Why Are Children so "Adorable?"

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, formerly known as the Feast of Corpus Christi.  It serves as a reminder of our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus.  Not only is He fully present in the Eucharist, we also believe that God is present within each and every person.  From the time we were children, learning basic catechism, we were taught that “our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.”  But as adults, do we really believe or understand this mystery?  The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) refers the presence of the Holy Spirit in each person as “sanctifying grace.”

Sanctifying grace, also called habitual grace, is described as “the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call.” (CCC 2000).  We receive the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism.  It is Jesus Himself who commanded His apostles to baptize, and the Acts of the Apostles is replete with examples of the effects of baptism and reception of the Holy Spirit.  Theologians describe the effects of baptism as sacramental grace:

“Sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior.  (CCC 1129)

Our belief that the Holy Spirit dwells within each person is also the reason why we believe in the sanctity of human life, and the inherent dignity of every person.  It is this divine spark that makes us human and elevates us to the status of children of God.  The Holy Spirit dwells within us, without overwhelming our human nature or interfering with our free will.  The Catechism further explains that:  

“God’s free initiative demands man’s free response, for God has created man in his image by conferring on him, along with freedom, the power to know him and love him. The soul only enters freely into the communion of love. God immediately touches and directly moves the heart of man. He has placed in man a longing for truth and goodness that only he can satisfy.”  (CCC 2002)

We are free to accept this gift of God’s Presence and allow it to enrich our lives, or we can assert our will and reject the love of God.  As infants we are innocents, filled with the grace of God, not yet capable of sin.  Perhaps the reason we find children so “adorable” is because we inherently perceive the Real Presence of God in their lives.  As we grow older and begin to assert our selfish tendencies, we become less attractive.  And if we develop sinful habits that lead to unhappiness, we even refer to this as becoming “dispirited,” (dis-spirited).

It is the Real Presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that enlivens us with the love of God, and enables us to love one another.  The Church consists of we the people of God which is referred to as “The Mystical Body of Christ.”  When Catholic’s receive the Eucharist, they are receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, strengthening our bonds of charity and reinforcing our unity as the Mystical Body of Christ.  In a world torn with strife, we need God’s Grace, His Real Presence in our lives, more than ever.