Essex County Council

Support materials forReligious Education

Key Stage 1

CHRISTIAN STORIES

CHRISTIAN STORIES

I. Stories about Jesus- The story of the birth of Jesus (told in four parts)- The boy Jesus is lost in the Temple- John baptises Jesus- Jesus chooses twelve special friends- Jesus finds a quiet place- Jesus blesses the children- Poem: ‘What is a good friend?’ (Mary Martha and Lazarus – three friends of

Jesus)- Zacchaeus: the man with no friends- A poem for Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter)- Death and new life (the death and resurrection of Jesus)

II. Stories that Jesus told- Poem: The good Samaritan- Three stories about finding something that has been lost (the lost sheep, the lost

coin and the lost son)- The houses built on rock and sand- The sower and the seeds- Poem: The growth of the mustard seed- The lilies of the field

III. Stories about some special Christians- Androcles and the lion- Saint Francis and the wolf- The story of Thomas Barnardo- “Something beautiful for God”: the story of Mother Theresa

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I. Stories about Jesus

The story of the birth of Jesus (told in four parts)The story of the birth of Jesus can be found in only two of the four gospels, those of Matthew and Luke. We can be certain that Jesus was born in the Roman province of Judea just before the start of the first century, but scholarly opinion varies over the extent to which the gospel narratives reflect the actual circumstances of Jesus’ birth. Both of the accounts are rich in symbolism, and by locating the birthplace in Bethlehem, both Matthew and Luke were establishing a clear link between Jesus and King David. Matthew’s version in particular is very much concerned with showing how the events surrounding the birth of Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies: “Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7.14); “Thou Bethlehem … out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5.2); “There shall come a star out of Jacob” (Numbers 24.17); “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 60.3); “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts” (Psalm 72.10). It is interesting that the shepherds feature solely in Luke’s account and the wise men in Matthew’s. The idea that there were three kings is a later addition to the story. Matthew refers only to wise men from the east.

Part 1. Mary and Joseph are given shelter (Matthew 1.18-24; Luke 1.26-38, 2.1-6)For this story, we are going to travel back in time and go to a far away land called Israel. Many people believe that something very special happened in a town called Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. When our story starts, Bethlehem was full of visitors. People from all over Israel had travelled to the little town and there was nowhere left for anyone to stay. Every hotel, bed and breakfast, guest house, pub and inn was full.

(Possibly omit the next paragraph as it may be hard for young children to understand.) Why had so many people come to Bethlehem? The Roman emperor, Augustus, had ordered all the Jewish people that lived in Israel to go to the towns where their families originally came from so that everyone could be counted. By counting everyone the Romans would know how much tax money to charge. Many Jews were descended from King David, and they all went to Bethlehem, which was where King David grew up, to be counted by the Romans. Counting people in this way is called a ‘census’. In England there is a census every ten years. The last census was in 2001 and the next one will be in 2011.

There was one particular innkeeper in Bethlehem who was very pleased. All the rooms in his inn were full, which is just how he liked it to be. He took his ox into the stable for the night. “Well at least you have got plenty of room in here,” he said to the ox. “If anyone else comes looking for a bed for the night I shall have to put them in here with you!”

The chilly night air swept under the stable walls causing the ox to shiver. “It feels extra cold tonight”, said the innkeeper. “Here is some more straw for you. Snuggle down into it and keep yourself warm.” The ox settled down for the night and soon fell asleep.

The ox had not been sleeping long when the stable door opened and a blast of cold air rushed in. The ox looked up. The innkeeper came in first. He was carrying a lamp. He was followed by a woman, called Mary, and a man, called Joseph. A donkey came in too. The innkeeper spread some more straw out on the ground and said goodnight. Mary and Joseph sank thankfully onto the sweet-smelling straw and soon fell fast asleep. They had travelled a long way and they were so very tired. What was more, Mary was pregnant and she knew that her baby would soon be born.

The ox looked at the donkey and the donkey looked at the ox. “Hello”, said the ox to the donkey. “Hello”, said the donkey to the ox. “What brings you to my stable in the middle of the night?” asked the ox. “It’s a long story,” said the donkey. “Good! I like stories!” said the ox. And the donkey started his tale.

“Joseph is my master and Mary is his wife. We live a long way from here in a town called Nazareth. One morning, before Mary and Joseph were married, I stood tied up outside Mary’s house. I could see in through the window and I watched Mary going about her everyday chores: sweeping, tidying up the breakfast things and so on. Then something very strange happened. A bright light shone and it seemed as though there was someone else in the room with Mary. The light was so bright I couldn’t see properly, but I am sure the person had wings. In fact it looked like an angel. He (well I think it was a ‘he’) said to Mary that she was going to have a baby. The baby would be very special. He would be God’s own son. The visitor even told Mary the name she must call him. She would call him Jesus.

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“The mysterious stranger left as quickly as he had arrived. I didn’t actually see him go, but the room was suddenly darker. For the rest of the day Mary was very quiet, and when Joseph came to see her they talked for a long time.

“A little while after this, Mary and Joseph were married. It was a wonderful wedding and Mary and Joseph lived happily together. Over the next few months they started to prepare for the new baby. As the weeks went by Mary needed to rest more and more; and she was not at all happy when Joseph told her they would have to make the journey to Bethlehem. The last thing Mary wanted to do was go on a long tiring journey, but she had no choice. Joseph piled lots of bags onto my back. Then he helped Mary up. With the baby inside her, she was ever so heavy! So off we set on our journey to Bethlehem. By the time we arrived, there was no place to stay, but your master the innkeeper kindly showed us into this stable. So that is how we got here. And I’ll tell you what, I’m ever so tired!”

“Wow! That was quite a story,” said the ox. Then he gave a great big yawn. “I’m tired too. I need to sleep.” The ox looked at the donkey, and saw that his eyes were already closed. Soon, all that could be heard was the quiet breathing of the ox, the donkey and Mary and Joseph. They had all fallen fast asleep.

Part 2. Jesus is born (Luke 2.7)The rustle of the straw woke the ox for the second time that night. “Is it morning?” he wondered.

He looked around and listened. It was still dark. There were strange noises and movements. He started to move forwards, but he felt something tugging at his tail.

“Wait a moment,” whispered the donkey. “It won’t be long now”.

“What won’t?” asked the ox in a puzzled voice.

“Mary is having her baby,” explained the donkey.

A baby’s cry broke the silence, and at that very moment a beam of bright light shone through the stable window.

“He’s a noisy baby!” said the ox. “Can we go and see?”

“I think we should let Mary and Joseph have a few moments alone with the baby,” replied the donkey. “Have you noticed anything strange?”

“Yes, those rays of light shining through the window. It looks like morning, but the sun hasn’t come up yet, has it?” said the ox.

“Let’s go and look outside and see where the light is coming from,” said the donkey, eager to investigate.

The donkey and the ox went outside and looked up at the source of the light. A star shone in the sky directly above them, so bright it illuminated the area around the stable with a very special light. They looked up, staring open-mouthed at its beauty.

At last the ox broke the silence. “Can we go and see the baby now?” he whispered, not wanting to spoil this special moment but eager to see the baby. Very quietly they crept back into the stable. Inside they could see Mary and Joseph bending over the ox’s feeding trough, which was called a manger. “Why are they looking at my manger? What’s so interesting about my food?” asked the ox. “Look!” said the donkey.

There, lying in the manger, was the little baby Jesus wrapped up in strips of cloth. Mary and Joseph hadn’t got a cradle, so they put Jesus in the feeding trough instead. The donkey and the ox gazed at the baby for a long time.

“Isn’t he beautiful!” whispered the donkey, and the ox nodded in agreement.

Part 3. Shepherds come to see the baby Jesus (Luke 2.8-20)Mary and Joseph and the donkey and the ox did not have long to admire the new-born baby before there was a knock at the stable door. Joseph opened the door and looked outside. There stood a group of men. One of them spoke. “We are sorry to trouble you, but we are shepherds. We were out in the fields watching over our flocks of sheep when something very strange happened. I know this is hard to believe, but the sky suddenly filled with angels.”

“We all saw them,” said another shepherd. “It was really scary. One of the angels told us to come to Bethlehem and find a new-born baby asleep in a manger.”

“It wasn’t difficult to find this stable,” said a third shepherd. “There’s a really bright star in the sky above it; and when we heard a baby crying, we knew we had come to the right place.”

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“Come in,” said Joseph.

The shepherds crouched down in the hay and looked at the baby for a long time. By the time they left, dawn had broken and the sun was rising in the sky. They felt so happy that they sang all the way back to the fields where their sheep were waiting.

“Now we’ve got Jesus to ourselves again,” whispered the ox to the donkey. But that wasn’t the last of their visitors.

Part 4. Wise men bring gifts for the baby Jesus (Matthew 2.1-12)Jesus was just a few days old when some strangers arrived in Bethlehem. These men came from a far away land in the East and they were very clever. They were so clever that they were called the three wise men. They had been looking up at the night sky and they had seen a new star. They believed that this was a sign that a new king had been born. They travelled for many, many weeks following the star as it moved across the sky. It came to a stop right over the stable which Jesus, Mary and Joseph were still sharing with the donkey and the ox.

The three wise men caused quite a stir. They were dressed in magnificent robes and they rode on camels. Some people thought they were kings. The camels had to stay outside when the three wise men went into the stable to see the baby Jesus. They gave Jesus three special gifts: gold, which is very valuable; frankincense, which has a sweet smell when it is burned; and myrrh, a special oil.

When the ox saw the three wise men bowing down to the baby Jesus and presenting their gifts, he realised that Jesus must be a very special baby indeed. “Who would have thought that such an important person would have been born in my simple stable,” he thought to himself. And then he did something that oxen do not often do. He smiled.

The boy Jesus is lost in the Temple (Luke 2.41-51)

This story in Luke’s gospel is unique in that it is the only account in any of the gospels of Jesus as a child. The story is very much concerned with the transition from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. Although Luke’s account makes no reference to the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, it is likely that Jesus became Bar Mitzvah during his family’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem. To become Bar Mitzvah is to take on the responsibilities of an adult Jew. This rite of passage is marked by a ceremony which takes place near to a boy’s thirteenth birthday. At the time of Jesus, an annual pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem comprised part of the Passover celebrations. During the festival of Pesach (Passover), Jews recall how Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to a new life of freedom.

I wonder whether you’ve ever been somewhere special? Perhaps you’ve been on a school trip, or on holiday, or to London? How did you feel when you were getting ready? Were there a lot of things to do? Were you excited?

The Bible tells us that when Jesus was twelve he went on a special trip to Jerusalem with his parents, Mary and Joseph. I don’t know who Jesus’ best friend was, but shall we pretend it was a boy called Joshua? We’ll let Joshua tell us about what happened when he and Jesus were taken to Jerusalem. Listen carefully and you will find out all about it.

“Hello. My name is Joshua, and I am Jesus’ best friend. We are Jews, and for us one of the most important celebrations of the year is called the Passover festival. We always have a great time at Passover and many Jewish families travel to the city of Jerusalem for the celebrations. I am going to tell you about what happened when Jesus and I went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebrations with our families.

“Jesus and I were both twelve years old at the time, and we were looking forward to the holiday. At last, after all the rush, rush, rush of the preparations, it was time to set off. The donkeys were loaded with food, water and blankets, and everyone was ready. We had all got up really early and the morning air was still cool on our cheeks as we waved goodbye. A long journey lay ahead of us, but we knew it would be an adventure too. And as for Jerusalem and the Passover celebrations … Well, I’ll tell you about that in a moment.

“Soon the men were striding on ahead and the mums and younger children happily chatted as they followed them. Jesus and I raced in and out with the other children. We were all so happy to be on our way.

“By midday the sun was high in the sky and we were hot and tired. We were glad to stop for a drink of water and to find some shade from the sun. We drank and had something to eat and then refilled our water skins and rested a while.

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“When it was cooler we set off again and kept moving until dusk. It was fun to find wood for the fire and then to eat together and camp for the night. Some of the grown-ups told wonderful stories as we sat together under the stars, stories about Abraham, Moses and King David. We could have listened all night, but there were several days of travel ahead of us so we settled down to sleep.

“Every morning we set off early and in the middle of the day we rested. The sun shone in a clear blue sky and the fields were full of beautiful spring flowers. We enjoyed the journey, but we couldn’t wait to be in the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem.

“Suddenly there were shouts and people were pointing. There in the distance was Jerusalem, its white walls glistening in the sunlight. What a wonderful moment it was for us all!

“Soon we had joined the crowds in the city. There was so much noise, so many people. Some spoke strange languages and wore wonderfully coloured clothes. Others drove sheep and cattle to market, weaving their way through the crowds. There was so much to see. There were stalls and tables everywhere, with cakes and fish and wines for sale. Sweet-smelling spices and rolls of brightly coloured cloth arrived on the backs of camels. Jewellery sparkled on the jewellers’ stalls. Shoemakers, blacksmiths and tailors hammered and stitched. Everyone was busy. It was such a wonderful place to explore. There was something different at every corner.

“In the afternoon everyone in Jerusalem stopped work and final preparations were made for the special Passover meal. Everyone put on their best clothes and made their way to the Temple for the main celebrations. Here the priests and the religious teachers gathered to perform the special Passover ceremonies. Then, as darkness fell, we joined up with our friends and family to eat the special Passover meal together. The delicious smell of roast lamb wafted over the empty streets and it was wonderful to think of the same meal taking place in other rooms all over Jerusalem. It was a very special evening.

“We felt sad when the celebrations were over. Now it was time to leave Jerusalem and go home. We were tired after all the excitement, and after the first day’s walk we were really ready for our supper.

“I hadn’t seen Jesus all day, but I wasn’t worried. I thought he was with Mary and Joseph. Imagine our total panic when we discovered that Jesus was missing. The grown-ups had thought that Jesus had been with me and the other children. Where on earth could he be? We asked everyone but nobody had seen him. He must have been left behind!

“Mary, Joseph and I rushed straight back to Jerusalem. We searched everywhere, revisiting every little street and alley, but there was no sign of him. Finally, in desperation, we went to the Temple; and there we found Jesus.

“He was sitting on the ground surrounded by a group of very clever men, including the religious teachers. We could hardly believe it. Jesus was so busy talking, listening, and asking questions that he didn’t even notice us. Everyone seemed amazed at his wisdom and understanding.

“What amazed me was that Jesus didn’t seem to understand why poor Mary and Joseph had been so worried. ‘You should have known that I would be in my father’s house’, was all that he said.

“I really don’t know what he meant, but I do know that Jesus is a very special friend and that we were all very pleased to have him safely back with us again.”

John baptises Jesus (Matthew 3.1 - 4.1; Mark 1.1-12)

Jesus’ baptism was a pivotal event in his life. The gospel accounts use highly symbolic language to convey something of the profound mystical experience that Jesus underwent when he was baptised: “He saw heaven opening and the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you.’ ” (Mark 1.10-11). Immediately after his baptism Jesus went into the desert. He needed some time alone to think through the implications of what he had experienced. He then began a ministry that was to last a mere two or three years before he was crucified in his early thirties.

When you listen to this story, you have to imagine you are listening to someone who lived nearly two thousand years ago. That’s a very long time ago, isn’t it?

It’s so hot today! A real scorcher of a day! I live in the land that you call Israel, and Israel gets really hot. Much hotter than England. I am a goatherd. Do you know what that is? It’s like a shepherd, except I look after a herd of goats instead of a flock of sheep.

As I was saying. It’s really really hot today. My goats are getting ever so thirsty. Their tongues are hanging out and they are starting to pant. I think I had better take them to the river for a drink. We are not far from the

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River Jordan and I know a place where the bank slopes gently down to the water making it easy for the goats to drink.

We are getting near to the river now and to my surprise we are not alone. Usually I never see anyone else out here, but today is different. We are a long way from the nearest village or town, but today lots of people are making their way towards the river. They are talking about a man they call a prophet. That’s a sort of holy man who gives people messages from God. Some say that a prophet can even tell what is going to happen in the future. The prophet they are talking about is called John. Some people call him ‘the Baptist’ because he baptises people in the River Jordan. I wonder if I will see him?

We are at the riverside now and a lot of people have gathered here. My goats aren’t going to let that stop them! They are pushing their way through the crowd to the water’s edge, and now they are drinking great gulps of fresh, cold water. I notice people pointing across the river to the desert that lies at the far side. At first I can’t see anything: just rocks and sand. But then I see a man making his way towards us. Could this be John the Baptist?

He has reached the opposite river bank, and now I can get a good look at him. He is the wildest and weirdest person I have ever seen. His hair is really long and so is his beard. He is wearing a sort of tunic made out of hair – it could be camel’s hair – and he has a leather belt around his waist. He is wearing nothing on his feet and he is ever so thin. I suppose if you live in the desert you’re not going to be able to eat much. He probably survives by eating locusts and other insects. Yuk! Maybe he eats wild honey too. I shouldn’t think any bees would want to go near him!

I notice that the crowd has fallen silent. Even the goats look up to see what this strange man is going to do. He calls out to us, and his words are carried clearly across the water to where we are standing. “I want to tell you about someone very special who is to come. He is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to bend down and untie his sandals. You must stop doing things that are sinful and bad. You must come into the water and be baptised. Then God will forgive you for all the bad things that you have done.”

It is him! And some of the people have already gone into the water and are making their way towards him. They don’t seem to mind getting their clothes wet! John has stepped into the river too. The people go up to him in turn. John asks, “Do you turn away from your sins?” “Yes,” is the reply. “Then be baptised and God will forgive your sins,” says John. He puts his arm around their shoulders and gently lies them back until the water completely covers them. Then he helps them to their feet again.

“Why does he do that?” I ask the woman standing next to me. “We wash things in water and water gives life,” she explains. “The people going up to be baptised believe that God will wash away all their sins and wickedness and give them new life.”

There is only one man left to be baptised. He is quite a young man, not yet thirty. He is standing in front of John and John is just staring at him. Why isn’t he getting on with the baptism? At last John speaks, “I knew you would come. You are a much greater person than me. I am not good enough to baptise you. You should baptise me.”

So this is him! This is the special person that John said would come! I listen to his reply, “John, you must baptise me. That is what God wants.” “So be it,” says John, and when he lifts the man out of the water, I can hardly believe my eyes and ears.

You remember me saying it was a really hot day? Well as the man comes up out of the water a beam of light far brighter than sunlight shines down on him. The wings of a pure white dove are caught for a moment in that shaft of light. At the same time I hear the distant rumble of thunder.

Did I imagine what just happened? I’m not sure. I watch as the man turns away from John and wades through the water to the far side of the river. He leaves the river behind him and walks into the desert without looking back. He is walking slowly and steadily, almost as though he is in a dream.

The woman standing next to me speaks again. “That can’t be the great man that John told us about. I come from the town of Nazareth and I recognise him. There is nothing special about him. He is Joseph the carpenter’s son. His name is Jesus.”

As I watch Jesus disappearing among the sand and the rocks I can’t help feeling she will be proved very wrong.

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Jesus chooses twelve special friends (Matthew 4.18-22, 9.9, 10.1-4; Mark 1.16-20, 2.13-17, 3.13-19; Luke 5.1-11, 5.27-32, 6.12-16)

Jesus chose twelve ordinary working men to be his disciples. Those he called first were four fishermen, and they remained closest to him. Simon, the impulsive man of action, was to become the leader of the group. Jesus renamed him Peter, meaning rock, because he recognised that Peter would become the rock on which the Christian church would be founded. What is striking about the gospel accounts of the calling of the four fishermen and Matthew, the tax collector, is the way that without hesitation they were prepared to put their trust in Jesus and give up everything in order to become his followers.

I wonder whether you have a best friend? Maybe you have lots of friends, maybe just one or two friends; but is there someone who is your very, very best friend?

Friends show they care about each other in lots of different ways. They help each other. They are kind to each other, even when it might be hard. If your friend needed help, would you give him or her a hand? If people were being unkind to your friend, would you stick up for him or her? If your friend was sad, would you keep your friend company and say kind things?

When Jesus grew up to be a man, he had lots and lots of things he wanted to do. He wanted to help people who were sick. He wanted to cheer up people who were sad. He wanted to be a friend to people who were lonely. He wanted to tell people about the best way to live their lives.

There were so many things Jesus wanted to do to help others. It would have been hard for him to do all these things all on his own, and he would have felt lonely too. He needed some helpers and he needed some friends.

So one day Jesus went down to the seaside where some fishermen were busy working. He saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, out in their boat catching fish. He called out to them to stop what they were doing and come with him. And do you know what? That is exactly what they did! They didn’t hesitate. They simply stopped what they were doing and became Jesus’ followers. Now Jesus had two friends to help him.

Next, he saw James and his brother John. They were getting their fishing nets ready to go out in their boat. Jesus called out to them to stop what they were doing and come with him. And do you know what? That is exactly what they did! They didn’t hesitate. They simply stopped what they were doing and became Jesus’ followers. Now Jesus had four friends to help him.

Next he went to the town where he saw a man called Matthew collecting tax money. Not many people were happy about giving him their money so he did not have many friends. But just as he was counting all the money he had collected, who do you think came along? Yes, it was Jesus.

Jesus called out to Matthew to stop what he was doing and come with him. And do you know what? That is exactly what they did! He didn’t hesitate. He simply stopped what he was doing and became Jesus’ follower. How many friends did Jesus have now? There was Simon, Andrew, James, John and Matthew. That makes five!

But that was not enough, so Jesus went and found seven more. He called out to them to stop what they were doing and come with him. And do you know what? That is exactly what they did! They didn’t hesitate. They simply stopped what they were doing and became Jesus’ followers. Now he had seven more friends to help him. Their names were Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, another James, Thaddaeus, another Simon and Judas.

Although Jesus met lots more people in his life who became his friends, these twelve people were his very, very special friends. They were so special he gave them a special name. He called them his disciples, and they went with him everywhere, helping him with all the things he wanted to do.

Sometimes they helped him to make sick people well. Sometimes they helped to make sad people feel happier. Sometimes they helped lonely people, or people nobody else liked. Sometimes Jesus’ friends had to stick up for him when other people were being unkind to him.

Sometimes Jesus’ friends let him down and were not good friends, but Jesus always forgave them and he always loved them. Jesus was their very, very best friend.

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Finding a quiet place (Mark 1.35; Luke 4.42)

We all need a quiet place to which we can retreat in order to find a few moments of peace and solitude away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Several incidents in the gospels remind us that Jesus was no different from any of us in this respect, and neither was Sue the cat!

Sue, the cat, was not happy. She had been sitting quietly in the sunshine, under her favourite bush in the garden, when suddenly she was picked up. She had a collar and lead put on her and she was put into a basket with a door that closed. What was happening? Sue was not happy!

There was a lot of activity and bustle, lots of boxes and a big noisy van with Sue’s favourite armchair inside it.

The next thing Sue the cat knew, she was on John’s lap, in the basket, in the back of the family car. Sue was not happy! Next to John was Andy, with Dr. Snuggles, the hamster, in a cage on his lap.

Sue wobbled and shook in her basket for what seemed ages, until the car finally stopped. John and Andy tumbled out and Sue was swung into the back garden in her basket. It was a much, much bigger garden than the one at the old house they had just left. When Sue was taken for a walk round it on that nasty lead, she did not think she would ever like it. For a start, it didn’t have any bushes like her old garden. Sue was not happy!

Then there was the new house. Inside it was so different. It looked different, felt different and had different smells from the old house. What could Sue do? She hated it there. She was not happy!

She decided to try upstairs. Padding across the bare floorboards, she explored one room after the other. In the front bedroom she found a large wardrobe with a cupboard on the top. At the very back of the cupboard was a little space into which Sue could just fit after jumping up from a shelf.

At last Sue had found somewhere that she felt comfortable. At last she felt safe. At last she felt happy.

Eventually, of course, Sue came to love the new house and especially the new garden. There were other cats from across the fence to play with and she soon found another favourite bush; but the space at the back of the cupboard was always her special place. Whenever she needed to be quiet and undisturbed, she went up there to be still and quiet and alone.

Do you know how Sue felt? Do you have a very special place where you like to go to be still and quiet and alone? Maybe it’s somewhere in your bedroom, or at your Granny’s house? Most people need to be in a special, quiet place at some time. Even Jesus did, when he lived a long time ago.

He was so busy walking from village to village, talking to people, helping people and making people well that he didn’t have time to be quiet. Crowds of people followed him wherever he went, trying to touch him, asking him questions, asking for his help, asking him to come to their homes.

After one particularly busy day, Jesus felt very weary. He just needed to be still and quiet and alone. So he went off into the hills where there were no houses and no crowds, just birds and wild animals. Here he could rest and pray.

Just like Sue the cat, just like you and just like me, Jesus had his special place too.

Jesus blesses the children (Matthew 19.13-15; Mark 10.13-16; Luke 18.15-17)

This story shows that Jesus always had time for everyone, even children. Jesus also makes clear that children are to be valued for the special qualities that they possess, qualities that bring them close to the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately many adults have lost these qualities. They need to regain them if they too are to enter God’s Kingdom.

Have grown-ups ever said to you things like: “Not now, I’m busy,” or “In a minute,” or “I must finish this first”? Do they sometimes make you feel as if you are a nuisance and that they have got more important things to do than spend time with you? Jesus was a very busy man, but when some children were brought to him, he stopped what he was doing and gave them all of his attention.

The Bible tells us that one day some mothers brought their children to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to say a special prayer for their children and to ask God to look after them. It had been a very busy day and Jesus’ friends tried to send the children away. “Not now,” they said, thinking that Jesus was far too tired to be bothered by the children.

Jesus didn’t often get cross, but when he saw them sending the children away, he got very angry. “Let the children come to see me,” he said. “You mustn’t stop them. God’s Kingdom is for people who are like these little children. Everyone who wants to come to God must try to be like them.”

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Then Jesus put his arms around the children and said a special prayer. By doing this, Jesus was showing everyone that he thought children were really important. I wonder what Jesus meant when he said that grown-ups must try to be a bit more like children.

What is a good friend? (From John 11)

Mary, Martha and Lazarus, their brother, lived at Bethany and were close friends of Jesus. This poem refers to the raising of Lazarus from the dead, but concentrates on the theme of friendship.

What is a good friend,A good friend, a good friend?What is a good friend?I wonder, do you know?

Jesus had three good friends,Good friends, good friends.Mary, Martha, Lazarus,Two sisters and a brother.

Martha was a busy friend,A busy friend, a busy friend;But Jesus told her, “Stop! Be still,And come and sit with me.”

Mary was a listening friend,A listening friend, a listening friend;She heard what Jesus had to say,She showed she understood.

Jesus was a caring friend,A caring friend, a caring friend;When Lazarus their brother died,He cried with both of them.

Jesus was a special friend,A special friend, a special friend;When Lazarus their brother diedHe brought him back to life.

Are you a good friend?A busy friend, a listening friend?Are you a caring friend,A special friend too?

So tell me, what’s a good friend,A good friend, a good friend?So tell me, what’s a good friend?I wonder, do you know?

Zacchaeus: the man with no friends (Luke 19.1-10)

This well-known story is always popular with young children. Is it because they, like Zacchaeus, are short and therefore they can identify with him as he tries to see through the crowd? Just as with the calling of the disciples, the story illustrates how a brief encounter with Jesus resulted in a profound personal transformation.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I’m so fed up! I have a fine house and plenty of money and everything I want, except friends. I have no friends and I’m very lonely.

I know why people don’t like me. They think I cheat them when I collect money for the government. Well… I don’t exactly cheat… Not exactly! I don’t earn all that much for doing my job, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t take just a little bit extra from the people who pay me. They don’t miss it, and lots of little bits make a nice lot of extra money for me! My name is Zacchaeus, by the way.

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Excuse me just a minute, there’s a lot of noise outside, so I’ll just look and see what’s happening. There are crowds of people milling round, I’ll go outside for a better look.

Still can’t see much. That’s the trouble with being as small as I am: you can’t see over all these tall people. I know, I’ll climb up that tree over there. It’s a sycamore tree. That’s the tree that has seeds that spin like wings. (We would say like ‘helicopters’, wouldn’t we?)

Up I go. That’s better! Now I can see what’s happening. There’s a man walking down the road and everyone is trying to reach out to him and talk to him. They are calling him Jesus, I think.

Wait a minute, he is stopping under my tree. Oh, no! He’s looking up at me. Oh, no! He’s going to tell me off I’m sure! What can I do?

Pardon? Have I heard properly? Jesus is smiling at me and saying he wants to come to my house for tea!

Everyone is shouting “Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!” at me, but I don’t care. Jesus has chosen to have tea with me. He has chosen to come to my home. Maybe he will even be my friend.

Oh dear, I feel really bad for taking all that extra money from people. They are right. I am a cheat. But there must still be some good in me, otherwise Jesus would never have wanted to come to my house for tea. I will show everyone that I can be good. I will not cheat people out of extra little bits of money ever again. In fact, I will give them back all I have taken. In fact, I will give them back four times as much as I have taken.

Thank you, Jesus, for being my friend. I hope I will have some more friends now.

A poem for Holy Week (Matthew 26 - 28; Mark 14 - 16; Luke 22 - 24; John 18 - 21)

Holy Week is when Christians remember the events of the last week of Jesus’ life: his triumphant entry into Jerusalem (recalled on Palm Sunday); the Last Supper (recalled on Maundy Thursday); the Crucifixion (recalled on Good Friday); and the Resurrection (recalled on Easter Sunday). This poem links these events to the extremes of emotion that the friends and followers of Jesus encountered during that week. The children could make ‘sad’ and ‘happy’ finger puppets or plate faces beforehand. These could be held up during the appropriate verses.

Jesus’ friends have happy faces,To Jerusalem they come;Jesus riding on a donkey,Lots of people gathered there.

Crowds are singing, crowds are shouting,Jesus riding into town;Look at all the happy faces,Singing, shouting, “Hosanna!”

Waving branches from the palm trees,Palms and cloaks spread on the ground;Crowds are singing, crowds are shouting,Jesus riding into town.

What a busy week they’re having!All his friends and Jesus, too;Now it’s Thursday, special Thursday,Friends all eating supper now.

Eating bread and drinking wine,Jesus has sad news to share;Tells them he will soon be gone,Says, “Dear friends, remember me.”

Next day they are full of sorrow,Their friend Jesus has been killed;Can’t believe he is not with them,Friday’s such a sad, sad day.

Two whole days of sad, sad faces,All are missing their best friend;Then comes Sunday, special Sunday,Can’t believe what they can see.

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Now his friends have happy faces,Jesus is alive again;Easter Day has come at last,And Jesus is alive!

Sometimes we have sad, sad faces,Sometimes we feel really bad;Something good then comes along,Now we’re feeling really glad!

Death and new life (John 20.1-18)

The story of Jesus’ death and Resurrection presents genuine difficulties both for young children and for much older readers. The version provided below presents the events as narrated in John’s gospel in clear and simple terms. The cruel and tragic aspects are not avoided, but the story ends on a note of happiness and hope. The account explicitly acknowledges different responses that people have to this story.

(The storyteller shows the children a crucifix or a picture of Jesus on the cross.) Do you know who the person on this cross is? That’s right. It is Jesus. What is he doing on a cross? He was nailed to it by some Roman soldiers. They wanted to kill him, and this is how they did it. Was Jesus the only person to die on a cross? No, the Romans crucified thousands of people. That means they put them to death on the cross. You must remember that this happened a long time ago; nearly two thousand years ago. People were much more cruel then than they are now, and if you did something wrong you were punished very harshly.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Jesus was a good man. Why did the Romans want to kill him?” The Romans thought that Jesus wanted to lead the Jewish people against them. They were totally wrong, of course. Jesus was a man of peace. He had no intention of leading the Jews against the Romans. But that is what the Romans thought, and so when they had the chance to kill Jesus, they took it.

What a sad day that was. After Jesus had died, his body was taken down from the cross and carried to a tomb, which is a place where dead bodies are put. Jesus’ body was laid in a small room carved out of solid rock, a bit like a cave. After Jesus’ body had been placed there, a large round stone was rolled across the entrance. Only rich or important people had tombs like that. A wealthy man called Joseph of Arimathea paid for the tomb. Joseph thought that Jesus was a very special person, and he wanted Jesus’ body to be put in a proper tomb.

Now you might think that the story of Jesus’ life ends there; but it doesn’t. The Bible tells us that two days later something absolutely amazing happened. What is said to have happened is so extraordinary that many people simply cannot believe it. Many other people believe that God can do anything, and they believe that what I am about to tell you really did happen.

(This paragraph could be omitted.) Before going on with the story, I need to explain that in the Bible there are four different stories about the life of Jesus. The four people who wrote these stories are called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They tell the life story of Jesus in different ways, so the four stories are not all the same. I am going to tell you what John wrote, but it may be different to what you have heard before. According to John, this is what happened after Jesus’ body had been placed in the rock tomb.

It was Sunday morning, and it was very early. The sun had not yet risen and the night air was cold. Mary Magdalene was lying awake in her bed and she couldn’t get back to sleep. She was one of Jesus’ closest friends and her heart was filled with sadness. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she remembered what had happened to Jesus two days before. She had seen it all. She had watched him die on the cross.

Sometimes when someone we love has died, we go and visit the grave. Mary Magdalene decided to do just that. She got dressed and made her way through the silent streets of the village where she lived. Everyone was still fast asleep.

It was a long walk to the city of Jerusalem, and as Mary Magdalene made her way along the empty road the first rays of light appeared. As the sun rose in the sky, Mary began to feel a bit better. Jesus’ tomb was in a garden just outside the city walls. As soon as Mary saw the tomb, she had a terrible shock. The huge stone that had been used to block the entrance had been rolled to the side. The doorway to the tomb was wide open: a great dark hole faced her.

Mary was shaking with fear and her heart was pounding in her chest, but she knew she had to look inside the tomb. She crept forward and peered in. It was empty! Someone must have stolen Jesus’ body! Then Mary panicked and she started to run.

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She ran all the way back to her village. By the time she arrived at her house she was covered in sweat and dust. Two more of Jesus’ friends were inside: the disciples Peter and John. “Mary, what has happened?” they asked.

“Jesus has gone! Someone has taken him!” she gasped.

“How do you know?” asked Peter.

“I went to visit the tomb,” sobbed Mary. “It was empty!”

As soon as John heard this, he started to run. Peter followed him. John arrived at the tomb first. He bent down and looked in. Mary was right. Jesus’ body was not there. Peter pushed past and went into the tomb. There were the strips of cloth that had been used to wrap up the body, but of Jesus there was no sign. What could possibly have happened?

As the two men walked back to the village, they were so deep in thought that they didn’t even notice Mary. She had followed them back to the tomb, and there she stood quietly crying. Still crying, she bent down to look once more into the tomb.

She had already had one big shock that day, but nothing could have prepared her for what she now saw. There, sitting in the tomb, were two angels dressed in white. She stared at them in astonishment. The angels spoke to her. “Why are you crying?” they asked.

“Jesus’ body has gone. I don’t know what has happened to him,” said Mary through her sobs.

Then she heard the same question again, but this time it came from behind her, “Why are you crying?”

Mary turned round. There in the garden, among the flowers and trees, stood a man. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.

Mary couldn’t see the man clearly. Her eyes were still full of tears. She thought he must be the gardener. Perhaps he knew what had happened to Jesus! Her voice trembled as she spoke, “If you took Jesus away, sir, please tell me where you have put him.”

The man said just one word to her. He said her name, “Mary!”

She had already had two big shocks that day. First she had found that the tomb was empty. Then she had seen two angels. Now Mary had the biggest shock of all. As soon as the man spoke her name, she recognised his voice. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked properly at the man for the first time. She couldn’t believe her eyes! This was no gardener. This was Jesus. He was alive!

“Master!” she said, and she rushed forward to hug him.

“You mustn’t hold onto me,” said Jesus. “Go to Peter and John and the others. Tell them I am alive. Tell them I am going to be with God.”

This time when Mary ran back to her village she was full of joy and happiness. Jesus was alive! She had seen him! She had talked to him! Everything was going to be alright! She couldn’t wait to tell everyone the good news!

At the start of this story I showed you a crucifix/picture of Jesus on the cross. Here is an empty cross (storyteller shows children a plain cross). Do you know why it is empty? It is empty because many people think that the story you have just heard is true. Many people believe that God really did raise Jesus from the dead and Christians celebrate this wonderful event on Easter Day.

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II. Stories that Jesus told

The good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37)

When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbour?”, he responded by telling what came to be one of the best known of his parables: the story of the good Samaritan. The Samaritans were of mixed race and only partly Jewish. Other Jews rejected them on the grounds of their racial and religious impurity. Jesus is suggesting through the story that people should be judged by the humanitarian qualities they display rather than by the groups to which they belong or – as in the case of the priest and the Levite – the positions they hold.

We start with a traveller, happy on his journey,Travelling alongDown the dusty desert road.

No one travels with him, all alone he travels,Travelling alongDown the dusty desert road.

Riding on a donkey, faithful little donkey,Travelling alongDown the dusty desert road.

Donkey’s hooves go trit-trot, trit-trot-trit,Travelling alongDown the dusty desert road.

Hot sun shining, shining on the traveller,Travelling alongDown the dusty desert road.

Coming to some rocks now, passing craggy rocks,Travelling alongDown the dusty desert road.

Here come some robbers! In the rocks they’ve been a-hiding!Lying in waitDown the dusty desert road.

Run from the robbers! Too many of them!Try to get awayDown the dusty desert road.

Grabbed by the robbers. Can’t stop them stealingDonkey, clothes and moneyDown the dusty desert road.

Hurt by the robbers. Kicked and punched and beaten,Left wounded and a-bleedingDown the dusty desert road.

Lying badly injured, all bruised and battered,Left alone and helplessDown the dusty desert road.

But now someone’s coming! Help is arriving!The traveller will be rescuedDown the dusty desert road.

But wait, what is happening? The person is not stopping,He just keeps on walkingDown the dusty desert road.

Lying in the baking heat, getting very thirsty,Body bruised and achingDown the dusty desert road.

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Here comes another man! He’s sure to help the traveller,The traveller lying dyingDown the dusty desert road.

Now he’s seen the traveller! Yes, he’s coming over!Sees what has happenedDown the dusty desert road.

But now he turns away again. Hurries past the traveller,Continues on his journeyDown the dusty desert road.

The traveller is losing hope. Feeling very weak now.Won’t someone come to help himDown the dusty desert road?

Another man is coming. A stranger to this country,And no friend of travellersDown the dusty desert road.

Wait, the stranger’s stopping! He reins in his donkey,Looks down at the travellerDown the dusty desert road.

The stranger dismounts and bends over the traveller,Hesitates a momentDown the dusty desert road.

What will he do? Will he stay or turn away?Will the man be left to dieDown the dusty desert road?

And then the stranger smiles and speaks to the traveller,“Lie still and I will help you,”Down the dusty desert road.

The helper fetches water, for drinking, for cleansing,Water for healingDown the dusty desert road.

The helper lifts the traveller. Puts him on his donkey,Donkey stands so patientDown the dusty desert road.

Helper humming softly, leading the donkey,Carrying the travellerDown the dusty desert road.

Coming to an inn now. Warm welcome a-waitingFor tired and weary travellersDown the dusty desert road.

Helper lays the traveller down, bandages his bruises.Traveller thanks the strangerDown the dusty desert road.

Helper tells the innkeeper, “Take care of the travellerI’ll pay for his stay”Down the dusty desert road.

Who helped the traveller? Who was his neighbour?Who was his friendDown the dusty desert road?

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Three stories about finding something that has been lostChapter 15 of Luke’s gospel comprises three parables with a common message: just as we celebrate when we find something that is lost, so there is great rejoicing in heaven whenever a sinner repents. The shepherd, the woman and the father that feature in the three stories each display different qualities of God, such as care, concern, love, diligence, patience, generosity and the capacity to forgive.

The lost sheep (Matthew 18.10-14; Luke 15.4-7)

Have you ever felt really, really special? Well, I would like to tell you about a time that I felt just like that.

I am a very ordinary sheep who lived a very long time ago. In fact I am just the same as all the ninety-nine other sheep in my flock.

The day began like any other day. Our shepherd, Nathan, who looks after us, led us from our sheep pen bright and early, and we set off to find fresh sweet grass – because that’s what we like to eat best of all.

We walked for a long time that day. The sun beat down on our backs making us feel hot and weary, and the dust from the rocky path got up our noses and made us sneeze. By the time we reached fresh pasture the sun was high in the sky overhead and we were tired, thirsty and very hungry. It was good to feel the soft grass under my hooves after walking over so many hard, sharp stones. Well, we all set about munching right away, just like you do when you’re feeling really hungry.

It was then that I noticed some bright green bushes a short distance away from Nathan and the rest of the flock. The leaves on the bushes looked very inviting to eat. I went to try some. The leaves were sweet and succulent and they tasted delicious! I felt happy and content as I settled down with my own thoughts and began to munch.

I was so busy daydreaming that I didn’t realise how much time had gone by. It wasn’t until I suddenly felt chilly that I looked up and saw that the sun was setting. We usually set off for home before sunset, so I went to find Nathan and my brothers and sisters. You can imagine how I felt when I realised that they had already gone! My legs felt wobbly, my head felt dizzy and I had a strange feeling inside. I was all alone in a strange place. I was well and truly lost. I tried to bleat, but I was so scared that no sound came out at all.

It was getting dark, and there were lots of dangers for sheep left alone in the hills at night. If a fierce hungry wolf saw me, there would be no one who could save me. I thought of my brothers and sisters. By now they would be sleeping safely in the sheep pen and Nathan would have gone to bed too. I was sure he would be fast asleep, not even realising that I was gone. I stood there in the shadows shivering and shaking and feeling very, very frightened indeed.

Just then I heard a sound. I pricked up my ears in terror and listened carefully. There it was again, it was getting closer. I was frozen to the spot. Then I realised that there was something familiar about that sound. It sounded like Nathan calling my name. It was Nathan calling my name! My heart jumped for joy. I bleated a faint bleat and then out of the darkness he appeared. I couldn't believe my eyes! He had come all the way back for me and was as pleased to see me as I was to see him. He spoke softly to me, “You didn’t think I would leave you out here all alone, did you little one?” He then lifted me up high onto his shoulders and carried me all the way home. Not only that, after the long walk home he called all his friends and neighbours together and had a party to celebrate my return! A party, in honour of me!

That night, as I snuggled up to my brothers and sisters, I thought that even though I am just an ordinary sheep I must be really special to Nathan if he took all that trouble to find me when I was lost. Before I closed my eyes and began to dream of tasty green grass, I licked Nathan's hand to say thank you because I had realised how special he was to me too.

The lost coin (Luke 15.8-10)

Have you ever lost something? Can you remember how you felt? This is a story about an old lady who lost something. See if you can imagine how she felt when she realised that something very precious to her was missing.

A long time ago in a hot and dusty land there lived an old lady. The old lady’s husband had died many years ago so she lived on her own in a small house at the edge of a village. Although she was very poor and the house was very small, she did her best to make sure that it was always neat and tidy.

Every day she would get up and sweep the floor, collect the wood, light the fire and bake some bread. She did not have very much money but she always made sure that if one of her friends or neighbours came to visit

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she had something ready that they could eat and drink. Even though she was very poor she did have a little bit of money put away for a rainy day. What do you think this means?

In a big jar on a shelf above the fire she had ten small, shiny silver coins. It had taken her a long time to save these coins and it made her feel safe and happy to know that they were there. Sometimes she would take them out of the jar so that she could watch them sparkle brightly in the sunlight. She always made sure that she put them safely back in the jar.

One day after she had finished her housework she decided to look at her ten coins. She went to the shelf and slowly lifted the jar down. She took it to the table, gently turned it upside down and tipped out the coins. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine ... Oh no! There was one missing! She turned the jar upside down and shook it to see if the tenth coin had got stuck at the bottom, but however hard she shook nothing came out. The coin had disappeared. How do you think the old lady felt when she realised that she had lost one of her precious coins? All her remaining jobs would have to wait. She simply had to find that coin. She quickly placed the nine coins back in the jar and set about looking for the one that was lost.

She looked everywhere. She looked in all the cooking pots and pans in the kitchen. She looked in all her cupboards and drawers. She even swept out the fireplace and hunted through the ashes. All her friends and neighbours thought she was very silly. Why are you spending so much time and tiring yourself out looking for just one silver coin? You have still got nine left. That’s plenty! You don’t need to find the other one. It does not matter.

But it did matter to the old lady; and she kept on searching and searching until eventually there was just no where else to look. She sat down exhausted at the table, put her head into her hands and started to cry.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she saw a small flash of light. Something on the floor was glinting in the sunshine as it streamed in through the window. Can you guess what it was? The old lady jumped out of her chair and under the table. She couldn’t believe it! There sticking out from under one of the table legs was the lost coin. It must have dropped off the table one day when she had been counting her coins and been kicked under the table leg. It was such an obvious place to look she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of looking there before.

The old lady was so delighted that she had found the missing coin she invited all of her friends and neighbours to come and help her celebrate. They were all very pleased to see their friend looking so happy again, even if they couldn’t understand why that tenth coin had been so important. Can you?

The lost son (Luke 15.11-32)

Have you ever lost something that is really precious to you and then just when you thought that it was lost forever, you found it again? Can you remember how you felt? I am going to tell you a story about when I thought that I had lost something very precious indeed.

I am an old man living in a village called Nain in Israel. Jesus often travels around these parts teaching people. Indeed, I have heard that he told my story to some people just the other day. As I was saying, I am an old man and I have been blessed with two sons who will inherit my fortune when I die.

My eldest son Josh is a hard-working and loyal son who is content with life here on the farm. My younger son Sam is not so happy; he is a restless and some would say impatient young man who finds life on the farm rather dull.

One day he said to me, “Father, I’ve been thinking that if I had my share of your fortune now instead of waiting until you die, I would be able to travel and see the world and have some fun before I get too old.”

Well, I could see his point, after all it is a good thing to travel and meet new people, make new friends and see new places. So although I knew I would be sad to see him go, I agreed. I remembered that when I was young like him I, too, was impatient to know what the world was like.

It was a sad day when he left. Saying goodbye to people you love is always difficult, but in our times there are many dangers for travellers and I did not know if I would ever see him again.

When he was gone I missed him terribly and thought of him often. Josh was a great comfort to me, but of course that didn't stop me worrying about his brother. Time passed. Days became weeks, weeks became months and seasons came and went. Then one day – it was harvest time, I remember – I noticed a thin and ragged person up in the hills coming towards our village. I watched the unfortunate man as he limped slowly along under the scorching sun, stumbling over rocks and wiping his weary brow and I was filled with pity. I decided that I must give him a meal and fresh clothes before he continued on his journey.

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He had reached my farm by now and as he came closer I noticed that there was something familiar about him. I squinted, for my eyes are not as good as they used to be, and the sun was very bright. I went out to meet him and as I got closer I realised to my delight that it was my younger son. He had returned home!

I ran to meet him. He fell at my feet saying how sorry he was and mumbling something about wasting all his money and looking after pigs. He begged me to take him back as a servant in my house. I was so overjoyed that I didn’t care about any of that. I had spent many nights praying for his return and God had at last answered my prayers. Through tears of joy I called to my servants, “Bring out a fresh robe, put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Prepare for a great feast.”

Josh, meanwhile, was working hard in the fields, and on hearing all the commotion came to see what was going on.

“It’s not fair,” he complained when he found out what was happening. “He has wasted all that you gave him and instead of punishing him you reward him with a great feast! I have worked hard and done what is right all my life and yet you have never arranged a great feast for me!”

“You are both my sons and I love you dearly,” I explained. “You have been a dutiful son and Sam has not. All that I have left will one day belong to you, but Sam is still my son. I thought that he had gone forever but now he is home. Come, have pity on your brother for he is truly sorry for he did.”

Josh and Sam looked at each other for a long time without speaking. I wasn’t sure what Josh was going to do. Would he welcome his brother home or remain angry with him, and with me for that matter! What do you think he did?

The houses built on rock and sand (Matthew 7.24-27; Luke 6.46-49)

Jesus explained the meaning of this story in the following words, “Anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock … But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7.24 & 26).

Have you got any brothers or sisters? Do you always agree with them? Here is a story which Jesus told about two men who both had different ideas about how to build a house. Jesus didn’t say they were brothers, but they may have been.

Once long ago, there lived two brothers. Each of the brothers needed to build a house to keep himself safe and dry. It used to rain a lot in the country where they lived, and the ground could easily flood. They looked around and tried to decide where the best place would be to build their houses.

Now building a house is very hard work: all that digging and carrying. The first brother was quite a lazy man and he decided he would build his house on a patch of sand. The sand would be nice and soft and easy to dig. This meant that his house would be finished quickly and he could move in and settle down long before the heavy rain came.

When he told his brother what he had decided to do, his brother was horrified. “You can’t build your house on sand,” he said.

“Why not?” asked his brother.

“If you build your house there it will never survive the storms and the flood. All the rain will just wash your house away. I’m going to build my house on that large rock over there. It is strong and hard and I will be able to dig firm foundations for my house. It will be much safer.”

“Rubbish!” the other brother replied. “That will take you ages. My house will be just as strong as yours and it will take me far less time to build it.” And with that he set off to the patch of sandy ground to get started.

It took no time at all to finish his house because, as he had thought, the sand was very soft. The foundations of his house were very shallow because every time he dug out a bucket of sand, more sand slid into the hole and filled it in again. But he was not worried. His house looked fine and it was very comfortable, so he moved in and settled down.

Meanwhile, on the rock, his brother was still working. First, he hacked deep down into the rock to build firm foundations for his house, and then slowly, gradually he built his house on top of the foundations, working long and hard every day.

Every day the first brother sat in his house and looked up at the rock and saw his brother working away and he laughed. “He is so silly,” he giggled. “All that work and his house will be no stronger than mine. If he doesn’t hurry up, he won’t get it finished before the rain comes.”

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His brother took no notice of the giggling and teasing. He just carried on building his house, stone by stone. Eventually his house was finished and he moved in.

Not long afterwards, it started to rain very heavily. At first both houses kept the brothers warm and dry. “See!” shouted the brother who had built his house upon the sand. “I told you my house would be just as good as yours. It is lovely and dry in here. Think of all the time you wasted building your house on that rock.” His brother just smiled.

Soon the rain got worse. It poured for days and days and didn’t stop. The wind blew. The thunder roared. The lightning flashed, and it started to flood.

The house on the rock stayed strong and firm because of the deep, firm foundations which that brother had dug into the rock. But, as the storm got worse, the house on the sand began to sway and shake. The water began to leak into the house and this brother began to get very worried. “I hope my brother wasn’t right after all,” he said.

The storm carried on getting worse and worse. The house swayed and shook and eventually … CRASH! It fell down. “Oh no!” wailed the man. “What am I going to do?”

The man’s brother, who had built his house upon the rock, was a kind man. When he saw what had happened to his brother’s house, he invited him in and asked him to stay until the storm was over and the floods went down.

“I’m sorry,” said his brother. “I made fun of you when you decided to build your house on this rock. If only I had listened to you and not been so lazy, my lovely home would not have fallen down.”

“Well, this time you made a mistake; but mistakes can be good.”

“Can they?” asked the other brother. “How come?”

“Mistakes can be good if you learn from them. What have you learned?”

“I have learned that it is sometimes better to work hard and do something properly (even if it takes a lot of time) rather than being lazy and just rushing to save time.”

“You know what, I think your mistake has taught you something really important,” smiled his brother.

The sower and the seeds (Matthew 13.1-13)

The message of the parable of the sower proved too hard for the disciples to grasp, and Jesus had to explain it to them. The sower is Jesus; the seeds are the words of Jesus; and the different places in which the seeds fell represent different types of people: those who are hardly touched by the words; those that hear the words but don’t take them in; those in whom the words get crowded out by other distractions; and those who hear the words, take them into their hearts and flourish as a result. The way the story has been told here makes no attempt to explain this detailed symbolism. Instead the story is taken very much at face value, presenting the harsh and the benevolent sides of the natural world.

Mrs Clarke was giving the class a science lesson. She put a collection of paper bags on the table and then she spoke to the children. “Today, children, we are going to work outside in the school grounds. These bags contain lots of seeds. We are going to experiment with them and we will try to get them to grow. Make sure you listen and read the instructions carefully. I want you to think hard about what we are doing.”

So they went outside. Mrs Clarke split the children up into groups and gave each group a packet of seeds. Each group read the instructions they were given and got to work.

A few weeks later the groups had to report back on what had happened. This is what the children said:

Peter: “The instructions on our packet of seeds said that we had to put the seeds on the playground. We thought this was a bit funny really. None of our seeds actually grew because the birds came down and gobbled them all up! So we haven't got much to say.”

Parveen: “We had to plant our seeds on the broken up concrete near the old classroom which was taken down last year. There are some bits of soil there but a lot of it is rock and bits of wood. The plants came up quite quickly but then when it got hot they just seemed to wither and die. Our teacher said that they didn't have any real roots. Must have been because the ground wasn't that good.”

David: “Well, for our experiment we had to put our seeds in amongst the plants growing near the fence on the field. There were lots of stinging nettles and other weeds there. In the end our group couldn't find any of our

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plants because they got mixed up with the nettles. They might be in there somewhere, but noone fancied getting stung!”

Julia: “We must have been really lucky because we planted our seeds in the flower bed and they just grew and grew and grew. The seeds grew into lovely flowers. Look, we’ve brought some in for everyone to look at. I think the soil was really good and we had to keep the area weeded. Also we cheated a bit because our teacher let us mix some compost and manure into the soil.”

After that Mrs Clarke explained what they had found out from the experiment: how seeds need water and care and good soil and plant food and weeding. All the groups were praised for working hard and for explaining their results. Then she told them this, “Children, I want to tell you that this experiment was a very useful part of our science work. But it also helps us to understand a story from a long time ago. Did our experiment remind you of a story?”

Mrs Clarke waited, but there was no reply. “No? Well, our science work is very similar to a story that Jesus once told about a man who sowed some seeds. That man did the same kind of things as we did in our experiment.

“The man had a big bag of seeds, and he scattered them on the ground as he walked along. Some of his seeds fell onto the road. The birds could easily spot them and they flew down and gobbled them up.

“Some of his seeds fell onto rocky ground, but those seeds couldn't grow without water or soil and soon they died.

“Some of his seeds fell among weeds. But the tough weeds just took over and his little seedlings couldn't grow into nice big plants.

“But some of his seeds landed on good soil. They grew really tall. They grew into a field full of golden corn.

“Well, that was Jesus' story. It is a story about growing. Have you ever thought that we are all a bit like little those seeds?”

The growth of the mustard seed (Matthew 13.31-32; Mark 4.30-32; Luke 13.18-19)

Jesus used the image of the mustard seed to illustrate how, from small beginnings, the Kingdom of God would grow into its full glory. This poem can be used for movement, dance or as a finger rhyme, using bodies or fingers to represent the growing seed.

Hush, hush, tiny seed,Sleeping in the earth.Raindrops softly fall,It’s time for your birth!

Grow, grow tiny seed,Push with all your might.Peeping through the soil,Reaching for the light

Now you are a tall green plant,Your life above’s begun.Waving in the gentle breeze,Turned golden by the sun.

What a wonderful harvest!It will nourish all who have need.Who would have thought so much goodness could comeFrom such a tiny seed?

The lilies of the field (Matthew 6.25-34)

This story tries to explain what Jesus meant when he said, “Do not start worrying : ‘Where will my food come from? Or my drink? Or my clothes?’ … Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 6.31 & 33).

My friend Robert is a real worrier. He just goes on and on. “When's dinner?” “What are we going to eat?” “Where are my new white trainers?” “Are they clean?” “Are they dry?” On and on he goes ...

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I told Robert, “Don't worry! Be happy! Is that all you ever think about: grub and looking cool? There's more to life than that, you know.”

“Just think about all those dinosaurs on the telly,” I told him. “Huge they were. Lived for millions and millions of years. Awesome! Did they use to mess about organising dinner menus? Did they worry where their trainers were? No! Is all your moaning and groaning going to get you a single minute added onto your life? No way!

“Listen, Robert, I was helping my Dad in the garden and I looked really close at a weed he'd just pulled up. Weeds seem all common, but when you really look at them they're beautiful. They are really wild flowers. With all its thousands of petals and glowing colour, the weed my Dad pulled up was like a little golden sun, blazing out like it was in the middle of its own little universe. And each flower is different, just like you and me and every other boy and girl. And flowers don't work or get upset. I bet the richest millionaire in the world couldn't dress up finer than the way God dressed that little flower.

“So remember, Robert. Don't worry! Be happy!”

I am not sure that Robert really understood what I was saying; but I read something in the Bible the other day that showed me that Jesus knew exactly what I was getting at.

You remember what I told Robert about dinosaurs: how they never needed to worry about food or clothing or anything like that. Well, Jesus said the same thing about birds. Birds don’t need to grow their own food. God provides them with everything they need.

And you remember when I said to Robert that even weeds were beautiful. Well, according to Jesus, even the great King Solomon himself in all his finest robes and jewellery did not look anything like as good as a single wild flower.

It wasn’t just me that said it. Jesus said it too. Don’t worry! Be happy!

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III. Stories about some special Christians

Androcles and the lionAt the time of the ancient Romans, slavery was widespread and it is strange to think that only 200 years ago it was still legal in this country. In some versions of this legend, the story is set at a time when Christians were being persecuted by the Roman emperor, and Androcles is thrown into the arena for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. The clear message of the story is that one good turn deserves another.

Hello, I am a man called Androcles. If I tell that I once lived in a very grand house in the city of Rome, you would probably think I was very lucky; but I wasn’t. It is true that I lived in a splendid house, but the house didn’t belong to me. Oh no! It belonged to my master. He was a rich man and I was one of his slaves. Because I was a slave, I didn’t get paid and I wasn’t allowed to own anything. The only things that I had that were truly mine were my thoughts. They could take away my freedom, but no one could ever take away my thoughts.

I had to get up very early every morning and work until very late at night. My master was cruel and he used to beat me if I didn’t work hard enough. I always tried to please him; but even so he often used to get angry with me.

Now you are probably sitting there thinking, “Why didn’t he run away?” Let me tell you, if a slave ever did try to escape, soldiers would be sent after him. The punishment for trying to escape was terrible, and I knew that no slave had ever managed to get away from my master without being caught. Even so, it didn’t stop me wishing I could be free.

One day my master came home and told me I was going with him on a sailing ship to Africa. He had to buy spices and purple dyes, which are very precious. The dye comes from a special shellfish found on the African coast.

You should have seen the ship that took us! It was a long wooden ship with a massive sail. On the deck there were lots of empty cages. When I asked what they were for, I was told that on the journey back the cages would be full of lions and other wild animals.

The voyage was exciting and so was Africa. The sights, sounds and smells were new and wonderful. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I wanted to explore, but there was no time for that. I had to follow my master everywhere, carrying his bags and doing whatever he told me. I didn’t have a moment to myself until it was night time. We slept out in the open and before falling asleep, I spent a long time looking up at the stars. There were millions of them sprinkled across the endless sky. The thought of being free entered my mind once more. Here in Africa escape did not seem so impossible. I decided to take the risk.

Ever so quietly and ever so carefully, I crept to the edge of the camp. No one saw me and no alarm sounded. The only sound was the beating of my heart as it hammered in my chest loud as a tom-tom drum.

Once I had got away from the camp, I started to run. On and on I ran, faster and faster. I didn’t know where I was going. The ground was rough and I often stumbled. The only light I had came from the bright stars and the silver moon. On and on I ran. I was too scared to stop. I knew that as soon as the sun rose, people would see I was missing and they would come after me. I had to keep on running.

Over the rugged ground I ran, my feet pounding the hard earth. The camp was now a long way behind me, but still I had to run on and on. My legs couldn’t support me any longer. My heart was pounding fit to burst. I could hardly breathe. I needed to stop. I stood still, panting and shaking with the tremendous effort I had made. I couldn’t think straight.

Suddenly my whole body froze stiff as a statue. Fear shot through me like a pain. I sensed a movement behind me. I heard a faint sound. Was I about to be captured? My blood chilled as I heard a low growl. There was no time to think. My body just reacted. Spinning round I almost collapsed with shock. There right in front of me was a huge shaggy mane, a wide snarling ferocious mouth and four powerful clawed feet. A deafening roar filled my ears. I wanted to move, but my body wouldn’t let me. The lion was ready to pounce, but when his front paw touched the ground he let out a howl of pain. I looked down. The paw was red and swollen.

I knew how much it was hurting. The lion’s paw looked much as my own back did after one of my master’s beatings. I understood pain. No one had ever offered me any kindness, but I felt sorry for the lion and – without thinking of the danger – I bent down and very slowly approached him. I held my hands open so he

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would know I was a friend. I lifted the paw, turned it over and saw a large thorn embedded in the soft pad. Slowly and carefully I gripped the end of the thorn and pulled. The lion yelped, but then he relaxed as the pain disappeared and he started to lick his sore paw.

“Now what do I do?” I thought, wondering what the lion’s next move would be. Perhaps he was eyeing me up for dinner! I moved backwards a bit, but the lion just followed me. It soon became clear that wherever I went, the lion was going to follow. And that is how we became friends.

You won’t believe this, but we stayed together for three whole years. I discovered a cave which sheltered us from the hot African sun and the chilly nights. Each day the lion hunted and brought food back to share with me. But one day he did not return. I didn’t know what had happened to him. I spent many days searching for him, but I could not find him. I was alone and missed his company. I desperately wanted someone to talk to. I missed being with people, and I found I missed the city of Rome too. I decided to return there.

After many more adventures, I managed to get back to Rome. As I wandered through the streets, gazing about at the new and old buildings, smelling the familiar smells, I thought I was pretty safe. I was older now. Surely no one would recognise me. Unfortunately I hadn’t changed as much as I had thought. When I passed my old master in the street he spotted me and ordered some soldiers to seize me. I was sent straight to prison. There was only one punishment for me, and it was not very pleasant.

I was treated badly, as were all prisoners, especially slaves who had escaped. I was beaten and given very little food or water. Then the day came when I was thrust into the middle of this enormous arena, which looked like a huge stadium. The noise of the crowds screaming and shouting all around me was terrifying. Caged animals snarled and roared under the hot beating sun. One cage sprung open, and for the second time in my life I froze as a mighty roar pierced my ears.

A huge lion leapt from the cage into the arena. I collapsed onto the hard, earth floor and hid my face. I couldn’t bear to look. I knew that my last moments of life had arrived. A roar went up from the crowd. They knew what was about to happen. I felt rather than saw the lion approaching me. I knew that the ferocious jaws were poised to strike, but then … nothing. The crowd fell silent, watching the scene before them in astonishment. This had never happened before. Instead of attacking me, the lion was sitting quietly on the ground in front of me!

At last, I plucked up enough courage to look up. I stared in amazement. This was not just any lion; it was a lion I recognised. I felt no fear as I reached out and lifted the lion’s paw. Turning it over, I saw the scar on the soft pad. Yes, this was the same lion! My very special friend! I threw my arms round his neck and hugged him. I walked around the arena waving to the crowd. The lion stayed at my side and everyone cheered. The emperor of Rome was watching. As he stood to speak, the crowd fell silent. “Slave, this lion has chosen to give you your life. I choose to give you your freedom!”

Everyone cheered, but then some people in the crowd began to chant, “Free the lion! Free the lion!” Others joined in, and the chant spread around the arena, “Free the lion! Free the lion!” The Emperor raised his hand. The crowd fell silent once more. “Slave, I have already given you your freedom. Now I give you the lion as well!” Everyone cheered louder than ever.

At last I was a free man. Not only that, the lion was free too. Now he comes with me, wherever I go. We have become quite famous, and whenever people see us, they remember how I, Androcles the slave, made friends with a lion, and how the lion saved me just as one day I had saved him.

Saint Francis and the wolfSaint Francis was born in the town of Assisi around 1181, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. After a carefree childhood, he went through the sobering experience of war and illness. He gave up all possessions and devoted himself to the service of God. He founded the Franciscan friars, who continue to provide practical help for the poor, the sick and the needy. The friars are instantly recognisable because of the simple brown robes or habits that they wear. Saint Francis felt a special affinity with animals and birds, and many stories are told of his kindness to his fellow creatures. The story that follows is one such tale. He died in 1226 and remains one of the best loved of all Christian saints.

The story I am going to tell you today is about a very special person. This person was special because of the way he cared for all creatures, even the ones that no one else liked! The name of this special person was Francis, and, because he was so good, kind, thoughtful and loving, he is now called Saint Francis.

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Our story starts with a wolf. Once, long ago, in a far away land called Italy, there lived a wolf. Now this wolf was getting old, his teeth were a bit blunt (and some of them were missing), his legs and paws were aching and he couldn’t see quite as well as when he was young.

Now as you know, wolves can’t talk, any more than dogs or rabbits can, so I don’t even know if he had a name. Just for our story, I will call him Wolf, because that’s what he was.

Wolf was fed up. He had got left behind by the pack. He couldn’t run as fast as the other wolves. He was old, tired, lonely and very, very hungry.

Wolf got so hungry that he forgot about how dangerous it is for wolves to go near towns and villages. He forgot to be afraid of people. He forgot that people don’t like wolves.

Wolf was so hungry that he became very bold. He began to steal sheep, lambs and goats, even when they were tied up or in their pens.

Well, I expect you can imagine what the people thought of Wolf. Yes, the people were really, really angry and they called him all sorts of bad names, like ‘Killer Wolf’!

Do you remember that I told you about that special man called Francis? It just so happened that Francis lived in the same far away country as Wolf. Francis didn’t really have a home. He had left his family long before to go travelling around helping people who had nothing.

One day Francis came to a small country village. The villagers were all having a meeting. They didn’t seem to be very happy: some people were shouting angrily; some people were crying; some people were looking really scared and shaky. As Francis came nearer, he asked a man what was happening.

“Oh!” said the man. “We’re talking about how we can get rid of the fierce killer wolf that’s stealing our sheep, goats and lambs.”

“I will go and talk to Brother Wolf,” said Francis, and he walked towards the forest where Wolf lived.

All the people shouted at Francis to come back and not to go into the forest. He was sure to be killed. But Francis just smiled and kept on walking.

Wolf was hiding behind a tree when he saw one of the humans walking towards him. Wolf was still hungry and now he was frightened too. (He had heard the people talking about killing him.)

As the man came closer, Wolf bounded out in front of him, growling his biggest, deepest, most fearsome growl to frighten him away. To his surprise, Francis smiled at him and spoke quietly and gently, “Do not be afraid, my brother. Come here to me. I mean you no harm.”

Then Francis stretched out his hand and touched Wolf on his shoulder. Wolf felt a wonderful, warm, happy feeling inside. He forgot to feel cross, angry and afraid. He bowed his head before Francis and began to lick his hand.

“Now Brother Wolf,” said Francis, “You have upset everybody. You have killed all their sheep, goats and lambs and they are very frightened. Will you come back with me to show that you are sorry?” Wolf bowed his head again and licked Francis to show that he would. He then followed Francis out of the forest, just like a dog following its master.

You should have seen everybody’s faces when Francis came strolling out of the forest, followed by a huge, old grey wolf!

“Don’t worry,” said Francis. “This wolf won’t hurt any of you. He did those things because he is old and hungry. If you are kind to him and feed him, he won’t do any more harm.”

And so the people fed Wolf, and he stopped attacking their animals. The people came to love the old wolf, and they even let him come into their houses. Whenever Francis came back to the village, Wolf would follow him around like a faithful dog. Wolf lived a long time, and, when at last he died, all the people were sad to lose their special friend, Brother Wolf.

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The story of Thomas BarnardoDr Thomas Barnardo lived from 1845 to 1905. This story explains how he started the work for which he is mainly remembered: the founding of homes for destitute children. As the story says, there are now over one hundred Barnardo’s Homes in Britain and abroad.

Thomas Barnardo was born over 150 years ago. He was a Christian, and he tried to follow the example of Jesus in his life. Jesus healed people who were ill, and so did Thomas Barnardo. He was a doctor, you see.

Now being a doctor was a well-paid job, but Thomas was a caring man and he felt very sorry for people who were not as well off as himself. He especially wanted to help children. In those days, many children had no parents to look after them or they did not have enough food to eat or anywhere to live. These were very hard times.

What do you think it would be like to live like one of those children? What would you feel like?

When Thomas Barnardo was alive, only the children of parents who could afford it were sent to school. So Thomas opened a school for poor children in London. The lessons took place in the evening, and Thomas taught the children himself. One evening a new pupil called Jim Jarvis hung around after the lessons had ended.

Thomas spoke to Jim and said, “Come, my lad, hadn’t you better get home? It's very late. Your mother will be worried.”

“Please let me stay, sir. I won't do no harm.”

“But your mother will wondering where you are.”

“I ain't got no mother.”

“You haven’t got a mother? Where do you live then, boy?”

“Don't live nowhere.”

“Well where did you sleep last night?”

"Down Whitechapel, sir, in one of those hay carts in the market. A man told me to come here to school. He said you were a kind gentleman and maybe you'd let me sleep by the fire.”

This is how Thomas got to know Jim, and in the days that followed, Jim showed Thomas how the homeless children in London lived. Many of them were cold and hungry and lived on the streets with noone to look after them. This made Thomas realise just how hard the lives of many boys and girls were. He decided to do something to help them, and he opened many homes where they could live and be looked after. During his lifetime, he cared for many, many children.

Today there are still many children like Jim Jarvis: children without parents and children who need help and love and care. Thanks to Thomas Barnardo, some of these children have the chance to grow up in a home where they can be properly looked after. There are now over one hundred Barnardo’s Homes in the world.

“Something beautiful for God”: the story of Mother TheresaMother Theresa lived from 1910 to 1997. She devoted the greater part of her life to caring for the ‘poorest of the poor’ on the streets of Calcutta, and her work subsequently spread across the world. She believed that God wanted her to help the poor, the sick and the dying, just as Jesus had taught. This is a simplified version of some of the main events in her life.

Have you ever thought about why you do certain things? Perhaps you always try hard to do what your mum or dad or your teacher wants because you want to feel good and you want them to be pleased with you? For Mother Theresa it really mattered that she always did her very best to look after other people. She believed in God and she was sure that this was what God wanted her to do.

When Mother Theresa was your age she was called Agnes. She had an older brother and sister and they all lived happily with their parents in a large house in a country called Albania. Being Christians was very important to them and they learned to love God and to love other people. They always tried hard to be kind to everyone, like Jesus.

Agnes believed that God wanted her to work for him in India and so, when she was 18, she said goodbye to her family and her friends and she became a nun. From now on she wore special white clothes and she changed her name from Agnes to Theresa. She was known as Sister Theresa. Just imagine what it must

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have felt like to leave her family, not knowing whether she would ever see them again. She was very brave, but she was sure that God would give her the help she needed.

Before long she was happily working as a teacher in Calcutta, which is a big city in India. She worked as a teacher for seventeen years, and became head of the school. Instead of being called Sister Theresa she was now called Mother Theresa. However, another big change lay in store for her.

One day Mother Theresa was walking along the street when she saw a woman lying on the pavement. The woman was dying. She had been lying there for days, yet not a single person had taken any notice of her. Gently Mother Theresa lifted her up and carried her to the nearest hospital. “She is far too ill and poor to bother about,” they said, “And besides, we haven’t got any room.” Mother Theresa pleaded with them, but it was no use. So off she went to another hospital. The reply there was just the same, “She isn’t worth bothering about. She’s far too ill and far too poor to worry about.”

Mother Theresa tried desperately to find help, but without success. The woman died in her arms. After that Mother Theresa found many other poor people who were left to die in the street. But it was always the same. No one seemed to want to help. No one seemed to care. Can you imagine how sad it must feel knowing that no one loves you and no one cares about you? That is how these lonely people on the streets of Calcutta must have felt.

Mother Theresa felt that everyone needed to know that someone loved and cared about them, whoever they were. Yet these people on the streets had no one to love and care for them. What could she do to help? After a while she realised that if she couldn’t find anyone else to look after all these people, then she would have to do it herself. That must be what God wanted her to do.

It was really hard. Mother Theresa was all alone when she first started to work in the streets. She didn’t have anyone else to help her and there were ill and hungry people everywhere. Many of them didn’t even have so much as a sack or a box for a home. The old and sick were just left out in the street to die. Children and babies were abandoned, with no one to care for them.

Whatever the difficulties, Mother Theresa was determined to help as many people as she could. Every time she helped someone she believed she was doing ‘something beautiful for God’. Soon other women wanted to help her with her work and they came to join her. Gradually more and more women and then men became involved, first in other parts of India, and then in other cities all over the world.

Mother Theresa carried on working to help the poor until she was an old lady. When she died, the work she had started didn’t stop. Today thousands of people across the world are carrying on her work: caring for the sick and poor and trying to do ‘something beautiful for God’.

One of Mother Theresa’s favourite sayings was, “Let’s always meet each other with a smile, for a smile is the beginning of love.” We could all try to do that, couldn’t we?

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