(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)
This Sunday is the second Sunday of Advent. We remember that Advent is a time of preparing to know Jesus, the Light of the World, even more than we do now. We light two candles on the Advent wreathe, and in the Gospel for this Sunday we hear about two Advent people:
the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah
Both John the Baptist and Isaiah are prophets.
That means they sit so still...
and listen so carefully...
they hear God speaking in their hearts.
And when they hear, they tell all the people what they have heard.
They say,
Prepare the way of the Lord.
In Advent, we prepare.
John and Isaiah say to prepare the way of the Lord. The Lord is coming. We wonder, who is the Lord?
John and Isaiah say,
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
All flesh—all that lives—will see the salvation of God.
Salvation is a BIG word that means fullness of life.
Everything we need for a full life.
Enough life and even more than enough.
Abundant life. (We like that word!)
Life of God.
What can this mean?
Who has fullness of life? Who has life that is so full, it is all light, no darkness? Who has life that is so full, there is no more death? Who has this fullness of life?
We know it is Jesus, who is born in Bethlehem, lives in the land of Israel, dies on the cross in Jerusalem, is buried and rises to new life, never, ever to die again.
This is the One with the fullness of life.
This is the One with salvation.
Could this be the One who is coming?
Could this be the Lord?