December 6 |
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[media presentation below] GospelThink Saturday, December 6, Advent I MATTHEW
9:35-10:1,5a,6-8 Prayerthoughts Today, I will read isaiah 30:19-21,23-26 and write an important thought from it. |
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Some Thoughts on the Liturgy THE WAY FOR THE CHRISTIAN+ The Book of Isaiah is the primary book that is used for the first readings during the season of Advent - the book is primarily one of hope - a number of “will’s” and “shall’s” for the better - the Lord will bring about good things in the future - in today’s reading: the promise that you will see the Teacher (capital T) with your own eyes - actually, the book is primarily speaking of the good that could happen in the eighth and seventh centuries before Christ if the Israelite people would follow the directives of God - but the Church has taken the words and applied them as prophesy about the time of Jesus and his Kingdom - signifying that Jesus’s time will be a very good one for the followers who call themselves Christian
+ Today in the reading, there is an interesting phrase that can easily be applied to our spiritual lives - speaking of the Teacher and his laws, Isaiah says: “This is the way; walk in it.” - that is, using the interpretation of the Church, - the Teacher Jesus will give us the way; what we must do is truly walk in it
+ Today’s Gospel is the perfect follow up to the directive because it gives us the way as described by Jesus to his followers - he is sending his followers out two by two to prepare for his coming to those villages that he will visit some time in the future, - and he tells them what his “way” is: - Jesus himself has already been influenced by the plight of the people that Matthew tells us about At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. - so he gives his disciples directions with significant words: - go to the lost, proclaim the Kingdom, cure, raise, cleanse, drive out, give
+ In a sense, that is what we as modern followers of Jesus’s “way” are called to do - not in the same capacity, obviously, since we are not leaders in the Church - but we are the followers of Jesus, and this is what we are to do to enhance our spiritual lives in the way that we act with others - we are called to proclaim the Kingdom—announce to the society around us that Jesus’s way is the best way to follow - cure—not in the sense of healing, but in the sense of comfort to those who need comforting words - raise—not in the sense of raising the dead, but in the sense of raising the hopes of people who have had tragedies in theirs lives - cleanse—cleanse sin from our own lives, and as far as possible from the lives of others - drive out—drive out the idols that surround this society, and conquer our desires for pleasure, power and money - and finally, and maybe most importantly, give - Jesus saying: Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. - arguably the most important action a Christian can learn is to give to others our time, our energy, our help
+ “This is the way; walk in it” the book of Isaiah says - we have chosen the way of Jesus - we must walk in it as best we can. |
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MEDIA PRESENTATION Song:
"Kings and Queens" -- Ava Max |
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The Gospel |
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Luke 23:55-56;24:1,10a
The women who had come from Galilee with Nicodemus followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.
Gospelthink: Among my first followers were women who were not afraid at my Resurrection and served me well. Am I serving the Lord as best I can in my life?
"If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast to all the queens who are fighting alone. You’re not dancin’ on your own. Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t. Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own. I’ll show you how a real queen behaves. No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me. Once I start breathin’ fire, you can’t tame me. Disobey me, then, it’s off with your head, gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget.”
One of the characteristics of
Luke's Gospel is his attention to the women who were part of
Jesus's life. According to Luke, they accompanied Jesus as he
ministered to the people, and they were the first to hear of the
Resurrection of Jesus at his empty tomb. In the Roman society in
which Jesus grew up and lived, women were not that important, but
Luke's Gospel account gives the picture that Jesus's followers
were both men and women. Even though there was some danger at
being associated with Jesus, both men and women were willing to
serve him in a way that would be helpful.
As we
study the history of the human race, we easily recognize that
women were often treated with little respect. They were often
treated as chattel, sources of pleasure for men, and nothing more
than what was necessary in order to continue our existence on
earth. They were said to be part of "mankind," often not
recognized as anything except to be a helpmate to
man.
Thankfully, that human race is gradually coming to
an understanding of not only the importance of women, but also the
fact that they are equal to men. Often popular music will
acknowledge women, teaching our modern minds some necessary
knowledge about the sexes. Ava Max's latest song does exactly
that, saying that men "can't run this show" on their
own. Women are no longer damsels in distress because they are
forces in their own right. Now, they can change the world into
something that we won't forget, a world that is good for men and
women.
Because of the way our world thinks as we
move into relationships, women are too often "used" by
men in order to bring about what men want in their world. We
absolutely need reminders like Ava Max's song to recognize that
everyone on our earth should have the respect that God has
extended to all.
PRAYER
Good and gracious God, thank you for making us part of this human race and for everything it means, both good and not so good. Give us the grace to recognize the importance of each of us, women and men, as we live in our world. Be with us, we pray.
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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM
PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT
Theme: Sometimes
women do not receive the respect they deserve.
DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
1. What
does the song "Kings and Queens" teach young people?
2.
The women who witnessed Jesus's Resurrection were courageous as
they carried out their love of the Lord. In general, do Christians
show that the Lord is important to them in their actions? Yes or
no and why?
3. Do you agree with the feminist movement in our
world? Yes or no and why?
4. Why do you think women have not
received the respect they deserve in our history?
5. In the
society in which you live, do women receive the respect they
deserve? Yes or no and why?
6. In the dating patterns in your
locale, do women tend to be "aggressive" as the couples
begin relationships? Yes or no and why?
©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr.
Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin
Province of Mid-America