ghost

April 28

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, April 28, Easter Weekday

JOHN 3:1-8

Born Again

Prayerthoughts

a. It is significant that Nicodemus was a “ruler” and yet was asking for an explanation of something he did not understand. In my speech, am I open to the fact that others can teach me something?

b. It is clear that people have “God with them” as Nicodemus speaks about Jesus. Do I tend to think of people with the thought that God is with them?

c. The Greek word for “from above” can also be understood as the thought of “again.” Nicodemus speaks from the thought of “again” and therefore misunderstands Jesus. Nicodemus is humble enough to search for an explanation. Do I admit it when I do not understand something?

d. If I want to be part of the eternal kingdom, I must be “born again” through Baptism and the Holy Spirit. Am I acting “born again” with my attitude?

e. The Spirit is always active in my life just like the wind that blows. I need to be more aware of the Spirit alive around me in everything that happens, realizing that the Lord is always active in my life.

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Acts 4 and write down an important thought.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

ACTING LIKE WE ARE BAPTIZED

+ Studying the directives of Jesus in the Gospel, speaking to Nicodemus, we have in fact been born again– our Baptism

- begotten of water and the Spirit

- the question of spirituality: has this adjusted our lives like it should

- that is, do we act like we are born of water and the Spirit?

+ Part of what that means comes from the first reading which is a continuation of the presentation of the Acts of the Apostles

- looking at the historical pericope

- and in particular the prayer of the early disciples after their first brush with opposition that later was to take their lives

1 – part of our prayer and life should have to do with seeking assurance from God

- the disciples’ words: “take note of their threats…”, that is, help us understand God’s presence in whatever happens

- that is, learning to look at the world, even the bad things that happen as one continuous sign from God

- God is speaking to us

- God’s power in nature

- God’s power in the working out of things in life

- learning to see that God is directing how things always come to a good final goal

2 – speaking God’s word

- “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

- this is a common application to the readings of every day

- it involves speaking God’s word directly at times

- “this is what God wants” said in whatever circumstances

- but especially it involves speaking God’s word “indirectly”

- the way that we talk and act

- but especially in the way that we think

- so that we begin to truly think as a holy person

+ We are baptized, or born again

- that should do something profound to our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Ghost" -- Justin Bieber

THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW

The Gospel

JOHN 14:16-20

JOHN 14:16-20

Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.”

Gospelthink: I promise you that the Spirit of Truth will guide you. Do I make the prayer to the Spirit asking for guidance often enough?

"Youngblood thinks there's always tomorrow. I miss your touch on nights when I’m hollow; I know you crossed a bridge that I can’t follow. Since the love that you left is all that I get, I want you to know that if I can’t be close to you, I settle for the ghost of you. Your memory is ecstasy. I miss you more than life.”

In St. Paul's letter to the Romans, he speaks about what the Advocate or Spirit of truth does for Christians: "We ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness." (Romans 8:23-25). St. Paul knew exactly what Jesus said about the Advocate or Spirit of truth: it gives hope to a Christian.

Perhaps the greatest hope for a Christian person is that Jesus promised life to the people who would adopt his way of living. Jesus who the Christian believes is God told his followers: "I will not leave you orphans." God will be with us through thick and thin, in good times and in bad, always there, even when all hope is gone. God will be there all the way. There is always hope.

Interestingly enough, Justin Bieber speaks of hope that is realized because of a person who is no longer present to him. It is a perfect statement about what the virtue of hope does for a person looking for a love relationship. "Your memory is ecstasy," he sings. Like the Spirit of truth or Advocate working for a Christian, the man who is looking for a relationship is guided by the way his girlfriend loved, or as he sings her "ghost."

The song itself is a song of hope, perhaps in three ways. First, as he spoke about the song, Justin Bieber said that he wanted to "make people feel like there is hope and that the trauma and the hurt [of the pandemic of the Coronavirus] that you feel isn’t gonna last forever.”

Secondly, from the song itself, he sings, “Youngblood thinks there’s always tomorrow." The situation is one of hope because the man in the relationship is rejoicing that he has the memory of his girlfriend which gives him the feeling of good times in the future.

And, thirdly, from the video of the song that is well worth while watching, the story of a death is presented, and then the family works through that death to be more hopeful for the future.

There is hope for a Christian automatically because the Advocate or Spirit of truth assures us of a good life in the future, in the "tomorrow." It is also true for love relationships, even if there is some type of unavoidable separation.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Spirit is part of our lives since we have chosen to follow you. Thank you for the guidance of the Spirit, especially as we work at making our lives here better, even in the face of adversity. We know that you will continue to be with us.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Dwelling on a good relationship is hope for a future one.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Ghost" teach young people?
2. What is the meaning of each gift of the Spirit (usually listed as Wisdom, Understanding, Reverence, Knowledge, Courage, Awe of the Lord, Right Judgment)?
3. Why do some Christians "give up hope" even though the Lord is present to them?
4. What are the causes for a Christian to "give up hope"?
5. What lessons can be learned from the Coronavirus which infected our world?
6. What are the characteristics of a good relationship that a person will always remember in his/her future?
7. We all will experience the death of someone close to us. What should be the Christian's response to a person who is suffering because of it?