Letting children come to us and listening when they do

Published: May 1, 2021

By Sister M. Glorea Knaggs, OSB
Holy Angels Convent

The first word of the Rule of St Benedict is “listen.” As an Olivetan Benedictine sister, it has been ingrained in me that listening, primarily to God but also to others, is a keystone of gospel living.

By listening to God’s word, I learn his ways and grow in my relationship with him. By listening to my sisters, I come to know and love them better. But what about listening to children? Shouldn’t we focus on making sure they listen to us?

In my 11 years of teaching, I won’t deny that training children to listen has been a priority. But recently I began reflecting on the blessings that come from really listening to my students. Getting to know them has illustrated for me the words of Psalm 127: “Children are a blessing from the Lord …”

When students enter the classroom each morning, I instantly feel more cheerful. Their greetings range from the humorous to the profound, but they are always guaranteed to provide information or delight.

• “Good morning, Sister! Labor Day’s coming already? Hope nobody wears white.”
• “Sister, can you pray for my grandma?”
• “Sister, I memorized the Ten Commandments! Do you want to hear them?”

Through the day, it can be a bit more challenging to listen. I’m focused on teaching and the responsibilities that go along with it: managing the class, delivering content, responding to emails, preparing for the next lesson. However, when I stop to listen to them, and not just to content-based questions and comments, they reveal their hearts.

• “Sister, is this a sin? Here’s what happened …”
• “Sister, what’s your opinion? If two people are going to get married, shouldn’t they make sure they want to stay together for life?”
• “Sister Glorea, when I grow up I am going to write a book called ‘Ice Wings.’”

So much is communicated in these everyday remarks: their desires for good, their heartache, their hopes. In listening, I become attuned to their needs for attention, affirmation and encouragement. I remember Jesus’ words: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

In these words, Jesus is speaking directly to me, and to all of us who teach and care for children: We are invited to show them his own welcome and unconditional love.

In reality, this is not always easy. Sometimes I have to say, “I am not available right now, can you tell me about this during recess?” Or, “I’m sorry! I need to respond to this message right now, but if you give me just a moment, I can listen to you better.” Or even, “You know, my mind is tired at this moment, but I would love to hear your story later on today!”

This seems to work for them, and with their young, strong memories, they almost always circle back if I forget to do so.

Children’s words are worth hearing; their stories are worth knowing. May the Lord give us the grace to listen to them, for “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Sister M. Glorea Knaggs, OSB, of Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. She currently teaches middle school religion and math at Blessed Sacrament School in Jonesboro. This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic May 1, 2021. Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.