B50 Skit 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Love God above All and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Written by
Copyright © 2006 Joan Y. Edwards
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Please let me know if you use this skit:
joanyedwards@earthlink.net.
Today’s
Gospel by
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/mark/mark12.htm#v28
Compare with
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew22.htm#v34
Compare with
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke10.htm#v25
I did not find a
reference to
Characters:
Narrator
Jesus
Scribe
Pharisee
Sadducee
Mandy (walks with crutches)
Scribe
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? I am a scholar of the laws. Which is the most important of all the commandments?
Hear me, O people of
Pharisee
What is the second most important commandment?
The second most important commandment is: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Sadducee
Are there more important commandments than these?
Jesus
There are no greater, more important commandments than these.
Scribe
When I love God with all my heart, with all my understanding, with all my strength, and I love my neighbor as myself that is worth more to him than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices in the world.
You have answered correctly. You are close to the
Narrator
At
Tameka
Where were you last Sunday, Jake?
Jake
I had a soccer tournament in
Tameka
Did you have time to go to church there?
Jake
Yeah. I’d have gone to church even if I missed the tournament. I told Dad, I’ve got to go to church. I looked in the phone book for the closest church. I called and found out the Mass times. We went right before the tournament began.
Tim
God is more important to you than the soccer tournament. You were following the first commandment.
Mandy
(Walks with crutches)
I don’t have much trouble following the first commandment. It’s the second one that does me in.
Tameka
What do you mean, Mandy?
Mandy
I have trouble loving my neighbor,
Jake
Tell us about it.
Mandy
He sits on his porch every morning and makes fun of me and my crutches. He says, “Man, a snail could get to the bus stop faster than you.”
Tim
That’s pretty rotten. What do you usually do?
Mandy
I usually pout, get red in the face, and keep right on walking.
Tameka
It’s hard for you to love him as you do yourself. Huh?
Tim
We’ll pray for your neighbor beginning right now. God can make things better for you.
Mandy
It’s worth a try. Feeling sorry for myself isn’t helping me any.
Tameka
You are not showing love for yourself.
Mandy
You are right. I hate having to use crutches. I’ll pray for myself and for
Jake, Tim and Tameka
We’ll pray for both of you, too. God will help.
Narrator
The next morning, after praying off and on during the day, during the night, Mandy is walking with her crutches in front of her neighbor’s house near the bus stop.
(Gets off the porch and comes over and looks Mandy right in the eye.)
A snail could get to the bus stop faster than you.
Mandy
I left the snails flying in the wind. Do you want to race?
Sure. Ready, Set, Go…
Mandy
No. Get the extra pair of crutches off my porch. We’ll race fair and square.
(When they take off racing,
Walking with crutches is not as easy as it looks. I’m sorry I made fun of you.
Mandy
It’s okay.
I’ll put these crutches up. Then I’ll walk with you to the bus stop.
Mandy
Now that would be real neighborly of you.
Narrator
Love God above all things. Love your neighbor as yourself. When you have trouble obeying these commandments, pray and ask God for help. He will make it better for you, too.