Alligator Gives up Meat for Lent?

Gospel Puppet Show

March 17, 2013

Characters:

Ally, the Alligator

William

William:  Hi boys and girls.  Do you know what church season it is?  Is it Christmas?  Is it Epiphany?  Is it Pentecost?  Is it Easter?  Is it Advent?  There is only one more to guess.  What is it?   It is the season of Lent.  And during the season of Lent we like to do special things.  We like to show God how we are thankful.  I told my parents not to buy any pizza for me during Lent and give some food to the food bank to help feed hungry.  And I do this because I am thankful for having enough to eat.

(Ally the Alligator suddenly pops up with his mouth wide open and frightens William)

William:  Help! An alligator is attacking.  I’ve got to get away.

Ally:  Stop, don’t run away.  I’m not going to hurt you or bite you.  Please come back.  I need your help.

William:  But alligators are dangerous meat eating creatures.  And I do not want to be your breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ally:  Do be afraid of me.  I heard you talking about Lent.  And I am doing something special for Lent.

William:  What are you doing?

Ally: I have given up eating meat for Lent.  I’ve become a vegetarian.  I only eat sea weed now and algae.

William: Well, that must be really hard to do.

Ally:  It was for a few days but now I like it.  I feel better and so even after Lent is over, I am still going to be a vegetarian.  I found out that I have more friends to play with if I don’t eat them.

William: Well, that’s a good point.  You can be very lonely if you eat everyone in your neighborhood.

Ally:  But I have a problem.  Now that I’m a vegetarian, my teeth get very, very green and I can’t get them shining white.  And sea weed gets stuck between the teeth.  So I need your help.

William:  Today, is a good day for green teeth; it’s St. Patrick’s Day.  But why do you need my help.

Ally:  I need you to brush and floss my teeth.

William:  I can’t do that.  I am afraid to put my hand in the mouth of an alligator.  Do you think that I’m crazy?

Ally:  Well, I won’t bite you.  But maybe you can trick Fr. Phil into to doing it.

William:  Father Phil, could you do something special for Lent.  Could you help my friend Ally the Alligator.

Fr. Phil:  I guess but I don’t have much experience with alligators.  What does your friend want?

William:  He wants you to brush and floss his teeth.

Fr. Phil:  Are you kidding.  You want me to put my fingers in a alligators mouth?  Children, should I do it?  

William:  But Ally is friendly and he even gave up meat for Lent and now he’s become a full time vegetarian.  And that is a problem; it made his teeth very green and he has sea weed stuck between his teeth.

Fr. Phil:  Okay, Ally, I am going to trust you.  Open your mouth wide while I brush and floss your teeth.

(Fr. Phil brushes and flosses Ally’s teeth)

Ally: Oh that feel good and now my girl friend will not tease me about having green lipstick on my teeth.

Fr. Phil:  Okay, I’m all done.  Your teeth are all shining white again.  Congratulation on giving up meat for Lent.  I know everyone is feeling safer in your neighborhood now.

Ally:  Sometimes when we’re thankful we just feel like doing some wonderful things.  And I am thankful and so I gave up eating meat.  And William gave up eating pizza for Lent and is giving some money to the food bank instead of buying pizza.

William:  Lent is a good time to be thankful and if we are thankful we can do things to help others.

Fr. Phil:  Ally and William, I am proud of you for your special acts of thanksgiving.  God promises us abundant life and God promises life beyond death so we don’t have to live in fear.  So we can be very thankful.   Let’s give Ally and William a big hand.  Thank you for teaching us a lesson in thanksgiving.