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JOHN 19:38-42 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. |
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Gospelthink: Do I show the courage it takes to be a true follower of the Lord?
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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.] |
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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. |
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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. |
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+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: There are always
truly good people in our world. 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? |
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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