KIDS HELP JESUS

[The following is a story for our Kids' Mass - this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C]

Jesus was talking to some kids just after he was telling his disciples his story about the widow and the judge.

One kid said, “Good story Jesus, but I wouldn’t make it a widow and a judge - because that might not grab or interest kids like us.”

“Okay,” said Jesus, “How would you tell the story about nagging someone to get your way and that's the way to pray to God! You got to nag him.”

[Silence….]

Well, that got those kids thinking. The kids were wrinkling their foreheads above their eyes as they were trying to figure out just how to tell Jesus’ story better than Jesus told it.

[Pause….]

“Okay, said Jacob,  “I have this fat dog - named Fig - and my mom and dad told me to stop feeding Fig so much food - because he’s getting too, too fat. But my mom and dad are always working. They don’t hang around with Fig like I hang around with Fig - like all the time. All the time he somehow mysteriously shows up and just stands there whenever I’m near food. He’s always begging, begging, begging - begging for more food. Now that’s the way to pray. Be like my dog Fig - who whenever he smells food, he wants food and he never, ever, like never  stops begging, begging, begging for food. Now that’s the way to pray.”

“Not bad,” said Jesus. “Not bad. Anybody else?”

Judith said, “There’s this girl in my  class named Deborah. She’s a real pest to every teacher that she ever, ever had. But one thing about her. Whenever our teacher asks a question, Deborah somehow is the first one - every time - to raise her hand. She keeps saying, ‘Teacher, teacher, teacher,’ till our teacher calls on her - just to get her to put her hand down and stop saying, ‘Teacher, teacher, teacher!’ Now that’s the way to pray. Keep raising your hand till God - and keep saying, ‘God! God! God!’ till God finally hears you yelling at him and keeps on seeing you have your hand up and God finally answers your prayers -  just to shut you up Now that’s the way to pray.”

And Jesus said, “Wonderful! You got my message - and you said it so much better than I said it.  Thank you.”

And Judith bowed and said, “You’re welcome!”

And Rebecca said, “Jesus I got a story.”

Jesus said, “Okay, Rebecca. I’m listening. How would you tell my story?”

“Well,” said Rebecca, “My father has a little spot in the market place where he sells wheat flour. Now he gives everyone exactly the exact amount of flour that they want. He never cheats with his measurements - like some wheat and barley flour merchants do in the marketplace. Well, I once said to him, ‘Daddy why don’t you look at the clothes of the people who come for flour. If they are poor, give them more.’ My dad said, ‘I can’t do that. We’ll go  broke.’ I said to him, ‘Dad do it and watch the smile on the face of the person buying the flour.’ He kept on saying, ‘No, no, no. I can’t do that.’ Well, I kept saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes. You can do that!’ Well just to prove me wrong - or maybe just to shut me up, he did it. And guess what happened? Everybody talked about how generous my dad was - and then everyone came to him for flour - and his flour booth in the market was the most popular place in the whole market. People would ask for 2 scoops of flour. He would say, ‘Open up your cloak!’ And he would pour in two scoops - then he would shake it and add some more and then he would pack it down and add some more. You should see the smile on the smile on his face every time this happens. So see nagging works every time. That’s the way to get your way to our Father.’”

“Wow!” said Jesus. “Great example. Can I use that the next time I preach?”

And Rebecca smiled as big a smile as her dad has at his little spot in the marketplace.

“Any more?” asked Jesus.

Zach said, “Whenever I ask my father for an egg or a piece of fish, he gives it to me - but I have to ask him 100 times - so I have learned to wear him down. Once I was driving him so crazy, that when I asked for a piece of bread he gave me a rock - but then he realized you don’t do that to a kid - so he gave me a whole goat for me to feast on with my friends. I learned you got to ask if you want to get. So I guess it’s just like praying to Our Father for our daily bread. Ask and you’ll receive. Knock and your father will open up the door for you - every time.”

Jesus was amazed at how much kids knew. The next day when he was talking to his disciples, he saw them trying to tell kids to be seen but not heard. In other words, “Get lost!”  But Jesus got angry at them and said, “Unless you’re like little children - you won’t enter into the kingdom of God. Unless you’re like little children, you won’t understand the Kingdom of God.”