TGIMMwhite

February 10

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Tuesday, February 10

MARK 7:1-13

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 1 Kings 8:22-23,27-30 and write an important thought.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

TRULY HONORING GOD

+ We hear the very uncomplicated prayer of Solomon in the first reading

- simply trusting that God will listen

- with complete confidence in God

- such was a characteristic of the early patriarchs—because they did not understand all the nuances of prayer to God, it was always very simple, very straightforward

- but as the knowledge of God grew, and especially after human beings heard the law of God as given to Moses

- certain human traditions connected with the law began to settle in

- human traditions that actually took away from the main idea of honor and respect to God

- so much so that what the human being dictated about the law became more important than the law of God itself

+ Jesus points out that that is exactly what has happened to the Pharisees and experts in the law

- they had started to pay attention to their own traditions more than what the law stood for

- and they did not honor God as a result

- even to the point of finding loopholes in the law for their own benefit—e.g., the law of korban

- and the Lord using some of the strongest language of Scripture in condemnation of those who were doing that—they are showing lip service only to God, their heart is far from God, only empty reverence is shown, disregard of God’s commandments, clinging to human tradition, nullifying God’s word

+ It is a fact that one of the possible sins of people who frequent church, especially those who come to church often—namely us—

- is the sin of hypocrisy

- by the very fact that we are doing more than others,

- you and I have to carefully study why we are doing this

- look carefully at the strong words of Jesus Christ, the Guide that you and I have chosen to follow in life: the possibility of lip service, empty reverence

- that is, being here for the wrong reasons

- we are here to worship God through Jesus—period—

- and as we worship God through Jesus, we listen to what Jesus says to us

- and we really try to do it

- and if it’s real, it won’t be empty, it won’t be merely words or lip service

- it is something that takes over every ounce of our being.

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?