Advent is almost here and that means it’s time to open up the next edition of Our Sabbath Scripture Book.  Our Sabbath Scripture Book follows the Pauline family as they prepare for the Sunday Gospel in fun and creative ways.   By using this simple tool, you and your family will learn how to incorporate the Gospel into your daily life by bringing it to an easily understandable level.

To give you a little taste, here is the story for the upcoming Feast of Christ the King. (Sunday, November 25)   Try it with your family and we are fairly confident in predicting that this little bit of preparation will help all of you to get more out of each Sunday’s readings.

(Practical Hint: If your kids have a shorter attention span, it’s okay to just read the Gospel reading.)

Read aloud:         

• Daniel 7:13-14
• Revelation 1:5-8
• John 18:33b-37

Music filled the Pauline house this Sunday morning. The entire family was enjoying the Praise and Worship music they had received from Family Formation. It really set the tone for the time being spent getting ready for Mass.

Everyone was singing along. Then Dad yelled out over the music, “We have to do our Gospel reading for Mass now! Everyone downstairs!”

Lucy came and tugged on her dad’s sleeve. “But Dad, I had a question about one of the songs we just heard. I don’t get it!”

“We can answer your question after our Sabbath Scripture time, Lucy. Can it wait until then?” Mr. Pauline asked his daughter.

“I guess, Dad. It’s just that one song is confusing to me,” she said as she sat down with the others.

Dad opened his Bible and read from the Book of John, Chapter 18. When he was finished, he said to his family, “Today is a very important feast day in the Church. It is the feast day of Christ the King! Father will be wearing white vestments, and it is a great celebration to end our liturgical year! Mass will really be special this morning.”

“Wasn’t this reading fitting?” Mom added. “Jesus tells us that His kingdom is not here on earth, but He has an eternal and everlasting Kingship. He is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords!”

Lucy stood up. “That is exactly what I wanted to ask Dad about!” she said. “That’s what I don’t get! The song kept repeating, ‘He is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords,’ and now Mom just said the same thing! What does King of kings, and Lord of lords even mean?”

“Super question, Lucy!” her dad said. “I am really proud of you for asking such a great question.”

“And on this feast day of Christ the King, could we also say it was ‘divinely inspired’?” Mom asked, as she winked knowingly at her husband.

Vincent spoke up. “Let me try to answer it, Dad.”

“Okay, Son,” Dad said, as he leaned back in his chair to listen.

“Well, the way I figure it, is that you take all the kings in the world … the king of Norway … the king of France … the king of Spain … the Lion King … Burger King … the king of the hill … every king you can possibly think of, and put them all in a huge bowl. Well, even with all that king power in that bowl, Jesus still is the King over the whole lot of them!”

“Interesting way of putting it, Vincent!” Dad nodded to his son as he chuckled. “The ‘bowl’ is full of kings, but all that kingness has only one King. And Jesus is also King over each one of us, too!”

“And it is the same way with the Lord of lords!” Vincent went on to explain. “You take every lord that ever was, or ever will be, put them into a bowl, and Jesus is the Lord over all of them, too!”

“I like the way you put things, Vincent!” Mom smiled. “Jesus’ reign as King and Lord is an eternal reign, and not just limited to here on earth.”

“And all of us are included in that ‘bowl of lord,’ ” Dad said, “Especially me!”

“Why especially you, Dad?” Vincent asked.

“Haven’t I always said I’m the lord of my castle?” Dad laughed.

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.
(John 18:37d)

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

Make a list of all the royalty you can think of.
Do you know that Jesus has Kingship and Lordship over all of these,
and each one of us, too?

We are about to start Cycle C and you can purchase a copy on our website, or by stopping in the Family Formation office any time during regular office hours.