Year A: December 26, 2010
First Reading: Isaiah 63:7-9
Mama’s Little Bears by Nancy Tafuri (Written for Grades PreK-1)
Comment: Isaiah speaks of the presence of the Lord saving, redeeming, and carrying the people. This text serves as a reminder that God’s presence is dependable, no matter where we find ourselves. Readers will notice Mama Bear’s presence throughout her little bears’ adventures. She can be spotted in the background during each adventure and is there with a hug as soon as they call her. Like Mama Bear, God is present throughout our adventures, and there full of love and mercy for even before we call out to God.
Second Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18
God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Written for Grades K-3)
Comment: “There is a sense in which the life of Jesus creates the space for envisioning new realities of peace, healing, wholeness, and community for the present moment and the months ahead.” (Feasting on the Word, Year A, Volume 1, p. 158) Jesus came to save the children of God, he became human like us, and he calls us family. Jesus shows us, his brothers and sisters, how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. God’s Dream describes what it is like to live as God’s family. Despite our differences, we are all God’s children; through acts of “sharing, loving, and caring” we can work together to bring about the Kingdom and help make God’s dream come true.
The Cobweb Curtain by Jenny Koralek (Written for Grades K-3)
Comment: “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt… Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” In Matthew the angel warns Joseph of Herod’s intention to harm Jesus and encourages the family to flee. In The Cobweb Curtain, a shepherd overhears the angry Herod. He works to save Jesus’ family and helps them hide in a cave overnight as they prepare to flee to Egypt. A spider spins a web that conceals the holy family from Herod’s soldiers, keeping them safe from harm. The story also serves to explain why some people decorate their trees with tinsel.