TGIMMAugust18

August 18
[media presentation below] GospelThink Sunday, August 18, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time JOHN 6:51-58 My Flesh and Blood Prayerthoughts a. I should note that the Eucharist is not only given to me, but also for the “life of the world.” Do I include the problems of the world in my prayer as much as I should? b. Jesus is very clear about what the Sacrament of the Eucharist is. Should I not spend more time thanking God for the gift of the Eucharist? c. Since I have received the Eucharist, in a general sense, the Lord remains in me. What should that mean to me in changing my current behavior? d. Through the Eucharist, the Lord has given me life eternal and life here on this earth. What contribution am I making to bring about a better life here on earth? e. The Lord has promised me eternal life because I have received the Eucharist. Not knowing what eternal life is, what are some elements that I think of when I think of eternal life? f. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Ephesians, chapter 5, and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts On The Liturgy NEVER DOING “ENOUGH” + A priest friend of mine told me about this incident at a Catholic Campus Center of a small university in the southern United States - there was a Baptist minister who was relatively well-known in that area and he was invited to speak in a number of places because of his forceful style - when the Catholic director invited him to speak at the Center, the Baptist preacher agreed, and after he had prepared for a week or so, asked permission to talk about the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist - the Catholic director felt he was taking a chance, but he agreed to allow the man to do it since he was such a good speaker - the director felt it was one of the strongest sermons he had ever heard on the Eucharist - in true Baptist style, the Protestant minister began with a series of questions, inviting audience participation - it took a while, but the Catholic audience finally warmed up to the idea - he asked: - do you believe that you receive the body and blood of Jesus when you go to Mass? - the Catholic crowd responded “yes” - do you believe that Jesus actually becomes part of you for the time the host and wine is present in your body? - again, “yes” - do you believe that you actually meet Jesus Christ, the Son of God, when you go to your communion? - again, “yes” - and every Catholic believes this? – “yes” - and you do not believe as I do—that when I take part in the communion in my church, it is only a representation of Jesus—you don’t believe that? -- “no” - it is really Jesus for you – “yes” - he let it get very quiet, and asked: “then how come you are no different than I am” - and he went on to explain that if he could really believe that Jesus was present in his celebration, not just in mind, but in flesh - that he was meeting the Lord and Savior who is the center of his religion in the here and now - he would have to do something more in his life - and he went on to say some very challenging words: - I wonder whether you really understand it - because if you did, Catholics would be without evil + One of the problems that we must face in developing the spiritual life is complacency - our thought patterns go like this: - hey, I’m okay, I’m not killing anyone, I’m pretty good - I go to Church on the weekend – at least I’m here, there are a lot who are not - I thank the Lord during the week, say some prayers - even help some people out - I think that’s enough - and so we let it be enough - and we miss the chance to go further into the spiritual life + The Christian life can never be something that we can do only “enough” - there must always be the desire to be better - and so, we think of today’s liturgy - receiving the Eucharist today should be only the beginning - yes, it is so good that we do receive the Lord - but the Eucharist—the body and blood of Jesus Christ—is such that - once we really understand the concept of the Eucharist - that we actually receive the body and blood of Jesus - we can’t let it stand by itself - we must desire to do more + We have to be reminded over and over that the word “enough” can never apply to the spiritual life - as we adore and receive the Eucharist here in church and in this Mass - it should make us want to do more for God in our lives.
MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: "The Young Messiah" -- beginning session JESUS THE HEALER

The Gospel

Luke 2:22-34a

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, … and to offer the sacrifice. … Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of I
Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them.

Gospelthink: Simeon prophesied about the type of person I would be--a person to being about salvation. Do I show the Lord in my actions and words in my life?

The intriguing idea behind the movie "The Young Messiah" is: what was Jesus like when he was seven years old? The movie presents him as a ordinary child with an extraordinary love and care for all. He could heal a bird; he could give a blind man his sight; he could even bring a man back to life. He cared for people who were killed; he did not want birds to be sacrificed, even in the temple. He corrected the rabbi and scribes; he cared very much about God. Most of all, perhaps he wanted people to be good, even evil people like Roman centurions. But he did not know why he had those powers and concerns. It became a searing question in his young mind. One thing was for certain, however: evil could not stand up against this child as the movie portrays, and his compassion for others was able to be a cure for the people who desired it.

One of the characteristics of the young Jesus in the movie "The Young Messiah" was his care for the animals and people who were hurting for some reason. One can argue that such a care was evident from Jesus' life from the very beginning. Simeon the holy man looked upon him and said to his mother and father that his eyes had seen "salvation," that is, he had seen a person who would truly care for the people of the world.

One of the facts of human growth and development is that when we are young, we begin to manifest some characteristics that will become our way of acting when we are older. Arguably, the focal point of Jesus' ministry was that he cared for people. He wanted to establish a kingdom of harmony in which everyone was important and everyone was destined for eternal life with God. Therefore, it stands to reason that Jesus would first of all care for people.

Since we are followers of the Messiah, one of our roles in life should be one of care and concern for others. People should be able to look on us and see "salvation." Not in the sense of a redeemer as Jesus was, but in the sense of a person who has understood what our Messiah wishes of us. We are called to be people who recognize that other people live in our world and are just as important as we are. In a matter of speaking, they should see in us the face of healing kindness and love.

People were healed when they saw the face of Jesus. People should be "healed" by our kindness and concern.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son showed care and concern for people from the very beginning of his life. May I learn that lesson and truly treat others the way you want them to be treated. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We are healed when we gaze on the face of God.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(session: approximately 51 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. The presenter may want to give the students the laws for purification at the time of Jesus, and explain how the Holy Family was observing the law.
3. The presenter may also want to go through the infancy sections of Matthew and Luke and show their difference. Why do you think that they are so different?
4. Why is Jesus as a seven year old a good topic to understand how he felt?
5. In your opinion, what does "salvation" mean?
6. In your opinion, do you think that Jesus went through the process of being a "normal boy" as he grew? Yes or no and why?
7 Do you believe that Christians are convinced that everyone in our world is just as important and every one else? Why or Why not?
8. Given a school situation, in what ways do we show kindness the most?.