TGIMMbailando

August 13

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, August 13

MATTHEW 18:15-20
In your relationship with others, be gentle even if you have to correct them.

Prayerthoughts
a. The Lord gives good psychological advice here. If you have a problem with someone, go to the person and do not talk about it to others. Do I talk to others who are not a professional about others, thus giving into gossiping?

b. The idea is that we must be professional in our approach to another. Sometimes we may have to discuss what to do with someone who can help us. But always we must protect the privacy of the person about whom we talk.

c. This verse of “going to the Church” is a delicate directive. In today’s world, it might mean going to someone in local spiritual authority, and if the person refuses (even as he/she admits he is wrong), he/she is simply to be placed outside our concern. Can I think of such an instance in which I might have to follow such a directive?

d. The verse “whatever you bind on earth” is debated among scholars as to whether it is given to all ministers of the Church. Whatever it means, in a spiritual sense, am I convinced that I must be sorry for my sins?

e. Anytime we think of petitionary prayer, we must always remember that when God answers prayer, as God always does, it is in God’s own time and manner which may not necessarily be what I want. Do I truly understand that?

f. God is always present when we gather together. When I do pray together with others, do I think in terms of God truly being present in all of us, and treat each other accordingly?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will remember the people that I have gossiped about, and express sorrow for it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

CONFRONTING ANOTHER

+ The Gospel takes up the psychological human need of confronting someone, that is, correcting another, and places the thought in a spiritual context
- first reading gives us the presentation of God’s care for the chosen race—giving them Moses and then Joshua who led them into the promised land

+ There are a couple of things to consider with the readings today:
          1 – the overall context of any confrontation or correction of anyone must be love
                     - if we have the occasion to disagree with someone, or confront someone about whatever, it must always be out of love
                               - as we consider Deuteronomy today, it was ultimately love which led God to treat the Israelites the way to the promised land
          2 – before the confrontation occurs, a basic presumption must be in place—namely, that the person must know that he/she is right, before he/she confronts anyone
                     - often this is not so clear: for example, when there are two or more legitimate sides to the situation, when all the facts are not known, etc.
                               - in that case, some discussion may be necessary, but not confrontation
                                         - in fact, in our world, I would say that discussion is more necessary than confrontation

          3 – one of the things that we do instead of confronting is this—we will talk about the person with whom we have the problem, to someone else who is not a professional
          - a professional is a separate case, for example therapists and priests who are bound by secrecy
                     - but if that is not the case, then this talking is merely gossip or detraction which is a violation of confidence, and we simply should not be talking about it with others
                               - it becomes a sin against charity
          4. it is significant that Jesus puts this rather difficult directive to correct another in the same area that he talks about prayer, at the close of the Gospel today
          - as we pray, we know that Jesus is with us
                     - and part of our prayer must be for the grace to understand disagreeing and confronting another, and how it should happen

+ There are some good things to remember here as we look at the readings today.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Bailando" -- Enrique Iglesias

DANCING AND THE CHOICE OF "FOREVER"

The Gospel

LUKE 19:36-38

LUKE 19:36-38

As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as [Jesus] was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

Gospelthink: The crowds praised God as I was in their midst. Do I praise God as often as I should?

"Girl, I like the way you move; come and show me what to do. People tell me that you want me. Girl, you got nothing to lose. I can’t wait no more. I wanna be contigo, and live contigo and dance contigo.”

A person searching the New Testament Scriptures for "dancing" will discover it only in conjunction with other actions. Without describing the action itself, it is almost "understood" in the context of some of the events described. So a wedding feast is an occasion for dancing and one would guess that Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem would lend itself to dancing as the crowds joyously welcomed him as their king. In the Hebrew Scriptures, it is much easier since "dancing" was understood to be part of rejoicing in the presence of God. For example, when the ark of the covenant, a symbol of God's presence was brought before King David, "David and all the house of Israel danced before the LORD with all their might, with singing, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals" (2 Samuel 6:5).

Enrique Iglesias' song "Bailando" (in English, "dancing") is a popular song not only because of its happy sound, but because of its excellent dance video. Both the song and the video bring to mind the value of dancing in a romantic setting. Although the romantic situations in Jesus' time were totally different from the romantic life of a couple in the twenty-first century, the art of dancing was no doubt part of both. Romantic dancing in both the first and twenty-first century in part had to do with discovery about a future with a partner.

It is obvious from both the song and the video that there is true enjoyment in dancing. In the song, the words imply that the man in the relationship wants the decision to be made right away, saying that there is no more time needed, that now is the time to be contigo, that is, with you. It may be, but the person who is making a decision for life must realize how important it is to take a significant amount of time with such an important matter.

There is little doubt that the single most important decision in life is whether to marry and who to marry, that is to spend one's life with another. Dancing together may help decide, but serious thinking about it must happen as well.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, You have blessed us with the gift of enjoying our time together in a romantic way. As we live and work with your gift, give us the grace to use it well. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Enjoying one another by dancing can help a couple decide whether they should be together forever.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Jesus' triumphal entry in Jerusalem is the official statement that in Jerusalem the salvation of humankind will be accomplished. Project: explain the meaning of salvation. See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 599-609.
2. The song describes the emotions connected with romantic dancing. Why should we not trust our emotions much of the time?
3. There are many "sexual overtones" in the song and video. Much of the music of today has these sexual references. What effect, if any, does this have on our younger generation?
4. In your opinion, should there be more control about the music that is produced in today's world? Yes or no and why?
5. In your opinion, do the worship services of the Church resemble a true celebration? Yes or no and why?
6. Obtain a copy of the video to the song. What is most striking to you about it? (Billboard magazine labeled it to be "spectacular.")
7. What is the difference between "romantic dancing" and "celebration dancing"?
8. In general, in your opinion, how much time should a couple spend together before they get married?
9. Young couples sometimes "prepare" for marriage by living together first. What is your opinion of this practice? See Catechism, numbers 2390-2391.
10. In general, do you think that young people do enough serious thinking about marriage before they actually marry? Yes or no and why?
11. Why are there so many divorces in our world?
12. What does the song "Bailando" teach young people?