February 6

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, February 6

MARK 6:7-13

I instruct the Apostles and you.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus went around teaching. What is the most important teaching of Jesus that I should listen to?

b. Jesus had helpers, in this case the Apostles or here called “the Twelve.” He gave them the power to cast out demons. What demons in our world are most destructive? How have they influenced me?

c. Jesus wanted them to travel “light” because he did not want material things to hold back the message that they were to preach. As I live in the world, are there material things that are holding me back from God’s presence?

d. Jesus’s thought was to work with a problem for a time—remaining in the “house.” What are the problems in my life right now, and how can the Lord help me with them?

e. Jesus realizes that the Apostles would face rejection, and rather than talk against them or threaten them, he tells them simply to shake the dust from their feet, or in other words, just leave and go to the next situation. Often I cannot do that—I would rather seek out some type of revenge. What is the area in my life where I am most prone to revenge?

f. I need to pray for repentance. What are the areas in my life in which I need to beg for forgiveness?

g. Am I concerned about those who are sick in my acquaintance? Should I show more concern for them?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Hebrews 12, and write down an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

PERSONAL CHRISTIAN PATTERNS

+ One of the things that most people agree on when it comes to begging from others on behalf of some cause or institution or project

- is that it had better be evident that we believe in what we are begging for first

- that some sacrifice has been made by the person who is begging

- that we have done something to our personal patterns that can be seen

+ For Jesus, it was a basic principle for the people who were to preach about his Kingdom—the Twelve as he called them

- he wanted them to preach repentance—as Mark describes here in the Gospel

- but before they did that, Jesus gave them the preparations

- he says that you can preach only after you have practiced repentance yourselves, repentance as defined by Jesus in a particular way:

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

+ This has obvious application to me, of course

- but I think it has application to all of us

- because we are all Christians, followers of Jesus

- and therefore called to preach, in a way, to the people of our world

+ What we are called to preach comes in a general English word from Jesus called “repentance”

- and before we do that, Jesus calls us to reformed behavior very similar to what he called for in the Twelve

- namely our personal patterns that are specifically Christian

- which involves what we do with our time, with our money, with our family, with our lives in general

- it involves addressing our selfishness, addressing the fact that we talk others down, watching our language; it involves donating our time and talent to people in need

- which is the 21^st century way of speaking of walking sticks and food and money in our belts

+ We can have the greatest message in the world—and a Christian does—

- the Letter to the Hebrews tells us we are approaching Jesus, our mediator, and the person who has given of himself to us

- but it will mean nothing if our personal patterns have not been affected.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Catch My Breath" -- Kelly Clarkson

TIME TO CATCH MY BREATH

The Gospel

LUKE 21:36-37

During the day, Jesus was teaching in the temple area, but at night he would leave and stay at the place called the Mount of Olives. And all the people would get up early each morning to listen to him in the temple area.

Gospelthink: My pattern was to work and pray. It is a pattern that I should follow in my own life.

"I don’t wanna be left behind; distance was a friend of mine, catching breath in a web of lies. I’ve spent most of my life riding waves, playing acrobat, shadowboxing the other half, learning how to react. I’ve spent most of my time catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show. Now that you know this is my life, I won’t be told what’s supposed to be right. It’s all so simple now. Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain’t got time for that. You helped me see the beauty in everything."

Kelly Clarkson viewed her song "Catch My Breath" as a special song on the tenth anniversary of her entrance into the music scene after winning the right to be called "American Idol" in 2002. She introduces the song this way: "To celebrate the strength and longevity that my fans, friends, and family have supported me with, I wrote this song 'Catch My Breath' with one of my best friends (Jason Halbert) that has seen me through everything. This song represents who I've been, what I've felt, and where I'm headed as not only an artist but as a thirty year old that is now smart enough to know that it's time to stop, catch my breath, and be proud of not only what has been accomplished but of all the people that have helped me become the woman I am today." In other words, she is taking the time to do some serious thinking about what she has become and what she wants to be.

When one manages to take that time, one sees immediately that others have helped bring about beauty in one's life. In Kelly Clarkson's words, "You helped me see the beauty in everything." For Jesus, it was his Father God that helped him. In fact, he would close every day during his ministry days, according to Luke's Gospel, in the Mount of Olives in prayer. In terms of the song, his Father helped him see the beauty in everything, and so Jesus took the time to "catch his breath" and think about his ministerial life.

We do not know whether Kelly Clarkson had prayer in mind as she thanked the people who were primarily responsible for bringing beauty into her life. But, having been inspired by Gospel singers early in her life, and being very generous with her money to needy causes at the present time, one might guess that she did. "Catching one's breath" and "realizing the beauty in one's life" easily lends itself to prayer--thanking our God for what has happened in our lives, and asking God to be with those who have helped us grow.

There really is beauty in every one of our lives. There has indeed been some pain and sorrow also. Growth is not always easy. But the beauty is there, and every once in a while, it is good to "catch our breath" and take the time to thank the people who have brought it about for us.

PRAYER .

Good and gracious God, there is beauty in my life, even though things may not have gone the way that I have always wanted. But I know it is you through the help of others that have helped me. Thank you, and be kind to those who have been so good to me. Be with me, I pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We all need the chance to stop for a while, catch our breath, and think about what we have become and what we want to be.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. The Mount of Olives in the Gospel was a special place of prayer for Jesus. In your opinion, do most of the Christian people take time for prayer in their lives? Yes or no and why?
2. Luke's Gospel says that the pattern for Jesus' ministry was teaching during the day and then prayer at night. As you have heard the Gospel over the years of your life, what was the primary teaching of Jesus? Why?
3. Luke says that all the people would get up early in order to listen to him. In our day, how do we "listen" to Jesus?
4 Text analysis: "I don't want to be left behind." How are we "left behind" in today's world?
5. Text analysis: "Distance was a friend of mine." Explain the meaning of the sentence.
6. Text analysis: "Catching breath in a web of lies." What do you think the phrase refers to?
7. Text analysis: "Turning my cheek for the sake of the show." What is meaning of the phrase?
8. Text analysis: "Catch my breath." What is the meaning of the phrase?
9. What is most striking about Kelly Clarkson's statement as reported in the meditation?
10. In your opinion, do most people take the time to do some serious thinking about who they are and what they have become? Yes or no and why?
11. Define "prayer" in your own words. Why is it important in a Christian's life? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2566-2567, 2697-2699.
12. What are things of "beauty" in your life right now?
13. Analysis: "There really is beauty in every one of our lives." Granted that this is a true statement, give some examples of situations where it is difficult to discover the beauty. Are these exceptions or can they be explained another way?
14. What does the song "Catch My Breath" teach young people?