TGIMMjealous

December 22

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, December 22, Fourth Sunday of Advent

LUKE 1:39-45
Mary Believed

Prayerthoughts

a. Mary was aware of her cousin Elizabeth’s need. There are people in my own acquaintance and in the world in which I live who are in need. Am I doing enough to help them?

b. As Elizabeth could see in Mary, there are a number of people around me who truly show the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. If it is appropriate, perhaps I should tell them by a card or the like how much of an inspiration they are.

c. Great things happen to me often, and many times I do not thank the Lord enough for them. I should thank the Lord for the gifts that I received just yesterday for example. (This is the “task” of this meditation.)

d. There are many indications that the Lord is very much at work in our world. I should spend some time making myself more aware of these things, and again thank the Lord for his presence in our world.

e. Elizabeth acknowledged that Mary truly believed. My faith should be strong and it should affect everything that I do. How can I better show my faith in God?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Hebrews, chapter 10 and write an
important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS

+ The adults here, and perhaps some young people, may have had one or two tragic things happen in their lives that they never understood

- I know that I have

- in fact, I am thinking of one tragedy that has haunted me ever since it happened in the early 90’s

- I don’t like to talk about it, and I don’t

- but from when it first happened until a couple of years ago, I had thought about it too much

- and it finally dawned on me what I had been trying to do

- I was trying to answer all the questions

- and a true person of faith can never do that

+ Perhaps a major difference between a believer and a non-believer in this world

- is that the believer allows for questions to go unanswered even though we want the answers

- we ask questions such as these:

“Why me when I’m not able to handle this?”

“How can this happen?”

“Why do I have this sickness at this time?”

“Why do young people have to suffer?”

“Why can’t she/he understand what she/he is doing to our family?”

“Why are there tragedies at all?”

+ We must listen carefully to Elizabeth’s statement to Mary in the Gospel:

- Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled

-As Mary, the answer to unanswered questions is that we don’t know the answer and we allow the Lord to be in charge of the situation

+ Our human natures do not tend to work that way

- we do not tend to trust in the Lord and at the same time allow ourselves to be used by the Lord

- but it is the Christian way to handle unanswered questions:

- pray, work, do what we can to help in the situation even if we do not understand what is happening, allowing the Lord to act

+ One of the quotes that we really should listen to is a statement about life from Mother Teresa and her “Plan for Life”

- and the quote fits into the Liturgy here as well

- there are unanswered questions in life, and the Christian way to work with them is very simply:

- do what we can even if we don’t understand what is going on, and allow the Lord to act

- this is the way Mother Teresa looked at it

- it is great meditation material; I might suggest that you close your eyes and listen and think of your life:

PLAN FOR LIFE

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight. Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. But give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in final analysis, it is all between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

+ We take our lead from Mary

- the Christian is content to allow the Lord to be in charge of the situation

- allowing God to work things out

- not necessarily the way we want God to work, but allowing God to decide

- and as we do that, allow ourselves to be used by God in whatever way God wants.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Jealous" -- Nick Jonas

WHY WE GET JEALOUS

The Gospel

MATTHEW 20:20-24

MATTHEW 20:20-24

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask [Jesus] for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, [this] is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers.

Gospelthink: Even my apostles had difficulty with pride and jealousy. Am I trying to control pride and jealousy in my life right now?

"I don’t like the way he’s looking at you, I’m starting to think you want him too. Am I crazy, have I lost ya? Even though I know you love me, can’t help it. Turn my cheek, music up, and I’m puffing my chest; I’m getting red in the face. You can call me obsessed. It’s not your fault that they hover. I mean no disrespect. It’s my right to be hellish. I still get jealous ‘cause you’re too sexy, beautiful, and everybody wants a taste. That’s why I still get jealous."

The Apostles were the ones Jesus had chosen to be with him in a special way and were to take his message to the world. With such a high calling, is it possible that there could possibly be any jealousy among them? Not only was it possible, but apparently it is a fact. In a couple places in Scripture, it becomes evident that among the Apostles, there was a feeling that one or two Apostles might get more attention from Jesus than the other Apostles, and there were some "feelings" that we expressed. Such is the case when according to the evangelist Matthew, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, asked to have her sons have the highest place in the Jesus' kingdom.

Matthew uses the English word "indignant" to described the feelings of the rest of the Apostles. It probably means that there was an argument that ensued, so much so that Jesus in the following verses after this account in the Gospel must calm their anger. One of the words that might describe the situation is the word "jealousy."

Jealousy in romantic relationships is almost an "automatic." As the couple become closer to one another with the thought of the possibility of a permanent commitment in the near future, the two involved will know that there are other possible partners among their acquaintances. They will also know that uncontrolled jealousy can ruin the relationship. Such is the subject of the song "Jealous" by Nick Jonas. The song describes the situation in which a couple could break up because of the jealousy on the part of the man.

Jealousy is an evil in life. It can destroy good relationships. It is also a fact of human nature. Any time that people get together, and share a certain "closeness," human nature runs its course, and human thinking often goes far beyond reality, imagining things that are not true. But, then again, maybe they are true. Such is the problem with jealousy. One seems to never know completely. The remedy is very easy--sincere communication. In the song, the man in the relationship is doing just that. It should lead to much better understanding of how both of them feel.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son had to work with the human nature of his close friends, and sometimes it led to misunderstandings. Help me understand my own human nature a little more, and especially keep me from jealousy. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Being overly jealous can destroy a relationship.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. It is evident from the Gospel that the Apostles did not understand that what makes for greatness in the kingdom is not worldly power. In today's world, give some examples of the misuse of power.
2. In this story in Mark's Gospel, Mark does not have the mother ask this question, but the Apostles themselves. Why do you think Matthew used the mother to ask the question?
3. Text analysis: "My cup you will indeed drink." What is the meaning of the sentence?
4. The song uses the word "obsessed" to describe the man's feelings. What is the meaning of the word in the context of his jealousy?
5. If the song were a conversation which the man had with the woman, do you think that it would be enough to convince the woman of why he was jealous? Yes or no and why?
6. The song is from the man's point of view. Do women become just as jealous as men? Yes or no and why?
7. The Gospel incident shows the humanity of the Apostles. From your knowledge of the Gospels, what are some other cases that bring out the Apostles' humanity?
8. Give your own definition of "jealousy."
9. The meditation makes the comment that "jealousy in romantic situations is almost an 'automatic.'" Do you agree? Why or why not?
10. The meditation points out that the real problem with jealousy as one reflects on it in one's own mind is that we do not really know what the truth is. In a romantic relationship, why are couples hesitant to bring up the situation of being jealous?
11. What does the song "Jealous" teach young people?