TGIMMho

December 21

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, December 21, Fourth Sunday of Advent

MATTHEW 1:18-24

Matthew’s Birth of Jesus

Prayerthoughts

a. Mary conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps I should call on the Holy Spirit more for the guidance I need in life.

b. Joseph was a righteous man. What is my definition of “righteous”?

c. The Hebrew word for “righteous” is “one who is faithful to the demands of the Law.” What is the principal “law” for me in my life?

d. By the Law (Deuteronomy 22:23-27), Mary was to be stoned to death because of the assumed adultery, but Joseph was unwilling to denounce Mary publicly. In my thoughts about people who break the law, do I find myself too harsh in my judgment?

e. In Matthew’s Gospel, “dreams” play an important part. What dream in my life has been most striking to me? Why?

f. “Jesus” in Hebrew means “God saves.” In what ways has Jesus saved me?

g.“Emmanuel” means “God is with us.” I should probably think more of God being part of my personal world.

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Romans 1:1-7 an write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

USING RELIGION

+ The background of the first reading is this:

- Ahaz was a Hebrew king who did not have the army that he needed, and he was about to go to the nation of Assyria for help

- Isaiah told him that that was a mistake, that Assyria was the real problem

- further, Isaiah said, you should ask for a sign from God as proof that what he said was true

- Ahaz answers with false piety: no, I can’t do that, I’m not worthy

- he used religion for his own good since he didn’t want to listen to Isaiah

- and so, Isaiah tells him: then, I will give you a sign anyway

- and speaks the famous prophecy which Matthew quotes in the Gospel as the sign of the coming Messiah

- the point of the incident is: Ahaz was much more worried about making political friends than trusting in God

- and he uses false piety/religion to defend himself

+ Contrast that situation with the Gospel

- God speaks to Joseph and instead of allowing other issues to dictate to him—namely, the law which said that he should divorce Mary with public condemnation

- instead, Joseph trusts in God, as the angel requested

- Ahaz, told to trust in God, says no, and uses religion for his own purpose

- Joseph, told to trust in God, says yes, understanding religion completely

+ This is good personal spiritual meditation material

- because the question comes: who do we identify with: Ahaz or Joseph?

- unfortunately, it may be that many times we are like Ahaz:

- we give “lip service” to God, only acting like we trust in God

- and thus not really understanding the importance of religion

+ The Catechism (numbers 27-35) speaks of the importance of religion at the very beginning of the book as it talks about “Man’s Capacity for God”

- I have placed the insert in your bulletin, and as usual, may I point out a couple of things:

~ God created us out of love for us

- this is the basis of all stewardship: giving back to God

- if we really believed that, God would have a significant place in our lives

~ realistically, this bond can be forgotten or overlooked

- that is basically our problem

- we have so much and we give so much because we have so much that we forget about God who has given us so much

- this is something that continually comes up, especially this time of year

~ but God never forgets us

- God never forgets us by using us to be witnesses

- we become very important for this world in its quest to know about God

- we must have people who are of good will and who become witnesses to others to remind this world of God’s importance and presence—us

- the reason why parents and grandparents must be insistent to make God part of their children’s and grandchildren’s lives

~ there are arguments for the existence of God

~ God tells us about God through revelation and grace

- both must be pursued before we can really know God

- therefore we are reminded again of the importance of Scripture, especially the Gospels

- and reading some Gospel Scripture every day in the daily readings or my website listed on the bulletin

- all we have to do is to use the grace to move us to do it

+ For Ahaz in that first reading, religion was not real

- he used it to get what he wanted

- the Catechism points out to us that religion must be real, and if it is, then we will attack the evil around us

- and when religion isn’t, perhaps much of the evil around us is our fault.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Ho Hey" -- The Lumineers

WE NEED LOVE NOW

The Gospel

MATTHEW 5:2-10

[Jesus] began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Gospelthink: I give you the general guidelines of good living here. You should dwell on them. Do I follow these beatitudes the way I should?

"I’ve been trying to do it right, I’ve been living a lonely life. So show me family, all the blood that I would bleed. I don’t know where I belong, I don’t know where I went wrong, but I can write a song. I belong to you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart. I don't think you're right for him. Look at what it might have been. Love, we need it now, let’s hope for some ‘cause we’re bleeding out."

Using the catch words “Ho” and “Hey” throughout the song "Ho Hey," the group The Lumineers tells a story of a person who is looking for love. The man in the relationship is experiencing the pain of watching a person that he once loved go into another relationship. He wishes he did not have the pain, but he knows he does and he knows that it is a very deep hurt. Hoping to alleviate some of the painful feelings, at least, he says, he can write a song about it. In the song, he sings a true statement that goes much further than his own emotions: "Love," they sing the thoughts of the man, "we need it now. Let's hope for some 'cause we're bleeding out."

In a general way, Jesus as described in Matthew's Gospel must have felt the same way. He probably could see the pain of evil around him, the "bleeding" that was part of the human experience, perhaps even anticipating the evil that would be part of the world he loved. So, he gave his solution--some basic rules that we have come to call the Sermon on the Mount. He began with the general statements about the love and morality that we need now and indeed, every moment of our lives, statements called the Beatitudes.

Where do we need such love now? Where is the "bleeding" that makes us aware that we absolutely must have something like the "love" and morality that Jesus preached? It takes little effort to see the answer on an international and even national level. People are bleeding each and every day, often literally, ultimately because of a lack of love.

But more importantly, perhaps, we should study our individual situations. Is it not true that we need a little more love right now in our own families and in our own communities? In fact, is it not also true that if we have a little more love in our own personal lives right now, then every situation in which we find ourselves will be more lovable and loving?

Maybe it is naïve, but maybe it really is that simple!

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son has given us the Beatitudes and the rules of love to guide our world. Give us the courage to live them out in our own lives, and to do it in a more profound way beginning right now. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We need love right now because of the problems that we have.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Project: go through each Beatitude and outline the human situations that it covers. Note: see the presentation on the Sermon on the Mount in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 1965-1974.
2. Many of the ideas in the Beatitudes comes from the Old Testament. In your opinion, why is knowledge of the Old Testament necessary for the spiritual life? See Catechism, numbers 128-9 and references.
3. Analysis: "Righteousness" is mentioned twice in the Beatitudes. What is your definition of "righteousness"?
4. The song says that the person in the song has been "trying to do it right." What is the meaning of "doing love right"?
5. What are the principal reasons for "loneliness" in our world?
6. Text analysis: "Show me family, all the blood I would bleed." What is the meaning of the sentence?
7. Text analysis: "I belong to you." What does it mean to "belong" to another?
8. Text analysis: "Love, we need it now." The song is referring to an individual love relationship, but speaking generally, why does everyone need love?
9. Text analysis: "We're bleeding out." What is the meaning of the statement?
10. What can you do to help another who is going through pain because of a breakup?
11. Where do you see "evil" in the world today?
12. Project: Outline the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, presenting the principal message of each section.
13. Why is it a true statement that the Beatitudes give a moral principle that will cover every situation in life?
14. What part of the Sermon on the Mount is most difficult for the modern Christian? Why?
15. Speaking of your community in particular, where is love most necessary right now?
16. The meditation says that having love is the solution to all problems. Do you think that the solution is too simple? Yes or no and why?
17. What does the song "Ho Hey" teach young people?