Quote from Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (no. 21):
"The Church has always held the divine scriptures in reverence
no less than it accords to the Lord's body itself,
never ceasing--especially in the sacred liturgy--to receive the bread of life
from the one table of God's word and Christ's body,
and to offer it to the faithful."

Following are ideas for art or craft projects to enhance enjoyment of the Readings.
Using their hands to work with the Scriptures in art projects
prepares children to "work" with the Scriptures in their hearts as they mature.
Displayed art keeps the Scripture in view and in mind.

Included, too, are additional comments and thoughts about the Readings.

     My sister-in-law, Sally, died July 4, 2008 after a long battle with cancer.  Sally was a convert to          Catholicism.  A family member wrote:  "Yesterday while I was there, Msgr. Jagodsinski came for a visit.  I tried to leave so she could have some time with him alone, but they both wanted me to stay.  He gave us Communion and gave Sally the Rite of the Sick.  Then Sally wanted to say something.    It was very hard to understand her as her voice was weak and she was crying, but the Msgr. and I met afterwards and this is what we think she said and I roughly quote: 'When I was about 9, I was in the Episcopal Church in Doylestown sitting in a row in the middle on the right hand side.  The sun was shining through the window and I heard the priest, who was usually very boring, say something that jumped out at me and has been with me all these years.  I have tried to live my life this way and feel it is what has made me who I am.  I want people to know this is what I feel and how I have tried to live.  It is not that I am just nice; it is that I have tried to follow this way of living since then.'"
     The priest had quoted: Matthew 22:37-39 … Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest  Commandment.  And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as  yourself."

Open Wednesday    Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, B

1.  In the Gospel there is a verse I think student-artists would enjoy depicting using a
silhouette against a vibrant dawn sky.  The verse is, "Rising very early before dawn, Jesus left and went off to a deserted place where He prayed" (Mk 1:35).  Imagine
Jesus in prayer as dawn breaks.  Students can use the silhouette below; little children will need to have their silhouette cut out for them.  Encourage students to be
colorful and creative as they color the dawn sky; the vibrant sky can reflect Jesus'
vibrant prayer and His vibrant relationship with God the Father.

2.  In the Psalm there is the verse: "The Lord tells the number of the stars; He calls
each by name" (Ps 147:4).  This would be a good week to learn more about stars.  If you live in an area where there is not much ground light, gaze into the heavens on a clear evening.  By analogy, you and your child might just as well try to name grains of sand.  A nice picture of this verse can also be made.  Your child may want to glue yellow construction paper stars on a dark blue construction paper background.  Use the following star for the verse.  Tell your child that he/she is a "star"  and Jesus calls

him/her by name  :)  Quoting from Job: "While the morning stars sang in chorus …."
(Job 38:7).  Ask your "stars" to sing a morning praise-song.  I like,

     Praise Him, praise Him!
     Praise Him in the morning,
     Praise Him at the noon time.
     Praise Him, praise Him!
     Praise Him when the sun goes down!
You could add,
     Praise Him when the stars do shine!   :)

3.  Peruse the Book of Job.  Job dialogues with his three friends and the conversation
includes the wonders of  Almighty God.  So great is God that, "Behold, even the moon is not bright and the stars are not clear in His sight!" (Job 25:5).  Jesus, our Light, is so great that the moon and stars--including the sun--are dull by comparison.  God's response in chapters 38 and 39 is good reading.

4.  In the Second Reading, Paul foregoes a recompense for preaching the Good News.  John J. Pilch (The Cultural World of the Apostles, Liturgical Press, pp. 32) writes, "There are no free gifts in the Mediterranean world.  Every gift carries the expectation of a gift in return."  (Note in the Gospel the reciprocal giving: when Simon's mother-in-law is healed, she then serves Jesus.)   Paul preaching the Gospel free-of-charge underscores the radical nature of our faith as well as a godly conviction to share the Good News.

5.  Note in the Gospel that Jesus forbids the demons to speak of Him "because they knew Him" (Mk  1:34).  This is the first instance of what Scripture scholars call the "Messianic Secret": Jesus hiding His identity.  (From Christ in the Gospels of the Ordinary Sundays, by Raymond E. Brown, Liturgical Press, pp. 44.)

6.  Hans Urs von Balthasar links the Readings: 1) Jesus works preaching and healing
tirelessly and then prays in the early morning hours.  2) Paul follows our Lord's example as closely as he can.  And 3) Job says man is a "slave who longs for the shade."    Von Balthasar writes, "Christ and His Apostles do not contradict [Job's] description of human life.  The 'restlessness' that Job speaks of simply becomes the unrestrainable zeal to work for God and His Kingdom, whether through external activity or involvement in prayer."  Light of the Word, Ignatius Press, pp.166-168.

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