LENTEN SCRIPT - FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Meet today's cast...
Fr. Charlie: Quite a wit, pastor of our flock	Jill: Bubbly personality. Jokes around and loves candy.
James: Gentle, big brother to Scooter, little serious, teaches things to Scooter and tries to keep Scooter under control.	And introducing Scooter: Always "scooting" around, going in all directions, busy, busy, busy, trying to learn to take time to slow down.

FR. CHARLIE: Good Morning! Can anyone tell me what last Wednesday was called?

CHILDREN RESPOND: Ash Wednesday!

FR. CHARLIE: YES! and do you know what this time is called from now until Easter?

CHILDREN RESPOND: Lent!

FR. CHARLIE: Very good! Lent is a very special time of the year and I brought some friends with me to help me talk about it. Come on out!.....................

(JILL, JAMES, and SCOOTER come out waving to everyone)

FR. CHARLIE: Boys and girls, do you see someone you remember?

CHILDREN: James and Jill!

FR. CHARLIE: James, who came with you today?

JAMES: This is my brother, Scooter. Say hello to everyone Scooter……

SCOOTER: HI!!!!

JILL: Fr. Charlie, why are we here today?

FR. CHARLIE: Well, the 3 of you are going to help me explain the meaning of Lent, ok? Now..….look in front of you.

JAMES: WOW! What’s this gift doin’ here?

SCOOTER: I’ve got one too!

JILL: Me too! Is it Christmas again? That’s when James and I were here before… talking about the Giving Tree and presents….uh ha..must be that time again!

FR. CHARLIE: No, Jill, it’s not Christmas, but it is about gifts. Each of you can open your box in a few minutes but don’t open it until I tell you…..

Scooter: Starting to open the box to peek in..

FR. CHARLIE: ESPECIALLY YOU SCOOTER (Scooter abruptly halts)—I know you like to scoot around but you are going to have to be still for a few minutes, ok?

SCOOTER: O.K.

FR. CHARLIE: Ok..now, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter.

JAMES: EASTER! YIPPEE! I love Easter. Hey Scooter, we’re gonna get new shoes, new clothes, some toys and candy……(Scooter is jumping around)

JILL: CANDY!!! candy, candy, candy, candy, and MORE candy, candy, candy, candy????? I can say it 40 times!

FR. CHARLIE: No, we are not going to listen to you say it 40 times but 40 is a very important number because Lent lasts for 40 days. A LONG TIME ago, Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying..he ate very little and talked to God.

Scooter: starts opening box again and the children in audience are telling Fr. Charlie

FR. CHARLIE: SCOOTER! (Scooter halts quickly)

JILL: That word fasting—my Mom said she is NOT going to eat CANDY for Lent (ha-ha all the more for me)

JAMES: Yeah, and our Dad said he’s NOT going to eat desserts and…..

FR. CHARLIE: Well, that’s good and you will hear a lot of people saying they’re NOT going to do something during Lent. But, maybe, it would help TO TRY TO DO new things.…Let me ask you all something? Where do you think Lent is?

SCOOTER: Where is Lent????????? In Massachusetts?

FR. CHARLIE: No

JILL: In a candy store?

FR. CHARLIE: No

JAMES: At McDonalds?

FR. CHARLIE: No, but I’ll ask you again later. The clues may be found in your gift boxes. Are you ready to look? ………….One puppet at a time.

ALL PUPPETS—ME FIRST- ME FIRST- ME FIRST

FR. CHARLIE: Scooter, you can open yours first.

SCOOTER: (Open it quickly, talking quickly) --A MIRROR?????? A mirror! (shows the audience) Fr. Charlie—you are being silly! What’s this got to do with Lent?

FR. CHARLIE: Lent is a time to take a REAL look at yourself. How does that person in the mirror treat his mom, or dad, grandparents, teacher, the boy in school who is having a hard time, the elderly neighbor who might need some help. Scooter, what do you see?

SCOOTER: (looking in mirror) I see someone who’s cute and GOOOOOD looking!

FR. CHARLIE: Scooter—are you “good-acting?” Do you think that for 40 days you can try and do something nice for someone, even when you don’t want to? The more you do, the easier it gets, you’ll feel good, and you’ll want to do more. ……James, it’s your turn.

JAMES: Oh boy, oh boy----Hey…..A clock? What kind of gift is that? You ARE funny, Fr. Charlie—but I don’t understand the joke.

FR. CHARLIE: Oh, it’s no joke. What does a clock do?

JAMES: It tells time?

SCOOTER: (Starts jumping around)—TIME! TIME! Oh, no, what time is it? I’ve gotta go eat, then go to my friend’s house, then go to basketball practice, and then ......

JILL: Here he goes again—I think he’s gettin’ ready to explode!

JAMES: SCOOTER! STOP! (Scooter abruptly halts like he comes to attention) You just go tooooooooooooooo FAST sometimes! Now LISTEN to Fr. Charlie.

FR. CHARLIE: James you said 2 important words, FAST AND LISTEN—Remember I told you about Jesus fasting and only eating a little food? Well, there’s another way of fasting----like not talking.

JILL: NOT TALKING! No way, Jose…can’t be done…impossible. I NEEEEED to talk to my friends…that’s why God gave us a telephone so we can talk to our friends, RIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT????

FR. CHARLIE: Well, there is a way you can still talk, and talk to a friend, but you don’t need a telephone.

JILL: But, I don’t have any friends without a telephone.

SCOOTER: You have a computer and you can EEEEEEMAIL your friends! It’s fun to TYPE AND TYPE AND TYPE AND TYPE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

FR. CHARLIE: No, that’s not it either. You can talk by praying and your friend is Jesus. Slow down…..take TIME, even if you only begin with 5 minutes a day to say a prayer. Jesus is your friend and He wants to LISTEN.

JAMES: HE DOES! So, I guess time can be a GIFT, if we spend it with Jesus. (acts like he is thinking) Hey, Fr. Charlie, we can talk to Jesus by KNEE-MAIL!! (Laugh & repeat)

FR. CHARLIE: KNEE-MAIL! That’s a good one, James! You can pray while you sit in a chair, ride in the car, or on your KNEES before you go to bed…. Jill-----your turn.

JILL: It’s CANDY!!!!...Life Savers and LOTS OF them! I got my gift……good-bye!

FR. CHARLIE: Wait a minute, Jill. What else is in there?

JILL: LETTUCE! LETTUCE???? First a mirror, then a clock, and now LETTUCE! For 40 days I have to give up candy and eat LETTUCE! I’m not like the Easter Bunny!

FR. CHARLIE: No, Jill let me explain. I’ve asked our friend Brian to come and help me explain Lent too. Come on out, Brian!

(Brian will come out with a marker and go to the easel—everyone says hello)

FR. CHARLIE: Brian, on one side of the paper please write the letters “L”…“E”…“N”…“T”
(Brian puts letters underneath each other like a list)
Good! Now, Jill, when you look at me, what is a round shape?

JILL: Your TUMMY! (Fr. Charlie shakes head no)
I know, your GOOGLY EYES! (Fr. Charlie shakes head no & James/Scooter laugh) Your head?

FR. CHARLIE: Yes! Brian can you draw a head (just draws a circle)

JAMES: Fr. Charlie, isn’t that head missing some things?

FR. CHARLIE: Hmmm, that’s right. Puppets, think about what you found in your boxes. What does it tell us about Lent?............ Jill, what was in your box?

JILL: Lettuce but what does that have to do with…Hmmm, Lettuce…Lettuce…LET US

SCOOTER: (jumping up & down) I know, I know….
“ LETTUCE” Look to see how we are treating others (Brian draws eyes in the circle)

JILL: “LETTUCE” use our Ears to hear if someone needs our help (Brian draws ears)

SCOOTER: (sniffing all around-even starts sniffing James)
“ LETTUCE” use our Nose to sniff and find new things to do for Jesus (draws nose)

JAMES: and “LETTUCE” use our Tongue to take time and pray (draws a mouth)

FR. CHARLIE: WHAT DID BRIAN DRAW A PICTURE OF? (audience will say, “Head” or “Face”) YES!
Now, boys and girls, it’s your turn to point to something on your face. Ready?
(Brian will point to the things as puppets say them)

SCOOTER: “L”-- Look to see how you are treating others (everyone points to eyes)

JILL: “E”--Use your Ears to hear if someone needs your help (everyone points to ears)

SCOOTER: “N” -- Use your Nose to sniff and find new things to do for Jesus

JAMES: “T”--Use your Tongue to take time and pray

FR. CHARLIE: Now, WHERE do you think Lent is?

JAMES AND SCOOTER: (They look at each other and then say) In me?????

FR. CHARLIE: Excellent!

JILL: But what’s that got to do with all these Life-Savers? Oh, I get it! If we try to do the things in L-E-N-T for 40 days, we can be life-savers to other people!

FR. CHARLIE: YES! Just like Jesus is to us…
(FATHER CHARLIE—I AM GOING TO LET YOU SUMMARIZE HERE)

So, Puppets, THE PUPPET PULPIT PASSWORD for today is what?

JAMES, SCOOTER, JILL: LENT!

FR. CHARLIE: Let me hear everyone say it! “LENT!”
And show me where Lent is! “Me…eyes, ears, nose, and tongue”

(Brian and the puppets say good-bye)
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