(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)
Deep in our hearts, we all want to know God. How can we know?
Jesus helps. He tells us so many good things. He says,
I Am the Light of the World.
We can see light—we know how beautiful it is.
We can feel light—we know how good and warm it is.
We know light. We know Jesus.
Jesus says,
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
There's more! There is always more. But Jesus tells his disciples that they are not ready yet. They need to wait. It is difficult to wait.
Jesus tells his disciples this before he dies and rises to new life. He tells them this before he returns to God. The disciples can see Jesus now. They can feel Jesus now. They know him. How will they know him when he returns to God? How will they know him when they cannot see him?
How will they know God?
Jesus says,
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth
The Spirit of truth—another name for the Holy Spirit. What is truth?
Truth is what is real.
What we can see is real. We know what we see.
What we can hear is real. We know what we hear.
What we can touch is real. We know what we touch.
But what about what we cannot see, what we cannot hear, what we cannot touch? Can we know more?
There is always more.
The Holy Spirit, Jesus says, guides us into all truth, into all that is real.
Some things are real that we cannot see.
When a seed dies and is buried under the earth, we cannot see it. But we know it is there. We know it is real. Under the ground, it begins to grow new life. We cannot see roots begin to grow under the ground. We cannot see what happens under the earth. But we know. We know even what we cannot see. We know truth.
The Holy Spirit, Jesus says, guides us into all truth.
When Jesus dies and is buried, God raises him to new life. Does anyone watch? Does anyone see? No. But it is real. It is truth.
We know even what we cannot see. We know truth.
The Holy Spirit, Jesus says, guides us into all truth.
How do we know God if we cannot see God, we cannot hear God, we cannot feel God?
We know.
We know God because the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, guides us into all truth.