Childlike Bravery

My afternoon marking was interrupted by a crash from the children’s room, followed by a wailing cry emanating from my almost three year old son. I rushed into the room to discover that he had almost impaled himself on the frame of his toddler bed while he was trying to jump from his younger sister’s crib. When I asked why he had tried to jump, he told me through his sobs and sniffles that he was trying to be brave.

Catherine Doherty, the founder of the Madonna House Apostolate (check out the Pass it On! shortcut) a community of laymen, laywomen and priests, once prayed “Lord, give me the heart of a child, and the awesome courage to live it out as an adult.” I couldn’t help but think of this prayer while Tobias was crying over his tender side.

What is bravery like in your life? If it is anything like mine, you might find that you have what I like to call “calculated bravery.” Sometimes we sum up the odds and decide on a more “conditional bravery.” In the Gospel, Christ calls us to an almost reckless abandon, asking as to leave the dead of this world to bury their own dead, to sell everything we have and to follow Him. He is asking us to take that childlike leap of faith, the jump of a little child leaping into her father’s arms, and in order to enter the kingdom we must have this childlike faith.

This childlike single-mindedness should not however stop at faith, but should describe our hunger and pursuit for all the virtues. There is no one more stubborn than a raging toddler and there is no one more likely to satisfied than a believer with an unyielding hunger and thirst for righteousness. Our Lord has promised us this much.

A character who exemplifies this determination admirably is the Narnian mouse Reepicheep. When sailing to the end of the world and Aslan’s Country aboard the Dawn Treader, Reepicheep is given the option to turn back and abandon his quest. His bold reply was:

“Why should your majesty think it? My own plans are made. While I may, I sail East in Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I row East in my coracle. When that sinks, shall I paddle East with my four paws. Then, when I can swim no longer, if I have not yet reached Aslan's Country, there shall I sink with my nose to the sunrise... and Peepiceek will be head of Talking Mice in Narnia”

I pray we all develop the courage of children, or at least of this mouse, as undoubted, the Lord will work miracles from this mustard seed of faith.