April 1

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, April 1, Wednesday of Holy Week

MATTHEW 26:14-25

Betrayal

Prayerthoughts

a. Judas is out for personal gain in the form of money. Do I love the power and privilege of money and allow it to rule my choices?

b. Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray him. I should be the opposite—looking for the opportunity to make the Lord more and more a part of my life.

c. The Passover was an important feast for the Israelites—a commemoration of the Lord “passing over” the Israelite people during the final plague in Moses’s time. Do I celebrate religious feast days, including Sunday, in a proper way?

d. The Apostles were deeply distressed. What concerns me the most in our world right now?

e. Jesus’s words: “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.” We have not betrayed Jesus outright, but we may have forgotten him at times.

f. Jesus’s words: “It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” What was Judas’s principal problem?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read Isaiah 50:4-9a and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

A STUDY IN SELFISHNESS

+ The so-called third song of the servant of Yahweh in the first reading from Isaiah continues the thought that the Messiah will suffer,

- but in the end will triumph

+ But there was to be real suffering in the Messiah’s life, both physically and mentally

- here in Matthew’s Gospel, the mental suffering of having one of your closest friends—one you had chosen as an intimate—betray you

- and in yesterday’s Gospel, the same thing along with Peter’s denial prediction

+ Why did Judas betray Jesus?

- there were probably some religious/philosophically-based reasons

- resembling what the chief priests and Pharisees were ostensibly worried about

- namely, that if he were to pursue his Kingdom thought, the Kingdom of Rome would crush them

- but those reasons were more for show than anything else

- the real reason had to do with personal gain or selfishness

+ It is only fitting on the last day of the Lenten season, preparing immediately for the Sacred Triduum that we consider the principal problem for the spiritual life that we all have—

- personal gain or selfishness

- the first day of Lent the liturgy presented the three standard ways to attack selfishness: prayer, fasting and almsgiving

+ And the way to fight that selfishness in our lives right now is to carefully review our motivation:

- “why” do we do the things that we do

- in whatever undertaking we study, our spiritual thought ought to be that we do what we do with pure intentions, that is, not for personal gain

- I should be concerned for other people, and if I am not, then there is probably a problem with selfishness

+ If there is a problem that will keep the spiritual life from developing, it is selfishness

- and it takes real effort to attack it.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Adore You" -- Harry Styles

A STRAWBERRY LIPSTICK STATE OF MIND

The Gospel

JOHN 12:1-3

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Gospelthink: Jesus's friend Mary expressed her love of Jesus by action. Do I show my love of God by the actions of my life?

"Walk in your rainbow paradise, strawberry lipstick state of mind. I get so lost inside your eyes. Would you believe it? You don’t have to say you love me, you don’t have to say nothing. You don’t have to say you’re mine. Honey, I’d walk through fire for you. Just let me adore you.”

How ever we describe a "strawberry lipstick state of mind," there is little doubt that it describes a situation of a deep feeling of love. As Harry Styles describes it in his song "Adore You," it is a feeling that one could walk through fire for the other, that he would get lost in the eyes of the other. And therefore lead to near "adoration" of the other.

It is not unlike a situation that Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus felt toward Jesus during one of his visits with them. In another place in Scripture, Mary is described as a person who liked to listen to what Jesus had to say. Using the words of Harry Styles' song, she was simply "adoring" this person who did so much for her family and for their world. The remark that John the evangelist makes about the house being filled with the aroma of the oil is probably a description of the good feeling that everyone in the house experienced as a result of the adoration that Mary gave to Jesus.

The song "Adore You" is of course, a love song that captures the feelings of the man in love with his girlfriend. In the course of the song, however, he says some things that love counselors would question. He sings that the other person does not have to say that she loves him, that she does not have to say anything, that her reciprocal love of him does not have to be expressed in any way..

Indeed, the good feelings of love cannot be denied in a love relationship. The feelings are very deep and seem to acquire the the attitude of permanence, that it will always be that way. But feelings are often fickle. The counselors of our world who work with preparation for permanent love will say just the opposite of what Harry Styles sings. That which will make the feelings of love so rich is the mutual respect that each of the couples makes. That respect only comes about by mutual sharing of the feelings that each has, and mutual discussion of why they feel that way.

As one experiences love, it may seem like all one needs is a "strawberry lipstick state of mind," that is, the feeling that everything in the relationship is true love. But those feelings must be stated to one another at some time. There is a reason why lack of communication is the principal cause of love breakdown even though the feelings of love may be present.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, You have blessed us with the ability to feel romantic love. Help us go beyond simply feeling good for another, and learn to speak about those feelings and why we feel that way. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: In romantic love, we must truly love the other, but we have to develop that love well.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Adore You" teach young people?
2. The Gospel passage pictures a "family gathering." In your opinion, why would Jesus encourage such family gatherings?
3. The anointing is a sign of true affection for Jesus. In our lives today, how can we show "true affection for Jesus"?
4. What virtues are present when two people are deeply in love with one another?
5. Why is "communication" so necessary in a love relationship?
6. Give some examples of "fickle" feelings.
7. Besides "lack of communication," what are some other causes that destroy permanent love?

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