Knowledge of Self","author":"Father Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.","date":"March 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Ave Maris Stella Hail, bright star of ocean, God's own Mother blest, Ever sinless Virgin, Gate of heavenly rest. Taking that sweet Ave Which from Gabriel came, Peace confirm within us, Changing Eva's name. Break the captives' fetters, Light on blindness pour, All our ills expelling, Every bliss implore. Show\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marian Consecration"","block_context":{"text":"Marian Consecration","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/7de41a0e0023d59fa0b62623ab087c09pix.jpg?fit=476%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":334,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/prayers-knowledge-of-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":9552,"position":4},"title":"Prayers – Knowledge of Mary","author":"Father Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.","date":"March 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Prayers - Knowledge of Mary Litany of Loretto Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marian Consecration"","block_context":{"text":"Marian Consecration","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/spiritual-practices\/marian-consecration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Agnolo_Bronzino_-_The_Holy_Family_with_the_Infant_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Madonna_Stroganoff_-_Google_Art_Project-2.pix_.jpg?fit=1200%2C893&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Agnolo_Bronzino_-_The_Holy_Family_with_the_Infant_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Madonna_Stroganoff_-_Google_Art_Project-2.pix_.jpg?fit=1200%2C893&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Agnolo_Bronzino_-_The_Holy_Family_with_the_Infant_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Madonna_Stroganoff_-_Google_Art_Project-2.pix_.jpg?fit=1200%2C893&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Agnolo_Bronzino_-_The_Holy_Family_with_the_Infant_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Madonna_Stroganoff_-_Google_Art_Project-2.pix_.jpg?fit=1200%2C893&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Agnolo_Bronzino_-_The_Holy_Family_with_the_Infant_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Madonna_Stroganoff_-_Google_Art_Project-2.pix_.jpg?fit=1200%2C893&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7900,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/pope-benedict-xvi\/the-sorrowful-mysteries-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":9552,"position":5},"title":"the Sorrowful Mysteries","author":"monks4christ","date":"April 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus meets his Mother From the Gospel according to Luke. 2:34-35,51 Simon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: \"Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Evangelization"","block_context":{"text":"New Evangelization","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/new-evangelization\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screenshot-750.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screenshot-750.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screenshot-750.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screenshot-750.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9552"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10029,"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9552\/revisions\/10029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}