Advent has begun 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 this coming Sunday, the 2nd Sunday in Advent. (Practical Hint: If your kids have a shorter attention span, it’s okay to just read the Gospel reading.) 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 this Sunday’s readings.
Read aloud:
- Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
- 2 Peter 3:8-14
- Mark 1:1-8
It was a crisp Sunday morning. The Pauline family looked out their picture window at the snow that had piled up overnight. It was a huge, white blanket of snow covering everything they could see. There must have been 14 inches!
“Are we going to be able to make it to Mass today, Dad?” Lucy asked.
“I sure hope we can,” Dad answered. He looked again at all the snow and wondered to himself if the car could get through. The streets looked pretty congested and snow-packed.
Mom came back from the kitchen and said, “It looks like we might be stuck. But I think that we should prepare ourselves for Sunday Mass by reading today’s Scriptures. We’ll see if the snowplow comes in time to get us to church this morning. If it does, we will be ready to go!”
The Paulines gathered around the kitchen table, and Dad read from Mark, Chapter l. The reading told of John the Baptist who foretold the coming of Jesus by quoting the words of Isaiah, a great prophet of the Old Testament. John spoke loudly, saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” (Mark 1:3b) John went ahead of Jesus, telling people to remove any obstacles that would prevent them from entering into the full life God wants for them.
“Okay now, Kids,” Mr. Pauline said. “Who can give me an example of how something goes ahead of something else to prepare the way?”
The kids looked around the room. Nothing was coming to them. Mom and Dad looked from one blank face to the next.
Just then they heard a sharp, grinding noise. The noise was growing louder and louder. It was coming with power and might. It was the snowplow coming down the street!
Suddenly Vincent’s eyes brightened, and he leaped to his feet.
“That’s it!” Vincent exclaimed. “John the Baptist was like the snowplow! He prepared the way for Jesus, like the snowplow is going ahead of us so we can get to church this morning!”
“Yeah!” said Mary Clare. “The obstacles have been removed, and the path is now clear for us.”
John said, “I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8)
We just started Cycle B and you can purchase a copy on our website, or by stopping in the Family Formation office any time during regular office hours.
Are you looking for a gift idea for godchildren, nieces and nephews, or those other special children in your life? Consider a gift that promotes the Faith, gives them a better understanding of the Mass readings, and entertains them each week!
