MARK 16:9-11

When Jesus had risen from the dead, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.   

Gospelthink: Mary Magdalene was a special person to me because she overcame a lot. Am I honestly trying to rid myself of my faults?

When Joe Gardner felt stuck in his job, he found some fulfillment as a piano jazz player in a jazz group. Almost immediately, however, he had an accident and found himself as a soul in the "Great Beyond." Frantically telling every soul he met that there had been a mistake and he did not belong where he was, he finally discovered a way to get back to Earth. But a mistake was made in transition, and he found himself with the soul and body of a female therapy cat while the cat had Joe's body and soul. To get back to Earth, Joe found himself in the "Great Before" and he had posed as a professor and had been assigned to complete the preparation of soul 22 who was the therapy cat. On Earth now, Joe and 22 became friends and Joe as 22 found happiness is what might be called the little things of life, with Joe as 22 gradually seeing how selfish he was in his approach to life.

According to the Gospels of Mark and John, the first person that Jesus appeared to after his Resurrection was Mary Magdalene. She is an interesting character in the Gospels, and there are many opinions about what kind of a person she was. What we know is that Jesus had cleansed her of seven demons, which usually meant that she had lived a life of sin and at some point, turned her life around. She became a devoted follower of Jesus, entering his inner circle. She was the leader of a group of women disciples who were present at the cross and at his burial.

We do not know the greatest demon or evil in her life, of course, but we would probably not be far of the mark if we identified it to be selfishness. Human beings tend to be people that want what will satisfy them. It began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and is very much a part of our world right now, even the world of make-believe human beings.

Joe Gardner was the creation of talented artists, but he was the replica of a human being who could be any of us. In the mind of his creators, he finds himself in a place after he has died on his way to the "Great Beyond," or heaven or a place different from what he was used to. He did not want to be where he was. And it becomes obvious as he tried to get back to Earth. He finally achieved what he wanted but there were complications.

Joe Gardner's problem was in short selfishness. It is unfortunately our principal problem as well. We want what we think should be done, and when we do not get it, we complain, we sulk, we become self-righteous. And it becomes an attitude that is more or less unconscious--we do not even know it is there. And it takes over our lives.

Luckily Joe did some serious thinking, and began to see his selfishness. It is what must happen to every one of us. 

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, if we are honest with ourselves, we will see that perhaps the principal "demon" in our lives is the desire to satisfy self. Help us manage to do some serious thinking to discover how we are being selfish in the way we behave. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Perhaps, our primary problem is selfishness.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 50 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. In general, why is it important to consider Mary Magdalene as we study life here on earth?
3. The movie obviously presents the idea of life after death. Death is not a popular subject. Why is it so difficult to consider death?
4. What are the greatest evils in the world right now, and what can I do about therm?
5. What are some characteristics of a truly selfish person?
6. We do not know what heaven will be like, but in your mind, what are some things that you think should be part of "heaven"?
7. In your opinion, are there many people in heaven?
8. Joe finally discovered his selfishness by serious consideration of himself with regard to others. In general, when do human beings begin to consider their selfishness? 

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America