TGIMMclarity

August 2

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, August 2

MATTHEW 14:1-12
The story of the martyrdom of my friend John.

Prayerthoughts
a. Herodias and Herod were evil people. There are many evil people in the world, although I should not judge them. Perhaps I should take the time to pray for those that I consider to be evil.

b. Herod enjoyed the dance. There is nothing wrong with legitimate pleasure. Pleasure becomes immoral when people are hurt because of it. What pleasures do I enjoy in life, and are they good in the sense that no one is hurt?

c. There are many people who are hurt because of the evil. What people are most hurting in my own little world? Can I do anything about it?

d. Herodias “used” her daughter for her own evil desires. Do I “use” anyone in my acquaintances to get what I want?

e. Generalizing from the fact that Herodias was a young person, do I treat the young people in my immediate circle with the respect they deserve?

f. John’s disciples buried him. Do I show sorrow for my friends’ families who have died, like go to the funerals and help the families if they need it?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will make a list of those who have died in my recent memory, saying a prayer for each one.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

OUR CONSCIENCES

+ As Matthew saw it in the Gospel, Herod killed John the Baptist because of ill-founded human respect

- although he knew that he should not have done it, he did it anyway

- it may have been Herod’s conscience that bothered him with regard to keeping John alive,

- but it wasn’t strong enough to keep him from giving into what others wanted

- as we look at our own consciences, we see the importance of having a strong foundation

- almost like a law set up to form it

- as God had to set up laws for the Israelites to make them be the type of people he wanted them to be

- and as we look at our own consciences, we see the importance of knowing and understanding the Lord’s words, making him the pattern and measure of everything that we do

+ The book of Leviticus’ rule of the jubilee year is interesting to study

- the whole Jubilee year was to be treated like a Sabbath, with the land lying fallow

- also it required the compulsory return of all property to its original owners or their heirs except the houses of laymen within walled cities

- it also required the freeing of all slaves or servants

+ The reason for it: the land was the possession of God, and its current occupiers were merely aliens or tenants and therefore the land shouldn’t be sold forever

- also the Israelites were the servants of God, and therefore everyone should be free because no man should have two masters

- no servant of God should be a servant of man

+ We take the idea of the Jubilee year with the idea of conscience and a couple of things stand out:

- our consciences should be formed by realizing the principles that Jesus gave us by his life and teachings

- we are New Testament people, of course, and Jesus is our guide,

- but thinking back to the idea of the Jubilee year, a couple of things that we should especially be interested in:

- one, the sanctity of land because it is God’s possession not ours

- bringing to mind our necessity to be interested in how we treat our land

- two, the sanctity of all people because we are all servants of God

- which Jesus was to point out as well

+ The Hebrew Scriptures wanted to legislate conscience

- and that was what was behind the Jubilee year

- law was so important

- too often we got all hung up on law as well

- our law must only be what Jesus wanted

- and we form our consciences accordingly.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Clarity" -- Zedd featuring Foxes

CLARITY IN THE CONFUSION

The Gospel

LUKE 4:16-21

LUKE 4:16-21

Jesus came to Nazareth where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

Gospelthink: I announced to the people of Nazareth that I bring about life. Have I made the words of Jesus important to me?

"High dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life, fight fear for the selfish pain; it was worth it every time. Hold still right before we crash ‘cause we both know how this ends. A clock ticks ‘til it breaks your glass and I drown in you again. 'Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need: chasing relentlessly, still fight, and I don't know why. If your love is tragedy why are you my remedy? If our love’s insanity, why are you my clarity.”

Producer Zedd's song "Clarity" featuring singer Foxes deals with the confusion that often comes from love relationships. Discerning love may be one of the most difficult parts of a young adult's life. Once she/he discovers some love relationship, and tries to decide whether the relationship is a lasting one or not, she/he understands immediately that it is a complicated process. It is not easy to put two people with his/her own personality together. A common way to look at it is that the two will fall in and out of love, bringing about seeming contradictions. As Zedd and Foxes express it, our relationship feels like tragedy and insanity, but the love the couple possesses will hopefully bring about clarity.

Or, in other words, in the end, love will heal relationships no matter how much confusion may be present. Even if a couple's love relationship does not last, in the end their desire for love will enable them to find a future relationship. The desire for real love will drive them to keep looking for it until it finally comes in some other relationship. In truth, it can be said that real love will always lead to healthy relationships.

God wanted real love to be present in the world that had become tainted with evil. Such was the way Jesus looked upon his task in the world. He wanted more than anything to bring about love and peace that would in turn create glad tidings, liberty, true sight, freedom and in the end, a world that God would again call God's own. In short, God's love through Jesus would bring clarity to the confusion of the world.

Most of us will choose a romantic love relationship that will direct our lives together on earth. All of us should choose Gospel love as a guide no matter what relationship we have. No matter what confusions rise up in the different circumstances of our living, true love or as the Gospels name it, "the Spirit of the Lord" will cure them. True love will bring about the clarity that we all desire in every relationship, romantic or otherwise.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, even though there is confusion in this world of ours, we know that the love that Jesus showed us will bring about clarity. Give us the courage to continue searching for such a love. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Sometimes love brings confusion, but in the end love will heal relationships.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Considering the Gospel reading, if you were given the directive to do what Isaiah said, what would be the first task of those that are written that you would do? Why?
2. In general, we believe that Jesus accomplished what Isaiah said. Discuss how he accomplished it.
3. Test analysis: "High dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life." What is the meaning of the phrase?
4. Text analysis: what is your understanding of "selfish pain"?
5. Text analysis: "A clock ticks 'til it breaks your glass." What is the meaning of the sentence?
6. What is most confusing about love relationships?
7. Why is it possible to both fall in and out of love with the same person?
8. Do you agree with the meditation's statement that people looking for love will always find it? Yes or no and why?
9. What most of all will bring the world love and peace?
10. The meditation refers to "true love" or "real love." What is the meaning of the phrase?
11. What does the song "Clarity" teach young people?