TGIMMwhite

February 10

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, February 10

MARK 6:53-56

I touched the people I healed.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus used what the people had as he worked among them, in this case, traveling by boat. Do I use the things of my time, cars, computers, Internet, etc. in a good way?

b. People recognized Jesus in person. When people look at me, do they see the Christ that I am trying to imitate?

c. The people of Jesus’s time took advantage of his presence. Do I turn to the Lord in the undertakings that I do in my life?

d. Jesus was most concerned about the sick. Among the people that I know, am I concerned about those who are sick, that is do I visit if possible, pray for them, send a card, that is, show them that I care for them?

e. As many as touched his tassel were healed. Do I “touch”, that is, pay attention to, everyone that I come into contact with?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Genesis 1, and write
an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE TOUCH THAT HEALS

+ The first daily readings begins the book of Genesis today

- here beginning with the first creation story, taking us up to the fourth day of creation

- with the constant refrain after each day, that “God saw how good it was”

- everything that God created was good

- or another way of saying it: anything that God touches is made whole

+ The idea of touching is a thought from the Gospel:

“As many as touched [Jesus’ cloak] were healed.”

- healing takes place when people have faith enough simply to approach the Lord

- the thought can be taken further than physical healing, I believe

- no doubt, that is what the evangelist Mark meant—they were healed physically—because of all the sick that were brought to him

- but I think the thought extends further to include the mental area of people’s lives as well

- the worries that people had, etc.

+ It is an important thought for us, as we go about our lives, I believe

- we are people of faith, obviously, or we wouldn’t be here

- and one of the directives of our faith is that we must touch Jesus,

- that is, that we must become closer and closer to him in prayer

- if we are to experience the healing that is necessary for our lives

- it is a healing that involves the physical, certainly, as we work with professionals to heal our ailments

- but especially, we need the mental healing

- we need the Lord’s help to make our thinking to be the type of thinking that a Christian should do—that is true mental healing

- it includes the ability to adopt a good attitude about life, a good attitude about everyone we meet

+ We know that if we touch Jesus, there will be healing

- it will be healing that primarily gives us a different attitude of living.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "White House Down" -- beginning session

PEACE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE

The Gospel

JOHN 16:31-33

Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

Gospelthink: Yes, I have conquered the world, but there still will be trouble. In my life do I turn to the Lord when I am troubled?

President James Sawyer in the movie "White House Down" was a man of peace. He saw the opportunity to push the issue with a treaty between allied countries to remove military forces from the Middle East. As with most political issues, the reaction of the United States government was mixed. There were some who felt that peace was desirable but they felt very cautious about what should be done. There was others who were totally against it because to them, it made America look weak in the eyes of the world. In fact, Martin Walker, the head of the Presidential Detail had suffered a personal lost during a previous conflict, and he was looking for some way to bring about peace by force. He became so hopelessly obsessed with the idea of working for what he considered correct that he literally forgot about what was good for the rest of humanity.

Jesus knew that his peace would bring about trouble. He knew it because he understood human nature. Much of the time, our selfishness desires "peace" as we define it instead of what the Lord wants. Consequently, he warns his disciples that they would not understand the peace that he would give them. They still had the trouble of the world that would challenge them, but in the end, he promised them that there would be peace.

In the movie "White House Down" President Sawyer was very much aware of those who opposed him in the area of peace. He understood their feelings, but he had the feeling that it was time to do something positive, and so with determination he set about accomplishing his goal. His problem was "the trouble" that Jesus spoke of, a "trouble" that caused the White House to be a war zone, and one that could have taken his own life in the process.

Jesus calls his followers to be people of peace. Our problem is the same problem that was to plague his Apostles, the same problem that overcame the calm of the White House in the movie, what Jesus called "trouble" in the world. That trouble comes in different ways--people who refuse to understand peace in Jesus' terms, people who are ruled only by selfishness. Or bringing it to a personal level, it is the trouble that happens as we try to be people of peace as best we can in that troublesome world.

But in the end, the Christian will always have the last say. There will be peace, because as he said, Jesus has truly conquered the world. We approach that eventuality with confidence.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son challenges us to be people of peace, even in this world of trouble. Give us the confidence that your Son had in You, so that we can be the people of peace that we should be. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When we work for peace, we may disturb people who do not totally understand.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 61 minutes)
1. What scene during this session is most striking? Why?
2. In your opinion, in the Gospel what was the principal reason why the disciples left Jesus a little later during his Passion?
3. Text analysis: "you might have peace in me." What is the meaning of the phrase?
4. In your opinion, what is the principal "trouble" that the world has? Why?
5. What is the major difference between peace that we want and the peace that the Lord gives?
6. Are there important people in our world who really do not want peace? Yes or no and why?
7. In your opinion, at this moment in history, if anything, what could the President do to bring about peace in the world?
8. Analysis: how would you describe a "person of peace."
9. In general, what is there about "bringing peace" that people refuse to understand?
10. In your opinion, within your lifetime, do you think that there ever will be "total peace" in the world? Yes or no and why?
11. Scene analysis: President Sawyer asks for a special view of the Washington monuments. What does this say about his character?
12. Analysis: John and his daughter Emily's relationship is strained. What could John do in order to make the relationship stronger?
13. Analysis: the movie is full of violence and killing throughout. In your opinion, does this have an effect on young people? Yes or no and why?
14. Analysis: As you study Emily in the movie, is there anything else the eleven year old could have done to escape? Yes or no and why?
15. Character analysis: Skip Tyler, the computer genius who has hacked into the White House computers. What causes people to do something like he was doing?