(Adults, you could begin by lighting a candle before reading the reflection to your child. The quotations you could read directly from the Holy Bible so that your child sees that this is the Word of God.)
Luke 2.1-16
We waited so long, and now, at last, we celebrate the feast! Jesus, the Light, enters our world as a tiny baby, just like we do. He—the greatest one—becomes the smallest, just like us. Let us listen together to the moment of his birth.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.
Emperor Augustus is the king. He wants to count all the people in the world. He wants to know how many people are in his kingdom. Emperor Augustus knows many things. But Emperor Augustus does not know that on this night there will be one more person to count. He does not know that this one new person knows the Kingdom of God.
Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child
Joseph and Mary travel a very long way. They walk for days. They walk from their town called Nazareth all the way to Bethlehem. They have to walk slowly because Mary's tummy is very big. Inside of her, Jesus grows.
All around the world, mothers and fathers wait expectantly for the time to come for their babies to be born. Like all mothers and fathers, Mary and Joseph wait expectantly for the time to come for Jesus, the Light of the World.
While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
All around the world, babies come out of the warm place inside their mothers, into the world. Like all babies, Jesus, the Son of the Most High, comes out of the warm place inside of his mum, into the world.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth
All around the world, mothers wrap their babies in bands of cloth—in blankets—to keep them safe and warm. Like all mothers, Mary wraps her baby so that Jesus, Son of God, knows he is safe, so that he knows he is loved.
and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
All around the world, mothers lie their babies down in mangers—
Wait.
Mangers are for animals. They are wooden boxes filled with hay. Farm animals eat out of them.
Babies sleep in cradles.
Babies sleep in cribs.
Babies sleep in places prepared specially just for them.
Babies do NOT lie down in mangers.
Why does Jesus lie down in a manger?
Jesus, the Light of the World,
Jesus, the Son of the Most High,
Jesus, the Son of God,
lies in a manger, a feed box for animals -??
Why?
Why does someone so great come into a place where there is no cradle,
where there is no crib,
where there is nothing prepared specially just for him?
Why does someone so great become a baby so small?
We have to wonder.
Merry Christmas :)