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December 3

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, December 3, Advent Weekday

MATTHEW 15:29-37
I want you to show pity to others.

Prayerthoughts

a. The evangelist Matthew often has Jesus “go up the mountain,” a sign that Jesus is the new Moses and the great teacher. In what way in particular has Jesus been a “teacher” to me?

b. Jesus cured all that were brought to him. In what ways can I bring about a “cure” to those around me today?

c. They glorified the God of Israel. What is the best form of praise that I can offer God?

d. In particular, the Lord fed them, a symbol of what the Lord does for us in the Eucharist. Do I attend Mass and receive Communion as often as I should?

e. What is “satisfying” to me in my life? Does the presence of God make an impact on my life?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read Isaiah 25:6-10a and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

FOOD FOR LIFE

+ Both readings today have the idea of the Lord providing food for people in need

- from Isaiah, the Lord promises that he will be a provider of food and a destroyer of death and reproach

- in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus is moved with pity for the crowd

- and provides food for them, in fact, more than enough

+ The thought of the Lord providing food is an important thought in a person’s spiritual life

- because of the obvious reference to the Eucharist which is contained in Matthew’s account here

- using many of the same words and phraseology as the Last Supper account

- the Lord continues to provide food for us here in the Eucharist which is the central part of our worship

- perhaps a meditation then about the Eucharist is in order

- and as usual, our meditation should center around those who receive the Eucharist—you and me—and what it should do for us

+ That close relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist should lead us to a couple things:

- 1 – it will lead us to destroy the negativism in our lives

- as Isaiah’s Lord destroyed death and took away reproach

- you and I as a result of the close relationship with Jesus should be becoming pleasant people who want to get rid of being negative

- 2 – the close relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist ought to move us with pity for the people who need help

- offering money and our presence to programs that are actually helping people in need and in general, bringing ourselves to show compassion to people in need

- 3 – the close relationship that comes from this Eucharist should move us to a greater involvement with the Lord in his life

- meditation, prayer, formal prayer, further spiritual reading that will bring more and more knowledge of the person we are so close to here in the Eucharist

+ As Catholics, we celebrate the fact that the Eucharist is of immense importance to us

- and it ought to have a profound effect on us.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Close to Me" -- Ellie Goulding
featuring Diplo & Swae Lee

FULLY AWARE

The Gospel

John 13:1-5

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciple’s feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.

Gospelthink: I knew what I wanted to teach my Apostles, namely service. Am I showing service to others around me as much as I should?

"We know that we’ll be alright, so don’t let me down, keep me in trouble, born to be wild out in the jungle, And I don’t want to be somebody without your body close to me, and if it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t want anybody close to me. ‘Cause I’m an animal, an animal like you.”

Maturity has been defined in many ways, but perhaps one of the best ways to understand it is from the perspective of awareness. If we become fully aware of something, it means that we have considered the possibilities and ramifications of all of our actions and thoughts concerning the act involved.

If there was anyone in history who was fully aware of what he wanted to accomplish, it was Jesus Christ. One of the concepts he wanted to teach his apostles was the idea of service to others. Washing his disciples' feet, Jesus was fully aware of what he was doing, that is, he knew what he was all about; he knew what he wanted to teach.

Most people grow old within a small circle of ideas, most of which have been given to them by others. They are not wrong, so much, as they are without thought. Many of us simply go through our lives without being aware that life is so much more than what we think it is or what we selfishly want. To become aware means to understand the many options that we have, and deliberately choose on the basis of what is good for everyone involved.

The couple in the song "Close to Me" seem to be considering only the feelings of the moment. They like what is happening, no matter what it does to themselves or to others. "Keep me in trouble," they sing, "born to be wild 'cause I'm an animal like you." One must question whether they are fully aware of what they are doing, that is, whether they have considered all the ramifications of their actions. It seems as though they have not.

As we grow in love, we discover many feelings that we like, and our desire is to keep them as long as we can. The problem is that many times those feelings are nothing more than selfish feelings that in the long run will hurt the people involved. Our goal must be to be fully aware of what we choose to do in life.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son was fully aware of what he wanted to do while He was here with us. In doing so, he set the standard for the way we should act. May we learn his lessons of maturity in life and love. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: If we are to grow in love, we must learn maturity.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.What does the song "Come to Me" teach young people?
2. Do you believe that most Christians have an understanding of Christian service to others? Yes or no and why?
3. What does the phrase "I'm an animal" in the song mean to you?
4. What is your definition of maturity?
5. In your opinion, when does a young person achieve "maturity"?
6. Do most people make a significant decision based on how they can help others? Yes or no and why?
7. Do you agree with the meditation that the couple in the song are immature? Yes or no and why?