TGIMMuma

August 19

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Tuesday, August 19

MATTHEW 19:23-30
It is difficult for the rich to enter into the Kingdom.

Prayerthoughts
a. The Lord’s words here about the rich are extremely difficult words—a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle—spoken no doubt in exaggeration, a means the Lord uses in order to get across an important point. I should call to my mind my savings and present moneys. Do I spend too much time making money and not enough time with my family and my God?

b. The disciples know that Jesus’s statement is very difficult, asking the question of “who can be saved.” In my thinking, what are the characteristics of someone who will gain eternal life?

c. Jesus says an important statement in this context—all things are possible with God. Do I truly place my trust in God in my endeavors?

d. Peter the Apostle was interested in making him and his fellow Apostles “look good” in Jesus’s eyes, professing that they were true followers of Jesus. If someone were to accuse me of not truly following the Lord, what proof do I have that I am?

e. Jesus promises three things for those who sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. First he promises rewards even in this life. As I study my life, what good things have been given to me? Have I been as thankful as I should be? (This is the task of the meditation.)

f. The Lord also promises “persecutions.” There have been difficult things in my life so far. Have I reacted to them as a Christian should, namely accepting them as the Lord’s will?

g. Thirdly, the Lord promises a true follower of his that he/she will have eternal life. What am I doing right now to ensure my own eternal life?

h. My prayerthoughts

Today, I will read Judges 6:11-24a and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE SPIRIT OF POVERTY

+ The rich do not fare very well in the Scriptures:

- in the Gospel, Jesus says that it is only with difficulty and the power of God that the rich will enter the Kingdom

+ It is important for our spiritual lives that we analyze why the rich do not fare very well

- it is a familiar thought that we heard yesterday and also is contained in this Scripture because it is the same story of the rich young man in Matthew’s Gospel

- the rich do not fare well because their minds are preoccupied with other things, specifically material possessions that they like

- as he says in this Gospel passage: those who have learned to give up things—as the Apostles did, those who can even give up family ties…

- will receive the reward of the Kingdom of God

+ A familiar strain of the Gospel—the action of giving and giving up on behalf of someone or something else is brought into our consideration

- it is the part of the idea of the spirit of poverty which a Christian professes

- the natural challenge for us: how well do we give up things?

- if we are honest with ourselves, we probably do not give too easily

- we tend to make ourselves gods—the sin of the people in the Hebrew Scriptures

- the Lord in the reading from Judges saying to Gideon that he is not in charge of his own life: “I will be with you” he says—I am in charge

- we tend not to want to give to others

- we tend to think of ourselves as completely in charge of our lives with very little credit going to God or God’s graces

- we tend to think of our accomplishments as our own, and therefore we think that we deserve the recognition, the reward, the money for doing them

- we arrange our lives around what is convenient for us and often do not really think in terms of what is convenient for others

+ The spiritual virtue of poverty, and in particular, this idea of giving up and giving to others is a difficult thing in today’s world

- but as Gideon in the first reading, if we choose the Lord, we are called to do the difficult thing

- and, an important part of the reading, I believe, the Lord confirms that calling

- the Lord saying: listen to me, and I confirm the fact that I mean what I say

+ There are a couple of very strong ideas concerning our religious lives in Matthew’s story of the rich young man:

- we can easily become preoccupied with material goods as many rich people do

- and we must learn to give of what we have

- our reward is the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Uma Thurman" -- Fall Out Boy

POWER TO BECOME

The Gospel

JOHN 1:10-13

JOHN 1:10-13

The Word was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

Gospelthink: I came into your world and you have the power to accept me. Am I showing that I have chosen the Lord to guide me?

"I can move mountains; I can work a miracle. I'll keep you like an oath: ‘May nothing but death do us part.' She wants to dance like Uma Thurman. Bury me 'til I confess. She wants to dance like Uma Thurman, and I can’t get you out of my head. You’ll find your way and may death find you alive."

The group Fall Out Boy's song "Uma Thurman" recalls the actress Uma Thurman in some movies in which she starred. Ultimately, it is about the power that a young lady has over the man in a relationship. In the group's description, they say that she can "move mountains" and "work a miracle." The young lady is in charge of her life, and she understands that she can become whatever she wants as she sets up her relationship with the man.

In the superb beginning of John's Gospel, the evangelist describes the power of the Word who was with the Father for all time and together with his Father created the world in which you and I dwell. But he also describes the depravity of the human race, some of whom refused to accept the Creator. But fortunately for our race, some did accept Him by choosing to be born "of God." It was to them that He gave the power to become God's children.

Like the lady in Fall Out Boy's song, we now have the power to become whatever we want in God's world. We are indeed the children of God that John spoke of, but as children of God, we can still choose to reject Him since we all have free will. The call of the Word, of course, is a call to accept Him with all of our hearts and enable us to remain the true children of God which we chose at one time.

But we have free will also. That will never be taken away from us, even if we turn away from the Creator. We choose what we can be. It is up to us. The world will improve only when we choose to be the children of God that God wants us to be. We truly have the power; we can use it if we want.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, You have given us the power to be Your children. Help us accept Your help and grace to become more dedicated in our endeavor to be with You every moment of our lives. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Everyone has the power to be who they want to be.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In what ways have some people not accepted Jesus into their lives?
2. Fundamentally, how should a "child of God" behave in today's world?
3. Text analysis: "I can move mountains; I can work a miracle." What is the meaning of the sentence?
4. What role does "dancing" play in a love relationship?
5. What does it mean when someone is in "charge of their lives"?
6. What is the best thing about having a "free will"? What is the worst thing about it?
7. How is it true to say that we can "become what we want" in this world of ours?
8. What does the song "Uma Thurman" teach young people?