1st Sunday of Advent, Year A
6-9 year olds
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of preparing for the feast of the the light of God coming into the world. The colour for the season is purple.
We know that Jesus is the light of the world and that he was born in Bethlehem.
We know that he grew to be a man and he taught many things about the Kingdom of God.
We know that he gave all of himself in the bread and the wine before he died.
And we know that on the third day, he rose to new life--so full of the life of God that he can never die again.
We also know that he will come again. He said so. We call this time to come Parousia.
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us about the time when he comes again.
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.
Well that doesn't sound so good, does it? Taken where? Left alone? Which is better? Why will it be like this?
I notice that in the field there are two people. Grinding meal together are two women. Not four or twelve or twenty. Two. And Jesus doesn't say, "half of the people will be taken." Each time he says there are two before, and then there will be one.
When I was a little girl, my mum used to read a book to me called "The Good Little Bad Little Girl." At first it seemed it was about two little girls who lived in a house, one who did all the good things and one who did all the bad things. Eventually we found out that it was really only one girl, who made good choices sometimes and bad choices sometimes. Like all of us.
When I consider my own choices, there are some I wished I had never made. I wish I could turn back time and try again. In the sacrament of Reconciliation, I receive God's forgiveness, and that is a huge gift. I am grateful. But I am still not fully the person I was created to be. I am not yet in the likeness of God.
I wonder, when Jesus comes, if the me I was not meant to be will be taken away, and the me God created me to be will be left. And then I will be one.
If this is the way it is with each of us, then we will be one.
And God will be all-in-all.
