mi--fallout2

January 10

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, January 10, Christmas Weekday

LUKE 5:12-16

Healing and the Law

Prayerthoughts

a. The man filled with leprosy was convinced that Jesus could heal him, and so he says, “If you wish.” You and I should have the same approach to Jesus/God, asking him for whatever with confidence, but knowing it is the Lord’s decision and not ours.

b. Jesus touched the leper. That was not allowed because of the fear of contagion. When I try to help someone, I am “touching” them. Do I try to help people enough?

c. Jesus followed the law when the law fit into his law. Do I have respect for the law of the land and for the officials of the law? Do I pray for them sincerely? (This is the task of the meditation.)

d. Jesus was very popular because of what he did to help people. Do I seek popularity too much?

e. Jesus prayed. What is the amount of time that I spend in prayer compared to my waking hours and my time at work?

f. My prayerthoughts….

Today, I will carry out letter c,

praying for the leaders of my country and state by name.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

POSSESSING JESUS

+ In the early Church in the latter days of the first century in the Johannine community where John’s Gospel and his letters were written

- there must have been some question concerning the importance of Jesus’ crucifixion—the reference to his blood

- the community acknowledges that it is a combination of factors which give credence to Jesus—his introduction of baptism, his dying for our sakes, and of course, the testimony of the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism

- the end result is: Jesus really is Lord, and if we possess him, we have eternal life

- the word “possess” might lead to an interesting meditation—

- we are called to realize that we must possess Jesus

+ The person who possesses Jesus will be involved in a number of spiritual activities

- two of which are mentioned in the Gospel

1 – the person who possesses Jesus will be involved in healing

- that is, for us, helping others—

- Jesus cured whenever he was asked in faith

- showing a willingness in whatever mood he was in

- “others” for us are primarily our community of brothers and sisters in society

- whether we like it or not, we are a global family

- I believe that that is a good image

- and in terms of what Jesus did in helping someone else

- not be afraid to “touch” others, even though we or they are not in the frame of mind that you want to touch them

- that is, to help them as best we can,

- and we do it with conviction—

- Jesus saying: I do will it…

- I will help you because you are important to me

- perhaps we are not curing in the physical sense,

- but we certainly are in the spiritual sense

+ And 2 – the person who possesses Jesus will quite obviously be involved in prayer with that Jesus and His Father

- Jesus must have gone off by himself to be with his Father often

He would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

- it is such an important action for us to consider

- if we want to possess Jesus and his attitude toward life, in whatever situation, we have to make private prayer part of our life

- not necessarily formal prayer

- but what we call informal prayer

- taking a spiritual book or the Scriptures, reading them, and then thinking about how what the book or Scriptures says applies to us and to our lives and families

+ There are a number of ways of showing that we possess Jesus, but these two are primary—

- that we are into healing others because others need our help, and that we really work at developing our prayer life.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Ordinary Angels" -- final session

ACCEPTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD

The Gospel

JOHN 19:38-42

LUKE 23:39-42

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

Gospelthink: Do I show the courage it takes to be a true follower of the Lord?

Finally facing the fact that she was an alcoholic, Sharon Stevens gained control of her life. She tried to reconcile with her son which she was finally able to do, and she saw on the news that a liver for Michelle Schmitt had become available in Omaha, Nebraska. Sharon had previously made that connection while she was with the family. She and Michelle’s family lived in Louisville, Kentucky. And at the same time, a major snowstorm had settled in the Louisville area, and everything was closed down. Ed, Michelle’s father, called Sharon again for help. Sharon organized the trip for Michelle and Ed by obtaining a helicopter to carry them to the airport, arranging a pilot and plane that she had previously set up, and convincing the airport to allow the plane to depart for Omaha. Michelle made it to the hospital in time to have the liver transplant. Michelle went on to college and married. Besides of the tremendous help that Sharon gave her, it has been pointed out that the event could not have happened had it not been for the kindness and dedication of the Louisville community. [The movie is a true story, A fact not mentioned in the movie was Michelle’s death when she was 31 of an ailment not connected with the liver. She knew that a movie was being made about her. Also the movie fictionalized Sharon’s alcoholism when in real life, she simply refused to take alcohol because of her own family who were heavy into alcohol.]

Jesus had many friends as he ministered here on earth. Some of them were “fair weather” friends in the sense that they abandoned him when things did not look so good. But some were convinced that Jesus was who he said he was, although they still did not fully understand. Joseph of Arimathea and the Pharisee Nicodemus were two of them. They had stayed through the ordeal of Jesus’s passion and death, and they risked the wrath of Pilate in asking for the body of Jesus for burial.

In the mostly true story of the movie “Ordinary Angels,” the remark was made at the time that “all of Louisville” actually participated in the miracle of obtaining a liver for little Michelle Schmitt. It is an exaggeration, of course, but the fact is that many of the people in that community were “responsible.” The obvious way that “everyone” was involved was through prayer. But also the people who cooperated with Sharon, the people who volunteered their private plane and helicopter, the people who cleared the runway for the plane and parking lot for the helicopter that took Ed and Michelle to the plane, literally hundreds of people, were likewise involved.

Optimistic leaders of our world often point out the number of people who do wonderful things for others. Certainly evil does exist and there are many who could do good and don’t, but perhaps there really are more people in our world who want to do good, and then actually do it.

The message of the movie “Ordinary Angels” is relatively simple, and combined with an optimistic view of reality, something that most of us would do if given the circumstances for our involvement. Perhaps what is needed most is the knowledge of “where and how” given our own parameters, we can do the good.

The world is full of opportunities for the good to come forth.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are many examples among our human beings here on earth of people who are dedicated to others. Thank you for the grace to see what good that I can do, and give me the grace to do it. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: There are always truly good people in our world.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 55 minutes)
1. What scene during this session is most striking? Why?
2. What does the movie: "Ordinary Angels" teach a young person?
3. Why did Jesus’s “friends” abandon him as Jesus died?

4. Why should Christians pray for those in need?

5. Do Christians pray enough for the people who are in need?

6. Do you think that there are more “optimistic” people in our world or more “pessimistic”?

7. Do you think that most people take the opportunity to help others? Yes or no and why?