April 21

   [media presentation below]

GospelThink

Tuesday, April 21, Easter Weekday

JOHN 6:30-35

I am the bread of life.

Prayerthoughts
a. What do I consider to be “the works of God” in my life?

b. How often do I give evidence of the fact that I believe?

c. The Israelites refer to the manna sent to their ancestors during their sojourn in the desert after they left Egypt. The Lord God took care of them. Am I sufficiently thankful that the Lord takes care of me?

d. Jesus is referring to the Eucharist as he says that his Father sends down the bread from heaven. The Father has given us this bread in the Eucharist. Do I show the proper reverence for the Eucharist in my spiritual life?

e. Do I concentrate during Mass as much as I should?

f. When I receive the Eucharist, do I make a proper thanksgiving for what the Lord has done?

g. What effects in my life should the Eucharist have?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will carry out Acts of the Apostles 7:51-8:1a and write an important thought from it.





Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

OUR WORDS GIVE US AWAY

+ Both readings of the Mass today continue two separate stories from the New Testament:

- the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles continues the story and the martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian martyr

- the Gospel is again from chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, recognized by Scripture scholars as being John’s account of the Eucharist (he doesn’t have the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper)


+ That which is most striking about the martyrdom of Stephen perhaps are the confrontational words that he uses toward his persecutors, something we reflected on yesterday as well

- when it came to his belief in Jesus, Stephen was not interested in softening or sugar-coating his words

- “You stiff-necked people, you always oppose the Holy Spirit…”

- he felt that his words were truth, and he would take the consequences, even death

- they were strong words that another leader of the early Church, Paul the apostle, heard

- a leader who spoke strong words as well

- and Luke points out that Saul or Paul was there listening and taking part in the martyrdom


+ Jesus spoke some likewise strong statements when he instituted the Eucharist for his followers

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.

- Jesus was willing to risk the ridicule of the people, many of whom would not understand what the Eucharist was to be

- but Jesus, understanding the need to be physically present to his followers, establishes a way to be present to them for all time


+ There are many applications of these readings

- yesterday we considered the idea of “truth” in our words

- today, perhaps we should consider that our words should always be spoken with the good of others in mind

- Stephen ultimately wanted his listeners to learn the truth

- and Jesus instituted the Eucharist with the idea of the salvation of all—that you and I would never hunger and never thirst in a spiritual way

- our words should usually be said for the good of others not for their condemnation


+ The kind of spiritual lives we lead is determined largely by our speech

- our words give us away

- if our words are honest, and spoken for the good of others, we are well on our way to understanding the spiritual life.                                       
                                       







MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Divergent" -- final session

CONTROLLING THE FREE WILL



 

The Gospel

MATTHEW 18:6-7

MATTHEW 18:6-7

Jesus said: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!”

Gospelthink: Jesus exaggerates, but he makes his point. Do I cause or have I caused others to sin?

The world of the movie "Divergent" in Chicago of the future, the only place left that was inhabitable on earth, was in turmoil. Caused by the Erudite faction who wanted to rule the society, the Erudite discovered a way to bring about control by forcing the Dauntless to subdue everyone in the society. In particular, they set about to kill anyone in Abnegation, the ruling party. Beatrice Prior, or "Tris" as she was known was Divergent and therefore resistant to the serum of control that Erudite used to govern others. She and fellow Divergent Tobias Eaton, known as "Four" slowly discovered that they had to break the evil designs of the Erudite and lead a small group of like-minded people to bring about peace to their society.  

Jesus was adamant about people who caused others to sin. He was quite explicit about a person who might cause children to sin. At the same time, he warned anyone in the world who causes others to sin by using the phrase "woe to you."  It is a phrase reserved in Scripture for warning people about the possibility of their own destruction if they deliberately refuse to understand what they are doing.

The evil people who led the Erudite faction in the movie "Divergent" wanted control. They wanted to be in charge so that they could have their own way. It is a common enough desire of human beings. We want to be "more important" or "more educated" than others. The way they devised to control others was to bring other people's minds into subjection, to make them follow what the people in charge wanted them to do. Taking away one's free will may be the greatest evil in our world.

From the very beginning of human existence, free will has been a part of human nature. It was a part that even the Creator would not take away, even if it meant that the person would harm him/herself. Free will was a sacred gift. Taking it away violates the very nature of a human being.

Forcing one's will on another therefore is always an evil. It is the fundamental sin of a human being as Jesus warns.  But it is also true that we must have control of ourselves. Jesus's constant message was that we must not control anyone except ourselves. He knew that our free wills could indeed hurt us, and so his teaching was that we must control ourselves by freely accepting his guidance.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we value the free will that You have given us, but sometimes we do not understand it, since we often want to control others. Give us the grace to recognize the need we have to control our own free wills. Be with us, we pray.

 

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Forcing people to do evil by controlling their minds is perhaps the greatest evil in the world. 
  
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 67 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. The designation of "little ones" here probably refers to the disciples, and translates to adults causing other adults to sin. It is the sin of scandal from an adult point of view. In your opinion, thinking of adults in the world scandalizing other adults, what is the greatest scandal in the world? Why?
3. What is your understanding of the phrase "woe to.."?
4. Jesus's words are quite strong about scandal. Why do you think Jesus used such strong language at times in his life?
5. In our world today, what comes to your mind when someone says "control of another"?
6. In your opinion, do most people of our world "control" themselves? Yes or no and why?
7. What are the greatest fears that human beings must face?
8. Scene analysis: Al commits suicide after Tris does not forgive him. In your opinion, did Tris really "cause" Al's death? Yes or no and why?
9. Dialogue analysis: "Four" says that he does not want to be just "one thing." Why is it good to desire to think beyond our own personalities?
10. Tris' father sacrifices himself for the others. Where in our world do we see this type of martyrdom today?
11. What does the movie "Divergent" teach young people?

 

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