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April 4

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, April 4, Holy Saturday

MATTHEW 28:1-10

Resurrection

Prayerthoughts

a. There are various traditions or the Resurrection story of Jesus as outlined by the different authors of the Gospels. Here the women are bringing the spices for the anointing of the dead. Do I try to treat the dead that I remember with prayer?

b. Here in Matthew’s Gospel, one angel sets up the resurrection scene. This is the basis of my faith. Perhaps an act of faith is in order here.

c. The guards were obviously very much afraid. What do I fear most in my life and why?

d. The words of the angel say that Jesus is very much alive. Did I show Jesus to be alive as I think of all the actions of my day yesterday?

e. The angel gives the fact of the death of Jesus which he had predicted. Do I sufficiently repent for the times that I have offended Jesus in the way that I have lived?

f. Jesus met them along the way as they went to tell the apostles. That is, Jesus reassures the women. Do I renew my act of faith often?

g. The women announced these things to the Eleven and others. What about my speech? Is it clear that I believe in Jesus in the words that I speak?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Genesis 1:1–2:2 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

...ON THEIR WAY

+ When a person is convinced that Christianity is correct, they will see Jesus’ presence in everything they do

- in the Gospel today, the women who were running toward Jesus’ disciples were absolutely convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead

- and the Gospel, says, that as they were running,

Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.

- I believe that this is a significant insight—

- when a person believes, they will meet Jesus on their way

+ The focal point is whether a person believes or not

- it is interesting to study the people who were connected directly with Jesus’ resurrection from that focal point

- because people who do not believe are going to meet Jesus also, but

it will not affect them

- there was one group of people who had their minds made up long before anything happened

- namely, the religious leaders who wanted Jesus out of the way

- they would never meet Jesus on their way because they had blocked him out of their minds

- in today’s world, these are the people who have their minds made up with regard to Christianity, and therefore never really discover what Jesus is all about

- the people who cannot understand the pain of our world, blaming it on God rather than the inhumanity of people

- the people who do not make God part of their lives even though they say that they believe in God

- the people who are doing things that deliberately hurt others with no thought of asking for forgiveness

- they will never meet Jesus along their way because they don’t know him

+ A second group who met Jesus, but again were not affected by it were the guards in Matthew’s Resurrection account

- Matthew doesn’t say what happened to them, only that they

were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.

- they knew exactly what they should believe—because they saw it—but they probably just ran away in fear

- in today’s world, these are the partial believers, the people who selectively choose what they want concerning Christianity, and do not observe the rest

- they too will not meet Jesus along their way because they will not recognize him at all

- the people who go to Church but do not listen to the Gospel message of forgiveness, peace, and harmony, yet say that they do

- the Christian people who deliberately tear down other people’s reputations

- the Christian people who will not try to make their marriages work or refuse give their children proper Catholic education or not contribute what they should to the Church or toward the poor

- they will never meet Jesus along their way because they have refused to see what he looks like

+ The only people who will meet Jesus along their way are the true believers

- the women of Matthew’s Gospel today

- who recognize what has really happened

- in today’s world, these are the people who choose their religion and go to Church because they know that they need God

- and so they give of themselves and they mold their selfish desires into what God wants

- and they run right into Jesus

+ Our prayer this Easter day is that we run right into Jesus in our lives

- but we have to really believe—with all that true believing means—before it can happen.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "The Shack" -- final session

YOU MUST FORGIVE

The Gospel

MATTHEW 18:21-22

Peter...asked Jesus, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."

Gospelthink: I must learn to forgive. Have I truly forgiven everyone that has hurt me or my family?

Mack encountered God in three persons at the shack. Gradually realizing that God had seen and allowed his daughter's tragic death, he became severely angry at God. He called God a liar as God was speaking in the form of a loving mother. God was responsible for all the hate in the world even though God said that God could only bring about good. Mack lived with his anger as he spent time with the three persons, and eventually began to understand that free will caused the evil and the pain. But once he understood it, God in the form of a American Indian medicine man this time told him that he had to do more than understand. He had to actually forgive some people for what they had done to him. He forgave his father, and with extreme difficulty finally forgave the person who abducted and killed his daughter. It was an action that changed his life.

Jesus knew about life. He knew especially that often we would not get along completely with one another. Peter realized the fact as well, and so he wanted Jesus to tell him just how many times we should forgive someone. We could imagine that a friend of Peter's had offended him in some way, and he did not want to keep forgiving him. Jesus gave the classic answer that every Christian knows, but very few really carry it out. Jesus said that we must forgive everyone all the time, no matter. "Seven" is one of the numbers in the Gospels that usually means "infinitely many."

The thrust behind the three persons whom Mack met at the shack, that is, God, was that he had to forgive instead of complain or get angry at God. It was extremely difficult for him to do, because of the circumstances of the situation. Jesus understands that it is difficult, but does not lessen up in any way.

Honestly, looked at in that way, we all have major problems forgiving others given our own circumstances. It means that we must forgive those who do not like us. That is, we must continue to forgive the people who are holding a grudge against us, or those who are hurting our family. Because we understand that a Christian must forgive everyone. It means forgiveness to the people on death row, to the people who are killing others, and people who are going out of their way to put us down. It means everyone. In every circumstance.

Mack makes the decision to forgive, even to the point of forgiving the man who kidnapped and probably killed his child. It is extremely difficult to do. The movie and books present the classic Christian statement that the only way to achieve true life is to be complete in our forgiveness of others.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son gave us the directive to forgive others. It is among the most difficult things that He said. Give us the grace to understand His meaning. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When we forgive, we take on new life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 64 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why?
2. In general, do most Christians follow Jesus' directive to forgive people all the time? Yes or no and why?
3. When a person claims that they are "angry with God," what do you think the person means?
4. Why would the action of "forgiveness" change a person's life?
5. In your opinion, is there any time when we should NOT forgive someone? Yes or no and why?
6. Other than the fantasy part of seeing God, do you believe that a person will change with regard to being able to forgive another after he/she had not been able to? Yes or no and why?
7. Scene analysis: Mack almost takes his own life. Why is suicide never an answer to a problem?
8. Scene analysis: Jesus helps Mack to walk on water, signifying that he can do anything with God's help. Do most Christians truly accept this fact of Christian belief? Yes or no and why?
9. What does the movie "The Shack" teach young people?