lights

April 10

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, April 10, Lent V

JOHN 8:51-59

I tell the religious leaders of my divinity.

Prayerthoughts
a. Is it clear by my actions, words and thoughts, say, yesterday that I am keeping the Lord's words?

b. The religious leaders were arguing with Jesus. But it is a good question to address to myself: who do I make myself out to be? That is, what is most important in my life at the present time? Why?

c. Finish this sentence: "Since Jesus is divine, then I...."

d. Jesus uses the familiar definition of God throughout John's Gospel, namely I AM. We are close to our God at all times. What should that mean to me?

e. In general, how do most people define “God”?

f. My prayerthoughts...

Today, I will read Genesis, chapter 17, and write
an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

LISTENING TO JESUS

+ The first reading is very important as we study theology

- God changes the nomad Abram’s name to Abraham

- thus making him the Father of many nations,

- and at the same time setting up the covenant/agreement that was to last forever, something that was repeated often in the Hebrew Scriptures, and therefore in force even right now

- I will be your God, and you will be my people

- God promising to be with us always, and as a result, we promising to always allow God to direct our behavior

+ In the Gospel, Jesus recalls that covenant

- and teaches the specifically Christian element—namely,

Before Abraham came to be, I AM.

- that is to say, since Jesus was God (I AM is the name for Yahweh), Jesus existed before Abraham

- it is no wonder that the religious leaders reacted and wanted to stone Jesus—he was making himself equal to God

- something they simply could not understand and therefore they would not listen to

+ One can understand the way the Hebrew religious leaders felt,

- but the fact is that they should have at least listened to what he was saying

- maybe they wouldn’t agree, but maybe they would learn some things in the process

+ The action of listening to Jesus is an important element of our spirituality

- we do it every time that we hear the Scriptures proclaimed

- primarily here at Mass

- and many times, we do not let what Jesus said sink in the way it should

- we hear the words, but we do not really listen

- and apply them to our own specific circumstances the way we should

- and thus we don’t change the way the way we should

+ The liturgy points out the foundation of our spirituality:

- Abraham was the father of the human religious families

- Jesus perfectly fulfills what God began with Abraham

- we must listen to this Jesus now

- as we accept our part of the covenant—to allow Jesus’ words to direct our behavior.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Lights Down Low" -- MAX featuring gnash

AN ISLAND IN THE FLOOD

The Gospel

JOHN 19:38-42

JOHN 19:38-42

After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

Gospelthink: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus showed courage in burying Jesus. Am I courageous in my following of Jesus?

"Can I stop the flow of time? Can I swim in your divine? 'Cause I don't think I'd ever leave this place. Turn the lights down low. I'm feeling you breathing slow. 'Cause, we're just reckless kids trying to find an island in the flood. And I would give you everything. But can you feel this energy? Take it, and you can have the best of me."

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were disciples of Jesus, but they kept it secret, no doubt because they were afraid of what might happen to them. They were willing to risk a little of themselves, but not completely. But when they witnessed the death of Jesus, they could keep quiet no longer. They openly requested to bury Jesus, thus showing to everyone that they were willing to risk everything because of this person that they had come to love and respect. Their action is an action of searching for the love of someone that they had come to honor. It is an action not unlike the action of people who are discovering romantic love.

It is the type of love that MAX and gnash are singing about in their song "Lights Down Low." The man in the relationship is searching to discover whether the love that he has for the other is strong enough to make a commitment. "I would give you everything," he says, but he is still searching to find the "island in the flood."

With our human natures the way they are, we cannot simply say that someone is special to us and let it go at that. We must discover how the other feels about a commitment, and whether we are ready to make that type of commitment ourselves. Infatuation is not love, and the only way it will become true love is to allow it to develop, to "feel the energy" as MAX and gnash sing.

Love is not only romantic love. It is true that most of the popular songs are in the context of romantic love, but love is a thought that encompasses more than the romantic feelings we have toward others. But no matter what the circumstances, we are called to honestly search our minds and hearts to see if we are ready to give completely to another.

Nicodemus and Joseph are good examples for modern love. They teach us to work at discovering the love for another, and once we find it, to "give everything."

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are so many examples of true love in Your Scriptures. Give us the grace to search for that love for others and once we find it, to truly make us understand it better. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: In order to love someone, we must be committed to search for that love..

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. The burial customs today are different than they were in the time of Jesus. What part of the burial customs today have made the most impression on you? Why?
2. Joseph and Nicodemus showed courage in their actions as they risked telling the truth of their belief in Jesus . Where have you seen Christian courage in your world?
3. In what way are those discovering love for the first time "reckless"?
4. How long should people in romantic love wait to marry after they have discovered their "love" for each other?
5. One of the ways to discover love might be to date many people. Do you agree with such a suggestion? Yes or no and why?
6. What are the signs of true romantic love?
7. What are the signs of "friendship love"?
8. In your opinion, do most people who have committed themselves to romantic love or love of another truly "give everything"?
9. What does the song “Lights Down Low” teach young people today?