[The following is a story I wrote for today's Kids' Mass - the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B. A mysterious line in today's gospel is, "It was about four in the afternoon." So I weaved that into this imaginary story.]
Once upon a time there was a 3rd grade kid named Andrew.
Now Andrew had an older brother named Peter - who was in the 5th grade.
Now Peter rubbed it in at times that he was the older, the smarter, the stronger, the bigger and the better brother.
Andrew remained quiet - knowing - he was really the smarter brother. He also thought he had the better name. Okay, Andrew wasn’t the bigger or stronger or older brother - but Andrew had a quiet, healthy, funny confidence in himself. Moreover, who wouldn’t want to have the great name of “Andrew” - a much better name that “Peter”?
Their mom and dad went to church every Sunday with their two boys. And their 2 boys, not being in Catholic School - went to the Faith Formation - Religious Education classes - in their parish that took place for their age - after Mass every Sunday morning.
Now Andrew had a buddy - named Eli - his parents were Giant’s Fans. One day Andrew asked Eli if he ever went to church. Eli said, “I think we’re Catholics - but mom and dad don’t go to church.” And Eli added, “And they have never taken my sister and I to church. Wait a minute”, Eli said, “I think we went to Christmas Mass two ago. I think it was two years ago - when I was little.”
Now Eli and Andrew were the best of friends - playing Wii, lacrosse, basketball and chess together.
Well, one Sunday afternoon, it was about 4 in the afternoon, Andrew was telling his buddy Eli about the neat thing that happened in their religious education class that morning. Eli said, “I’d love to go with you to church and religion class some Sunday.”
Andrew told his dad that Sunday evening - at the halftime of the football game - what Eli had said. His dad said, “Well, we could take him next Sunday - but I better ask Eli’s dad first.”
Andrew’s dad saw Eli’s dad the following Saturday at their sons’ basketball game. He mentioned that his son Andrew mentioned that Eli would like to go to church with Andrew. Then Andrew’s dad said, “We could take him, but I wanted to ask you first.”
Eli’s dad became very, very, very, very silent when he heard this.
“Uh oh,” Andrew’s dad said to himself. “I just hit some kind of a memory button in Eli’s dad.”
Then Eli’s dad said, “Well, I’ll ask Eli and if you want to take him, no problem. It can’t do any harm.”
Andrew’s dad made a sort of silent, “Phew!” at that.
Andrew’s dad didn’t hear anything from Eli’s dad for that Sunday.
However, Eli’s dad must have asked Eli about this - because Andrew’s dad got a call that following Saturday afternoon around 4 o’clock - saying Eli could go to Mass with Andrew’s family the next day - Sunday morning.
Andrew felt good at Mass - being there with his best friend - that Sunday morning. And the religious education class great that day. Andrew went up to his teacher before class and told his teacher that he had brought his best friend with him. The teacher welcomed Eli. Then the whole class welcomed him. Third graders can be really friendly.
The same thing happened the next Sunday - and the Sunday after that - and the Sunday after that.
Now the story changes a bit….
Without knowing it, something happened to Eli’s mom and dad. They were sort of embarrassed a bit - or some feeling like that - because someone else’s parents were taking their son to Mass and Faith Formation or Religious Education.
At a basketball game - not a practice - the following Saturday - about 4 PM in the afternoon a surprise happened.
Eli’s dad was sitting with Andrew’s dad watching their sons playing together in a basketball game. It was half way through the second half and the score was 14 to 6. Their two sons’ team was winning.
Eli’s dad said, “I been thinking. I was baptized a Catholic many years ago - but my parents rarely went to church and we are just like them - my wife and I. We really have never gone to church. We were thinking the other night - seeing how this made Eli sad that we didn’t go to church like you and your wife. Maybe we should look into this.”
Andy’s dad felt joyful at this news - but he also felt a bit nervous about what to say next. He was happy that his son Andrew started all this - but what now? He wondered if he was over his head here.
Then he said, “Why not come to church tomorrow - the same time as us - and surprise your son?”
Then during the Mass watch the priest. See if he’s someone you could talk to. If not, try another priest. We have several priests at our parish. They are all old and a bit overweight - but they are nice guys - and each one of them is different.
“Okay,” said Eli’s dad.
The next day - Sunday - they came to church - stood in the back - and searched for where Andrew’s parents were sitting. Finally, they spotted Andrew’s mom and dad and two sons, Peter and Andrew - as well as their son Eli.
Surprise. Wow was Eli surprised when his mom and dad and his sister got into the bench next to Andrew. It was a tight fit, but they filled a whole bench.
It was a powerful moment - not just for Eli - but for both sets of parents. Eli’s sister and Andrew’s brother - being out of the loop - didn’t understand why their parents were crying - several times during the Mass. They were mixed feelings tears - feelings of joy and feelings of something else.
This doesn’t happen - most of the time - but the First Reading that Sunday told the story about a priest named Eli and the Sunday Gospel that Sunday morning told the story of Andrew going to his brother and telling him that he had found Jesus. Eli and Andrew both elbowed each other - first when Eli's name was mentioned and next when Andrew's name was mentioned on the same day. "How about that!" they thought. Andrew had the added delight that his name was being mentioned in church. It’s usually Peter - but today his name was mentioned. Once more he felt more important that his brother Peter.
It was about 4 o’clock that Sunday afternoon that Andrew began to realize a tiny bit about what he had done - getting Eli and his sister and their parents to go to church - and he gave a pump fist in the air to Jesus. He had seen football players do that - when they get a touchdown. Now he knew just what that meant.
And better good news, that Sunday morning after Mass - while Eli and Andrew were in Religion Class, Eli’s parents and their daughter went up to the priest and introduced themselves. They asked if they could make an appointment to see him.
Bottom line: Eli’s sister began going to faith formation in the 2nd grade and Eli’s parents attended the RCIA program in the parish. They found out this program wasn’t just for non-Catholics who were thinking of becoming Catholics - but also for Catholics who never really got any religious education in the Catholic Faith in the first place.
Peter - Andrew’s brother - didn’t catch any of this story - and this was fine for Andrew. He liked being the hero of the story. Amen.
