benhur1

February 23

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, February 23, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

LUKE 6:27-38

Jesus’s unique doctrine

Prayerthoughts

a. There are some people in my life that I would classify as “enemies” for one reason or another. In general, how do I treat them?

b. How do I react to someone who directly insults me?

c. When I give of myself in some way, do I expect to be paid back?

d. In general, am I a merciful person?

e. In general, do I judge others too harshly? Think especially of yesterday.

f. How do I grade myself concerning love of others?

g. My prayerthoughts,,,

Today I will spend some time thinking of my behavior toward others and pray for the people with whom I have a difficult time.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

GIVING TO OTHERS

+ This is a difficult Gospel

- if one takes it as the words say, it is so difficult and radical that it is like a different plane of living, like an alternate world of Star Trek or a novel involving Harry Potter

- but Jesus is very clear—we can argue what are Jesus’ actual words

- but there is no doubt that Jesus was responsible for these ideas

- if we are going to follow him, we will have to follow these directives

- love your enemies

- love those who do not love you

- be compassionate to all

- do not judge or condemn, but pardon

- because, as Jesus says,

…the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.

+ The liturgy uses the story of David to introduce the idea of being good to others

- and giving to Saul even though Saul wanted to kill David

+ I love this story.

- a woman waiting to board an airplane, was reading her newspaper. Earlier she had purchased a small package of Oreo cookies in the snack shop; her plan was to eat them on the plane

- out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a man next to her eating an Oreo cookie

she looked down at the package beside her, and the man had actually opened her package of Oreo cookies and started eating

she could not believe the nerve of this guy.

- now, of course, what she should have done at this point is talk to the guy

- why did you take my cookies, do you not think it is impolite, and so forth. - no, we human beings do not work that way

- she figured if she took a couple of the cookies, he would see that they were really hers and stop eating them, apologize, probably offer to pay for them, and life would be okay again

- so she did that, took a couple of the cookies, but he continued to eat from the remainder

- well, she was incensed: she grabbed all but one of the cookies and put them in her pocket

- the guy took the one cookie that was left, but he broke it in two pieces, ate one half and left the other half for her

- the woman was furious; she grabbed the whole package with the left over one-half Oreo cookie, shoved them in her purse, and was ready to leave in a huff

- but as she shoved them in her purse, she found much to her absolute shame, her own unopened package of Oreo cookies.

- it was not her package of cookies at all that the man was eating

- she had thought that she had placed her cookies in the seat, but she had actually placed them in her purse instead

- the man was eating his own Oreo cookies

- she had judged that he was eating hers

- but even at that, the man had offered his package to her

+ The point must be made

- even if people are as rude as she thought the man was, Jesus says to love them, that we do not get back at them, that we share our cookies with them, even if they would take them from us anyway

- it is difficult, really difficult to do

As we think on that, I think that we are discovering a fundamental of good living. I think Jesus’ idea of giving is the basis. Jesus says in today’s Gospel:

Give to everyone who asks of you.

- “Giving to others” more than any concept captures the reality of Jesus’s moral doctrine

- it is the essential ingredient of love, and it is also one of the most difficult concepts for us to understand and put into practice

+ In fact, giving is perhaps the essential concept of Christianity;

- it is what guides the Christian way of life

- it is what you and I as Christians have heard presented as stewardship—giving back to God for what God has given to us

- if we honestly believe that God has given life to us, the next step will automatically follow, namely, that we will give back to God by giving of ourselves to what the Lord says to us, even the more difficult doctrines as we heard today

+ As a conclusion to this thought, here is an interesting fact:

- it has been proven that human babies do not distinguish between their own distress and that of others

- if you are in a situation where there are many babies, if one cries, more often than not, for no other reason other than the fact that one is crying, the rest of them will cry—

- almost like a statement of support and giving of self

+ Maybe that is something to think about:

-early in our lives we learn to give on behalf of others, no matter who they are. That is a pretty good ideal to learn.

- we may even want to share our cookies with everyone.

MEDIA PRESENTATION-

Movie: “Conclave”—beginning session

SEEKING AMBITION TO POWER

MARK 10:35-37,43-44

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” … Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”

Gospelthink: The apostles James and John wanted to have more than the other Apostles.

After the Pope died of a heart attack, the College of Cardinals under the leadership of its dean, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence of the United Kingdom, convened to elect a successor. The four cardinals who emerged as likely candidates were Cardinal Aldo Bellini of the United States, a progressive reformer; Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria, a social conservative; Cardinal Joseph Tremblay of Canada, a moderate; and Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco of Italy, a staunch traditionalist.

Archbishop Janusz Wozniak, the prefect of the papal household told Lawence that the pope demanded Tremblay's resignation before dying, which Tremblay denied. Bellini, meanwhile, told his supporters that his goal was to prevent Tedesco from winning the papacy. Lawrence was surprised by the last-minute arrival of Mexican-born Archbishop Vincent Benítez of Kabul, whom the pope named cardinal in pectore the previous year.

Lawrence opened the deliberations with an impromptu homily encouraging the college to embrace uncertainty, which some interpreted as an open declaration of his papal ambition. In fact, it is clear from the very beginning that there is an open desire on the part of some Cardinals to pursue being Pope.

Jesus knew human nature, and therefore he no doubt understood where James and John were coming from as they asked Him to give them more than the others. He knew that given any situation in which there is the possibility of power, our human nature tends to want that power. And so, when James and John asked for the right to be always close to Him in His kingdom, Jesus knew why. He told them that such ambition is not what they should be seeking. Instead, they should be thinking in terms of being a servant to others, and even stronger, being a slave for others.

To become Pope, or as the Cardinals describe it in the movie “Conclave,” makes the man the most well known person in the world. Quite naturally then, human nature being the same throughout the ages, the Cardinals who could possibly become Pope, would want it in one form or another. Further, they might “arrange” things so that others would be “forced” to choose him. The Cardinals obviously knew the story of James and John in the Gospel, but their human desire for ambition blocked it out of their memory and therefore their prayer.

It is an important lesson for a Christian, and indeed for anyone who is in a power situation in the world. But especially the Christian should know what Jesus taught with regard to ambition. Christian people must look at themselves as servants, even slaves of others, and only then can he/she look at the possibility of being in charge.

Every true leader who has the possibility of being in power will hear Jesus say that “it shall not be so among you.” And they will listen, accepting what it means to be a servant and slave.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you taught us to train any ambition that we have for power into a desire to serve others, making others more “important” than we are. It is a difficult lesson, but one we should learn. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The Christian will not desire some job simply because of power or control of others.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

(session: approximately 56 minutes)
1. What scene during this session was most striking to you and why?

2. Is it always true that our human natures will want power when we can have it? Yes or no and why?

3. In your opinion, do most of the people in power now in countries really want to be servants or the people under their control? Yes or no and why?

4. Do you believe that because the Cardinals are “church” people, they might have a different feeling about being a spiritual leader than simply following their “ambition.” Yes or no and why?

5. What is your definition of a “true leader’?