April 12

  [media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, April 12, Second Sunday of Easter

JOHN 20:19-31

I was disappointed in Thomas who wouldn’t believe what I had taught. But he did change.

Prayerthoughts
a. The Lord wishes his disciples “peace.” Do I always bring peace to the situations that I am in or am I more argumentative?
 
b. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to his disciples. I have also received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation. Has the Spirit made me a person of love toward all?

c. Thomas initially says “I will not believe.”  Are there some parts of my faith that I struggle with? Perhaps I can list them and look up the topics in the Catechism.

d. Jesus speaks directly to Thomas, telling him to do exactly what Thomas wanted. Often the graces of God allow me to do exactly what I want. Am I sufficiently grateful to God.

e. The Lord blesses us when he says that blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed. Perhaps we should write an extended prayer of faith.

f. What virtues do you think Jesus showed in his life that are not recorded?

g. (Divine Mercy Sunday reflection: In my daily life, do I show mercy toward everyone I meet?)

h. My prayerthoughts… 

Today, I will read Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47 and write an important thought from it.

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Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

MORE THAN GOD ALONE

+ The Gospel today has an incredible statement by Jesus, I believe:

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

- spoken to the Apostles, and as we understand the Gospel passages, spoken to all Christians

- Jesus saying that the Christians’ mission is the same as his

- which makes us extremely important in the scheme of Christian redemption


+ That makes us true evangelizers, true people of faith

- it often happens that we not only do not believe that, but we don’t want to believe it

- because it is so much easier if we don’t believe it

- we’d rather adopt what might be called the “Thomas thinking”

- “Thomas thinking” calls for certainty before we do anything

Unless I see the mark of the nails and put my finger into the nail marks, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe, Thomas says

- that is, unless I can be sure, I’m not going to have faith

- and if I am not sure, then I will not work with God

- such thinking is contradictory—faith by its very nature cannot be certitude

- if we are certain, then we no longer need faith

- Thomas wanted certitude rather than faith, and really was not ready to accept the responsibility that Jesus called him to


+ We have to take the time to understand what our faith really is

- the fact is that we are not sure about faith: we could be wrong

- but with faith, it doesn’t matter

- we are freely choosing to live in such a way that if God did not exist, it wouldn’t make any difference—we believe that God does exist and has acted through Jesus Christ, and that shapes our lives

- there are many faiths, both Christian and otherwise—they all can’t be true—we could be wrong

- but it doesn’t matter: we simply accept our faith and live it out


+ Further, as people of faith, the faith should affect everything that we do

- that thought is brought out in a unique way by what I believe is one of the best spiritual books of the past, “That Man Is You” by Louis Evely

- his thought is that God needs someone where we are now in whatever situation we are in

- God could have done it alone, to be sure, but God did not make the world that way

- in fact, God has permanently set up the universe in such a way that God with us can accomplish more than God alone


+ We have to be people who act because of our faith

- this affects especially our prayer of petition

- our prayer of petition must be spoken with absolute faith that God will act however God chooses to act and God will act for the good of every situation

- but I must work with God at the same time—God has permanently set up the universe in such a way that God with us can accomplish more than God alone

- and so we pray for peace, and it means that we work for that peace in our own lives in whatever way we can, and we let God decide about the peace that we want for our world—and it will be eventually for the good

- or we pray for someone’s healing, and at the same time, we accept the responsibility to send that person a card or make a phone call, allowing God to act in whatever way God chooses to act—again, it will be for the best

- or we pray for our families, but we do not do anything that is going to disrupt or disengage that family, and allow God to work through us to influence our families, with the outcome of what God wants which will always be a good


+ What I have called “Thomas thinking” puts too much on God

- in that understanding, God has to prove to me

- we are called to believe, even though we may not have the assurance of God right in front of us

- but we believe that God is there, and that really and truly, God has permanently set up the universe in such a way that God with us can accomplish more than God alone.











MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Love Yourself" -- Justin Bieber

LOVE OF SELF VERSUS SELFISHNESS



 

The Gospel


MATTHEW 16:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”

Gospelthink: Jesus gives us the threefold directive to deny oneself, take up one's cross and follow him. It begins with denying oneself. Am I too selfish in the things that I do?

"For all the times that you rain on my parade, and all the clubs you get in using my name, you think you broke my heart, you think I'm crying on my own. Well, I ain't, and I didn't wanna write a song 'cause I didn't want anyone thinking I still care. I don't. I don't wanna hold back. Maybe you should know that my mama don't like you and she likes everyone, and I never like to admit that I was wrong. And I've been so caught up in my job, didn't see what's going on. But now I know. You should go and love yourself.”  

The threefold directive that Jesus gives in order to be his follower begins with arguably the most important statement, namely to deny oneself. Actually, the correct understanding of love of self is quite necessary in our world of love and life, but the evil of selfishness is the subject of Jesus' condemnation. Selfishness is too much love of self. Related to pride, it is probably the number one evil in a person's personal life as pride is the "first" capital sin.

Justin Bieber speaks of a man in the relationship who finally has realized that his girlfriend is quite selfish and therefore has lost his love. He speaks of it in rather strong terms, saying that he just does not care anymore. He may have been at fault because he was caught up in his job and does not like to admit that he was wrong, as he says, but for sure, now he knows. He tells her that her love of self is only selfish. And selfish love is not love at all.

Perhaps one of the most important distinctions in life is the difference between love of self and selfish love. It essential to learn it if we want to enjoy a true love relationship. Love of self involves a true understanding of what we should be in life. It includes the importance of humility and objectivity as we study who we are and the way we treat others. It involves an honest assessment why we do the things that we do.

Selfish love is nothing more than the evil of pride run rampant. We feel internally that the only way of thinking of life is in the way that we want. It loses sight of the importance of others, and only pays attention to another when we can get something out of it. Love for such a person is always conditional and never will be defined in terms of mutual love.

When we manage to achieve a true love of self, then selfishness will never be part of our lives.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son told us that in to be a true follower of His, one had to control selfishness. Give us the grace to shun selfishness and to learn a true love of self in all that we do. Be with us, we pray.

 

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Selfishness destroys any relationship.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In your opinion, how should we "deny ourselves"?
2. In your opinion, what does it mean to "carry one's cross"?
3. In your opinion, do most Christians really try to follow Jesus in the way they live? Yes or no and why?
4. The song has rather direct words that are almost words of hatred of another. What is the Christian way of "breaking a love relationship"?  Do most people carry through with it?
5. The song says that we often get so "caught up in our jobs" that we miss important things like forming correct love relationships. What are the best ways to bring about good love relationships? 
6. Why is "selfishness" such a evil?
7. In your own words explain the difference between true love of self and selfishness.
8. Give an example of "selfishness" that is clear from the news.
9. What is the difference between conditional love and unconditional love?
10. What is the best way to get rid of selfishness in our lives?
11. What does the song "Love Yourself" teach young people?    

 

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America