(If your parish is using the readings from year A, please click here for reflection.)
(for the 3-6 yr old, just verse 16)
In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about love and we hear about gifts.
“For God so loved the world...
Jesus tells us that God so loves the world. But what is the world? What does Jesus mean?
The world is our earth where we live. This is what our earth looks like from way out in space:
We can see blue water. We can see brown land. We can see white clouds. God loves it all.
“For God so loved the world...
Who lives on this earth, in our world?
So many plants! So many animals! God loves them all.
“For God so loved the world...
And who else lives in this world?
WE DO!
God loves us, too!
Jesus says, that because God so loves the world,
he gave his only Son
God gives Jesus to the world.
God gives Jesus to the water, the land, the clouds.
God gives Jesus to the plants and animals.
God gives Jesus to us!
What a gift! But how does God give Jesus to us?
We know that God gives Jesus to us as a little baby, born to Mary in the town of Bethlehem, whose bed is a manger.
We know that God gives Jesus to us as the Good Shepherd who calls each of his sheep by name. The Good Shepherd leads his sheep and gives them everything they need. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
We know that God gives Jesus to us at the Last Supper when he takes the bread and says, "This is my body." Jesus gives all of himself to us at the Last Supper when he takes the wine and say, "This is my blood." He gives us his life.
We know that Jesus gives all of himself to us on the cross when he dies and everyones thinks it is the end. But we know this is not the end! God so loves the world that God raises Jesus to new life, never to die again! God gives Jesus eternal life.
God gives eternal life to Jesus, but that's not all! God gives us Jesus,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
God so loves the world that God wants the world to have eternal life, too.
So much love.
So many gifts.
What is in our hearts now? What do we want to say to God for all this love and for Jesus, the greatest gift?