TGIMMcarryon

April 19

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, April 19, Third Sunday of Easter

LUKE 24:13-35

Their Eyes Were Opened

Prayerthoughts

a. There are many times when we do not “recognize” Jesus in the person of others. Who are the people that I have most neglected over the past couple of weeks and how can I make things better?

b. How would you describe Jesus to someone who knew nothing about him?

c. The disciples were hoping that Jesus was the one who would redeem them. What do I hope for the most in my life? Why?

d. The disciples no doubt knew that Jesus had said that he would suffer and rise from the dead. In your opinion, why did they not conclude that Jesus rose as they heard of the empty tomb?

e. Jesus showed the disciples that they had to look at the Scriptures with Jesus in mind. As I read the Scriptures, do I always attempt to find what the Lord wants me to do?

f. Is my prayer always asking the Lord to stay with me, even when there are times when I do not understand what is happening in my life? Do I find myself “giving up” on the Lord?

g. The disciples understood who he was when he broke bread with them, a symbol of the Eucharist. When I receive the Eucharist, do I prepare well and thank the Lord afterwards the way I should when I receive the Lord?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read 1 Peter 1:17-21 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

STAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

+ In mathematics, there is a relatively difficult concept called “limit”

- a 5-line definition that is part of Calculus I

- when I was in preparation for teaching math, I remember memorizing it without really knowing what I was memorizing; understood it a little, but not completely

- when I was teaching in high school, I was asked to teach some advanced math

- I was explaining in class something that had to do with the concept of “limit” and suddenly it dawned on me what it meant

- I remember stopping in class, staring at what I had written on the board, and saying “That’s what it is!”

- the kids thought I had some type of a vision or something

+ I think of that as I think of the disciples on the road to Emmaus today

- once Jesus had left, they had to exclaim to themselves: “That’s what it is.” that is what Jesus was all about.

- If we study the disciples in the Gospel and this whole Emmaus event carefully, one can see a picture of the spiritual life, I believe

- as we study it, we can see people at three different stages of the spiritual life, and it is a good meditation for us to ask where we are.

+ The first might be labeled

Confusion

- the two disciples had left Jerusalem disappointed because they didn’t understand what was happening

- many people are at this stage in their spiritual lives, and they choose to go no further

- perhaps they simply don’t want to take the time and effort to develop spiritually, that is, they are giving into what I call the principal problem in the spiritual life today—people do not consider God/Church/religion important, and therefore they will not become interested until there is some crisis in their lives

- the second stage may be called the stage of partial recognition

- it may be the most important stage because it is where most of us are

- the two disciples were attracted to this stranger

- many people feel attracted to Jesus as an answer

- but too many other things get in the way

- they have too much concern for money and material goods, and they have a difficult time with Jesus’s directive to give of their time, talent and money to others

- the third stage is that of total recognition, those who have moved through the stages of the spiritual life successfully

- it finally dawned on the disciples of Emmaus who this Jesus was and what they had to do, moving them to action

- it is a significant part of the story to see that they gave up what they were going to do—headed as they were for Emmaus, and went back to Jerusalem, symbolically saying that they “turned around” and were accepting Jesus and his way as important

- it means taking the directives of Jesus and the Scriptures home with them, directing all of their activities with the thought of Jesus’ message

- this is difficult, and takes effort

+ Primarily, it means making God/Church/religion truly important in our lives

- this is the central point of what we must do in order to be spiritual people

- the disciples on their way to Emmaus began to see the answers, they literally turned around and went back to the important things in life—Jesus and his way

- that is our example: we have to see the importance of Jesus and his way

- we must come to see that what we do here and the whole understanding of the Christian life is really important

- more important than anything else we do

- and so we will treat everything else as secondary to God

+ If we manage to look on what we are doing right now as truly the most important thing that we will do in our lives

- we will turn things around in our lives here and in eternal life.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Carry On" -- Fun.

SUN WILL COME

The Gospel

JOHN 9:1-7

JOHN 9:1-7

As [Jesus] passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" (which means 'Sent'). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

Gospelthink: The Lord has blessed me with the sight of eternal life. I should be showing it by my actions.

"Well, I woke up to the sound of silence and cries were cutting like knives in a fist fight, and I found you with a bottle of wine. You swore and said, ‘We are not, we are not shining stars.’ If you’re lost and alone or you’re sinking like a stone, carry on. May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on. My head is on fire, but my legs are fine. After all they are mine. Show me how no one's ever gonna stop us tonight 'cause here we are. We are shining stars, we are invincible, we are who we are on our darkest day when we’re miles away. Sun will come. We will find our way home."

Fun.'s song "Carry On" tells the story of a relationship that the man in that relationship possessed at one time. It had fallen apart, and he began to reflect about himself. As a result, he began to see things differently, and the couple's relationship healed, concluding that "If you’re lost and alone or you’re sinking like a stone, carry on." That is, make the past the sound of your feet walking away, and start working on the present and future. The sun will come, we will find our way.

We cannot forget about the past completely, of course, nor should we, but we can make ourselves see things differently, and approach life with a new attitude that will carry us out of our darkness into the light. Jesus spoke of such an attitude often in his life. For him, it was an attitude often defined to be light overcoming darkness. Or in Fun.'s words, the belief that the sun will come. In John the Evangelist's story of the blind man in his Gospel, the darkness of the man's blindness could not overcome the light of Jesus in the world. The man born in darkness met the light of Jesus, and was able to see.

Fun's song "Carry On" and Jesus's attitude of light overcoming darkness is important for Christian leadership and for life in general. There are times when we will feel lost and alone, like we're sinking into the drowning waters of things that simply will not go right. We feel it in school when things continue to pile up; we feel it in life when relationships are not falling into place; we feel it in our work when our efforts seem to get us no where. It is then that we have to step back a little, think some serious thoughts about our past, and then force ourselves to see what is real in the present and future--we really do have light, the sun will come, we can "carry on" even if we are hurting for some reason.

One of the phrases that describes a Christian in the Bible is the phrase "children of the light" (1 Thessalonians 5:4). The phrase carries with it the implicit understanding that darkness will never be able to overcome the Christian's ability to carry on well in life. We always have light, we always have sun, we will always be able to see the way--the way "home." We will always be able to "carry on."

It is the only way to truly live.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son is the light of the world that you created. May we always turn to his light, and thus find our way in this world, and eventually come to live with you forever. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: "If you're lost and alone or you're sinking like a stone, carry on."

THE GOSPEL
1. Jesus always denies that there is a one-to-one connection between sin and suffering. In general, why do people make the connection?
2. In your opinion, what are the works of God that Jesus must do?
3. Jesus is the light of the world; what should this mean for the world?

THE SONG
1. It is clear that in the beginning, the people in the song were not enjoying life. What causes people to be most upset in life?
2. Text analysis: "shining stars." What is the meaning of the phrase?
3. Text analysis: "May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground." What is the meaning of the sentence?
4. Text analysis: "We are who we are on our darkest day when we are miles away." What is the meaning of the sentence?
5. Text analysis: "Sun will come." What is the meaning of the sentence?
6. Text analysis: "home." What does the word "home" mean in the context of the song?

THE MEDITATION
1. What is the principal reason why relationships fall apart?
2. In general, do most young people take the time to reflect on themselves and their lives? Yes or no and why?
3. Define a "Christian attitude."
4. In your opinion, in today's world, who are the "people of darkness"?
5. The meditation lists some examples of "things that do not go right." What are some of your own examples?
6. What is the best way to "carry on" well in life?
7. What does the song "Carry On" teach young people?