1923. It may seem amazing to others, that the angels discern in little children a much more abundant and better understanding of matters, from their thoughts, prayers and words, than they do in adults, who think they grasp more perfectly the meaning of the words and the subjects.
Yet it is very true, because nothing in the little one's mental imagery is yet closed off by falsities, nothing is yet stained and defiled by passions and hatred, there is nothing carnal, such as adults have, but something innocent. So their ideas are open, even if not to them, yet they are to the angels, who have much more enjoyment from them than ever from any adult, who by falsity and passion is engrossed in worldly and bodily concerns. So how very true it is, You may praise the Lord from the mouth of little ones [Ps. 8:2, Matt. 21:16].
1923. A fact that may seem wonderful to others is, that the angels receive a much better understanding of things from infants - their thoughts, prayers, and words - than from adults, who deem themselves possessed of a fuller sense of words and things. This fact is most unquestionable, and the reason is, that in the ideas of infants there is nothing as yet closed by falsities, nothing defiled and filthy by means of cupidities and hatreds, nothing corporeal, as there is in adults; but all is innocence, and thus their ideas are open, though not to themselves, yet to the angels, who therefore take much more delight in an infant than in any adult who is in falsity and in cupidity, or who is immersed in worldly and corporeal things. Hence most true is it that the praises of the Lord are proclaimed by the mouth of infants.
1923. Quod mirabile aliis videri potest, angeli copiosiorem multo et meliorem intellectum rerum percipiunt ex infantibus, eorum cogitationibus, orationibus, et vocibus, quam ab adultis, qui putant se pleniorem sensum vocum seu rerum habere, quod verissimum est, quia in eorum ideis nihil adhuc est clausum, per falsitates, nihil inquinatum et conspurcatum per cupiditates et odia, nihil corporeum quale in adultis, sed innocens, sic ideae eorum sunt apertae, tametsi non iis, usque angelis, qui inde multo magis delectantur, quam usquam ab aliquo adulto, qui in falsitate, et in cupiditate, seu qui immersus mundanis et corporeis. Inde verissimum, quod laudes Domini ab ore infantum [Matth. XXI: 16].