Our Sabbath Scripture Stories – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Read or listen to this Sunday’s Mass readings here.

  • 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
  • 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
  • John 1:35-42

All the breakfast dishes had been put away as the January sunshine poured into the Pauline’s kitchen.  It was a glorious Sunday morning.  Mass was only an hour away, and it was time for the family to reflect on the Scripture readings they soon would be hearing.

Dad got out the Bible, and the family all scrambled for their assigned seats at the large dining room table.  They looked around and noticed that Mom hadn’t sat down yet.  She was still in the kitchen, pulling something out of the cupboard.  Everyone looked up curiously as Mom came in carrying four hands cut out of colored construction paper.  On the hands, which each had a pointed finger, were written the words:

WHO – WHAT – WHERE – COME AND SEE

Mom handed out the pointed finger cards: one to Lucy, one to Vincent, one to Hillary, and one to Mary Clare.  She figured Baby Ben was content with his arrowroot cookie.

“What is this about?” they all seemed to ask together.

“You will see,” she said.

Mom then laid down a sheet of cardboard in the middle of the table.  The piece of cardboard had a big question mark on it.

“Okay, now,” Mom said. “Your dad is going to read to us the Gospel for today. We are going to hear about John the Baptist pointing the way to someone. I gave you cards shaped like pointed fingers. When he gets to the person John was talking about, we will put down the cards, either Who, What, Where, or Come and See, on the table with the pointed finger going towards the big question mark. We all have to listen especially close, okay? But I think it will be a lot of fun!”

“Yea!” they said, “it does sound like fun!”  The Pauline children all assumed positions like they were off on a race.

Dad began: “John was in Bethany across the Jordan with two of his disciples, ’and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ’ ”  (John 1:36)

“That’s mine!” Vincent called out.  “I have who, and the who is Jesus, the Lamb of God!”

“You are absolutely right, Vincent,” Dad said, and Vincent proudly placed his card so that it pointed to the square in the middle of the table.

Dad continued, ” ‘The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.  Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” ‘ ” (John 1:37-38a)

“I have what!” cried out Hillary, and she proudly placed her card pointing toward the center question mark.

Dad nodded in agreement, and went on.  ” ‘They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ‘ “  (John 1:38b)

“Where!” shouted Lucy.  “They asked Jesus where do you stay!”  And she placed her card down.

“Great, Lucy!” Dad said.  “Now the Gospel continues, ‘He said to them, “Come, and you will see,”  So … ‘ ”  (John 1:39a)

Mary Clare interrupted.  “I have come and see!” she said, and she put her card down also.

Now all the cards were down, all pointed at the large question mark.

“What now?” Vincent asked.            

“Just keep listening!” Dad said, and he continued reading. ” ‘Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” ’ (John 1:40-41)  And look, Kids, what we find when we turn over our large question mark!”

Mom reached over and turned the card over.  On the other side was a big picture of Jesus. 

“You see, Kids, this is the call of every Christian,” Dad said.  “We all, in some way, are challenged with the questions: what are we looking for? and where do we find it? And then, we are directed to come and see.  John the Baptist pointed the way to Jesus, just like our cards here do.  And if we follow the paths of love, we too can say, ‘We have found the Messiah!’ “

A few soft “Wows!” were heard from the kids.  Mom and Dad smiled at each other just then.  This little game Mom thought up really brought home the Gospel message for that day!

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