April 27

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, April 27, Easter Weekday

JOHN 10:11-18

The Caring Shepherd


Prayerthoughts

a. One of the virtues of a shepherd was sincerity—they were sincere in their watching of the sheep. In my life right now, am I “sincere” with those around me, that is, concerned about their welfare?

b. The Lord contrasts the idea of a good shepherd and a hired man who runs away at the sign of trouble. Do I show true concern for the people who are close to me?

c. Do I show concern for the people who are not part of my life all the time?

d. “Laying down my life” for others is no\type of care for people?

e. The Lord wants me to “care” for people of different religions. Do I respect all people no matter what their religion is?

f. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the choice he makes to redeem us--he freely chooses to do it in association with the command of his Father. What is my own understanding of "redemption"?  (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 613-617)

g. My prayerthoughts…


Today I will read Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

CALLED TO BE “GOOD SHEPHERDS”

Introduction: shepherds in Jesus’s time

+ Around Jerusalem, which was the place where Jesus was speaking in the Gospel today, there were many plains, abandoned and uncultured tracks of land

- good for pasturing sheep

- those who took care of those sheep, the shepherds, were an interesting group of people /

- mainly because of this Gospel, in which Jesus compared himself to one of them, we think that they are gentle, kind people—

- actually, most of them were just the opposite

- dirty, smelly, ignorant people, looked down upon by many of the Hebrew people, especially the religious leaders

- they did not respect the rules of religion; actually they didn’t even like religion

- some of them were thieves, most of them tough characters who were not afraid to use their shepherd staffs as weapons

- and Jesus compares himself to one of them


Jesus’s reason for comparison

+ As usual, Jesus had a reason for saying what he did

- it might best be worded this way: shepherds were “people doing what they were called to do as best as they could”

- that is, they possessed the virtue of sincerity—you could count on them to do what they said they would do

- whether they were paid or not, didn’t matter

- good shepherds were sincere people, not concerned with show or what other people thought, but concerned with doing their job,

- therefore Jesus could well call himself a good shepherd, a shepherd who truly cares for his sheep


We are shepherds

+ In a sense, as we consider our role as Christians interested in the spiritual life, we are all shepherds in one way or another

- that is, we all interact with others:

- some of us lead others, as parents of a family or we are some type of leader of others, some of us work side by side with other people, all of us live in a world where people are pretty much the same—all people trying to make it in the world

- in light of this Gospel today, as Jesus called himself, we are called to be good shepherds

- that will mean a couple of things as we study today’s Gospel


1 – real concern for people in our care

+ First, we are called to love those that we are directly involved with

- Jesus points out that shepherds were really concerned for their sheep, loving them, living for them, even willing to die for them

- you and I are called to love, to really be concerned about those around us, especially those who are around us a lot, those whom we know well, our families and close friends


2 – take care of all the sheep

+ Secondly, good shepherds often worked together as one group of shepherds, taking care of all the sheep

- putting all of the sheep in one place, and caring for them together

- we are called to be concerned about those outside of our familiar relationships—in Jesus words, “sheep that do not belong to this fold”

- which means concern for people we don’t know

- and even, love and concern for people who might be in competition or opposition to us


3 – work for unity

+ And lastly, we are called to work toward some type of unity in our world

- Jesus says that a good shepherd should be working for this unity—“one flock, one shepherd”

- which means promoting in ourselves a positive attitude for the common good, rather than being negative, self-centered people, only wanting our way


Conclusion: “good” shepherds

+ There was a religious vocation advertisement a couple of years ago that read:

Wanted: Good Shepherds.

Especially for sheep who don’t know they are lost.

- we are called to be shepherds for others

- so that those who don’t know that they are lost will find someone who will show them that they really are found.









MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Teenage Dream" -- Katy Perry

THE REALITY OF PLEASURE



 

The Gospel

MATTHEW 15:12-14

MATTHEW 15:12-14

[Jesus's] 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' songoing 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