Children's Liturgy, Sunday February 21st 2010.

The FIRST SUNDAY of LENT.
Lent means Springtime. Even though we had deep snow outside the church today, we remembered that people often begin to clean out their houses- spring clean- at this time of the year. So it is that in this period running up to Easter, we rethink our lives in relation to God. We prepare ourselves for the rising of Jesus from the tomb, after he has died on the cross to show us how much God loves us.
In the Gospel reading today (Luke 4: 1-13), we are told that Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, going without food and being tempted to use his powers for his own sake. He chose not to do so.
In some countries, Lent means the 'Forty Days', or 'Time of Fasting.

Some people choose to give up part of their food or treats during this period and to help others by giving the money they would have spent. In our parish, we can take home boxes from CAFOD, which we can fill with change. At the end of Lent, the money will be sent to Haiti, where there has been a terrible earthquake and the people have lost everything.


We talked about giving things up, but also about the extra things we could do to show we want to be like Jesus in caring for other people. One child said she had done all the washing up at home one day, even though it wasn't her turn.

We were introduced to a new member of our liturgy- Mr.'Never-sees-the-good-in-anything'.
During the next six weeks, we are going to help Mr.'Never-sees-the-good-in-anything' to look at life in a different way. As we return into church we hear the song,'What a wonderful world' and we are going to help him see the good things in life that are around him every day, and make him see what a wonderful world he lives in.

By the end of Lent, we are going to turn him into Mr.'Always-looks-for-the-good-in-something'.

As you can see, Mr.'Never-sees-the-good-in-anything' looks a little untidy. although he is wearing lots of bold jewellery, which he thinks is really rather important.
He does not seem to take much pride in himself, or his appearance. This can sometimes be a disadvantage.
He does have some friends, but often cannot be bothered to keep in touch with them. They are sometimes put off by his untidy appearance and grumpy manner, as he always moans about everything.
This week, we give Mr.'Never-sees-the-good-in-anything' a fresh pair of eyes, to help him see the beautiful things around him and friends that really do care about him.
Jesus chose not to use his power to show off. Mr.'Never-sees-the-good-in-anything' realises today that he does not need his 'bling', so he will remove it. He will sell it and give the money to charity.

Today, we also give ourselves new eyes, so we can see God's blessings and what is really important. We hope to notice when others need our help; also to see the wonderful gifts we have in our lives.
Look at the words to the hymn we sang after Communion today- they say of Jesus:
'I want you more than gold or silver,
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
and the apple of my eye.'
And this is what someone drew before we went back into church!
Dear God,
Sometimes our lives are so busy, we fail to see the good things that we have and only seem to focus on the bad.
Please help us during these times to appreciate the wonderful world we live in.
Amen.
Last week Frankie told you about the pilgrimage to Malta. During the time there he went to mass at a church called St. Patrick's at Sliema. In the hallway, he saw a lovely poster called the Salesian Creed, which tells of the belief that all young people belong to God. Father Joe Cini, the chaplain, said we could reproduce the poster on our site, so here it is.
The church of St. Patrick's is administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco- an international Congregation of Fathers and Brothers founded in 1869 by St. Don Bosco. The Salesians are mainly involved in the education and religious teaching of young people, especially the poor.
As we are on the subject of eyes today, Frankie thought you might be interested to know that Maltese fishing boats often have 'eyes' - the eyes of Osiris-to guard them from danger. Perhaps you would like to make an 'eye' mobile to remind you to try to take a fresh look at things during Lent! Please tell Frankie if you make one!
And here is another reminder, this time in puzzle form-spot the 6 differences!- of the story of how St. Paul took Christianity to the Maltese islands.
 
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