April 27

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, April 27, 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. (This is the task of the meditation.)

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 list the things that I am most grateful for in my life so far.

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: "Teenage Dream" -- Katy Perry

THE REALITY OF PLEASURE



 

The Gospel

MATTHEW 15:12-14

MATTHEW 15:12-14

[Jesus'] disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit."

Gospelthink: The Pharisees were blind guides as they led people. Am I blind in the sense that I am not listening to the Lord the way I should?

"Let’s go all the way tonight; no regrets, just love. We can dance, until we die—you and I will be young forever. You make me feel like I'm livin’ a teenage dream; the way you turn me on, I can’t sleep. Let’s run away and don’t ever look back. I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece. I’m complete. My heart stops when you look at me. Just one touch; now, I believe this is real."

In Katy Perry's song "Teenage Dream," she sings about enjoying life, having physical pleasures, drinking too much, and basically doing what the person in the song wants. She wants to feel good all the time. It is a guiding thought for many young people, but the reality is that everyone must grow up--no one can remain young forever. We must grow up physically, and we must grow spiritually as well.

Spiritual growth involves an awareness of the difference between our raw basic desires to enjoy ourselves and the need to control them in light of some guide. In Jesus' ongoing battle with the religious leaders of his time, he taught many lessons. One of them was that people need guides. He said that there were many "plants" that his Father had not planted, and one needs a guide to uproot the ones that were not good. The religious leaders should have been such guides, and they were not. In Jesus' mind, they were blind and could not guide anyone. 

Using the image of plants that God has not planted, one of them might be labeled "the selfish feelings that come from legitimate pleasures." Young people soon discover as they grow that there are pleasures in their lives--God has planted them. God wants the human being to feel good about life. But those pleasures can be misused when they are used with the idea of no restrictions. And so we need a guide.

The person in Katy Perry's song is in such a state. She desperately needs a guide, but does not know it. She feels the legitimate pleasures, and she has turned to a selfish enjoyment of them. She enjoys the feelings of physical sexuality, being young, and her freedom, and she lets them govern her thought, allowing her to do anything that makes her feel good.

What should be the guide for the person in the song? She might be singing it, even in the midst of all the things that she wants--she talks of what "is real," saying that she has it. Pleasure is indeed "real," but we must be aware of why the pleasure is there, and what it is all about, and, in the end, who has brought it about. God is in charge of our lives, and God is what is "real." God is the guide that we must have. God has spoken to us through Jesus and other religious leaders, saying to us to enjoy the pleasures, but at the same time to understand that there must be control of them. When we do not, we only hurt ourselves and others.

The "teenage dream" is just that--a dream. Dreams must be guided, and if they are not, they might destroy. We need God to show us how to enjoy our pleasures.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we like the feelings of the pleasures that you have given to us, and we thank you for them. But we also know that we must have a guide to help us understand our feelings a little more. May we truly accept the direction of your Son in our lives. Be with us, we pray. 

 

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT

 

Theme:  We need a guide as we enjoy the pleasures that are part of our lives.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In the Gospel, why was Jesus not concerned that he was “offending” the Pharisees?
2. Speaking with the image of the Gospel, what are some “plants” that are in our lives which God has not planted?
3. Jesus tells the disciples to let the Pharisees alone.  Why did he use such an approach with the Pharisees?
4. In Jesus’ mind, why were the Pharisees “blind guides”?
5. Christian doctrine teaches that premarital sex is against God’s law. What are some reasons why?
6.The song describes “love” in terms of the sexual act that will have “no regrets.” Why is the statement not true?
7. Text analysis: “You and I will be young forever.” The author of the song implies that this earthly life is the only life that we will have. Explain how you feel about “life after death” and what it has to do with our lives right now.
8. Text analysis: “Teenage dream.” In your opinion, define a “teenage dream.”
9. Text analysis: “I’m complete.” What does it take to be a “complete” human being?
10. What or who are the guides of most people today?
11. What pleasures are most misused in today’s world?
12. The meditation says that “God is what is real.” Do you think most people really believe in God and allow the fact to affect their lives? Yes or no and why?
13. Christians have chosen God through Jesus and the Spirit, as the guide of their lives. What should such a choice mean for the individual in today’s world?
14. How could too much pleasure actually destroy us?
15. Do songs and movies that show too much pleasure have a significant effect on young people today? Yes or no and why?
16. What does the song “Teenage Dream” teach young people?

 

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