athats

April 26

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, April 26, Easter Saturday

MARK 16:9-15

Unbelief and finally Belief

Prayerthoughts

a. There are different accounts of Jesus’s appearance after His Resurrection. Here, Mary Magdalene was the first. She was a sinner whom Jesus had forgiven. What message does that have for me?

b. The whole point of this first part of the Gospel passage is that those close to Jesus did not believe even though Jesus had told them that he would rise from the dead. Does my belief in Jesus affect everything I do?

c. The companions of Jesus were mourning at his death. In my life as I experience sorrow, am I always considering that somehow the Lord is working through it with me?

d. The Gospel passage refers to the “Emmaus account” in Luke 24:13-35. I might want to refresh my memory of the story, and determine a lesson from the account.

e. Jesus rebuked his companions because of their “hardness of heart.” They refused to believe. Do I show compassion to others the way that I should?

f. My orayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, and write an important thought.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

TO EVERY CREATURE

+ It is important to look at the pattern of the Gospel reading from Mark:

- you have the fact of the Resurrection as reported by reputable people

- Mary Magdalene and

- the two disciples, the disciples that Luke the evangelist reported were on their way to Emmaus

- but the other disciples would not believe them

- so Jesus himself had to appear to them and rebuke them for not believing

- and then, even though they were so slow to believe, he tells them to proclaim the Gospel to everyone

- the pattern is: even though they are people who should be believing and they are not--they have to be almost forced into it

- even these people are to proclaim the Gospel to everyone

- they are not the greatest people in believing

- but they are still called to take the Gospel to everyone

+ And the first reading is that way also

- two of them anyway—Peter and John—did it rather well

- they tell their early listeners that they had to speak about what they had seen and heard

- they were slow to believe, but once they believed, they became the biggest proclaimers of the Gospel

+ That pattern is one that should describe us as modern believers of Jesus

- we already know that we can be slow to believe

- we are sinners, and many times we simply do not believe the way that we should

- what we are called to do is overcome that problem

- and move on to the Christian life

- that is, to proclaim the Gospel to every creature the best that we can in the circumstances of our lives

+ In other words, we have the background of being weak in the faith

- but even with that background, we are called to proclaim the Gospel to every creature, that is, do the best that we can to bring about a Christian response to life

- we have to work with the experiences that we have been given

- study the signs of the times

- choose to listen to competent people

- and be guided by the Holy Spirit

- leading us to proclaim the Gospel as best we can

+ Further, we don’t know the future, as the Apostles did not know their future

- it may not be a happy moment for us at all

- there may be further lapses of faith, further sinning

- but the Lord always calls us to look at what we are supposed to do—to proclaim the Gospel to every creature, no matter what the circumstances of our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "That's What I Want"--Lil Nas X

WAY TOO ALONE

The Gospel

LUKE 2:36-38

LUKE 2:36-38

In the temple, there was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

Gospelthink: When I was presented in the Temple in my early years, Anna prophesied about me. Do I show Jesus to be important in my life?

The Media -- "That's What I Want" (Lil Nas X)

"These days I’m way too lonely, I’m missing out, I know these days I’m way too alone, and I’m known for giving love away but I want someone to love me, I need someone who needs me, ‘cause it don’t feel right when it’s late at night and it’s just me in my dreams, so I want someone to love, that’s what I really want." [Lyrics adjusted]

According to the evangelist Luke, Jesus was presented in the temple of Jerusalem at the beginning of his earthly life, and one of the people who witnessed it was the prophetess Anna. It is the only time in the Gospels that we hear of her. Like all holy Hebrew women, she was waiting for someone who would fulfill her life and enable her to die with the satisfaction of having found what she wanted in life. She was lonely, longing for the redemption of her race. She realized that her wait was over as she gazed on the child Jesus.

Loneliness is one of those realities that must be experienced before it can really be understood. The person in Lil Nas X's song apparently has experienced the reality. He knows loneliness up close and personal, it seems, and he tells us the problem. He wants someone to love, someone who needs him, someone who will care about him in the same way that he cares.

Loneliness continues to be a problem for all of us who can often find nothing to do but occupy ourselves with trivialities designed to waste time. Furthermore, it is even a problem for those who are "busy," because when the sports are finished or the activities are over or the studies are done, the feeling of boredom can set in. Loneliness can be understood as a disease that can cause great harm and even lead one to question the importance of life itself.

What brings such loneliness about? One answer might be the fact that we often become so wrapped up in ourselves that we believe that there is no one who loves us or who cares for us. And perhaps one of the ways to overcome loneliness is to realize how much we are cared for by others.

We are all hoping that someone will find us, as the person in Lil Nas X's song desires, and for the person of faith, for the "Anna’s" among us, we have such a person in Jesus Christ. The person who manages to turn to him can never be lonely.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we believe that your Son will interact with people who turn to him. In times of loneliness in our lives, give us the grace to turn to him in prayer, and realize that together with so many others in our lives, he truly cares for us. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Everyone of us must feel that someone loves us or else we will be lonely.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "That's What I Want" teach young people?
2. In your opinion, who are the greatest witnesses to Jesus?
3. What is the difference between loneliness and being alone?
4. In your opinion, are there people who need no one to love them in this life? Yes or no and why?
5. What are some signs that loneliness has taken over a person?
6. The meditation gives one reason for loneliness, namely being too focused on ourselves. What are some other reasons for loneliness?
7. The meditation gives one remedy for loneliness, namely turning to our faith. What are some other remedies for loneliness?
8. It is true that we are all cared for by God. How can a person convince another that this is true?