aqua1

July 10

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, July 10

MATTHEW 10:16-23

I warn my disciples and you that not everyone will agree with you.

Prayerthoughts
a. The English translation, “beware of people” is interesting. Who are the people in my life that I should trust more?

b. There will be people who do not agree with me because of my Christian and/or personal beliefs. I must learn to respect everyone no matter how they are treating me. Are there some people that I do not respect as much as I should?

c. I must watch what I say and how I say it. Do I find myself being too quick in my response to some situations?

d. Do I call on the Holy Spirit enough as I am seeking guidance for what to do in my life?

e. In the early persecutions which Matthew is remembering here, families were torn apart. In my family right now, are there some people that I should reach out to?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Hosea 14:2-10 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

CONSISTENTLY DEPENDING ON GOD

+ Jesus continues the missionary discourse in Matthew’s Gospel

- telling his Apostles what to expect as they go out and preach about the kingdom

- at the same time, Matthew is reflecting what the early Church is enduring—persecution—as he writes his Gospel

- and it is not a pretty sight

- in fact, it is downright scary

- the phrase that Jesus uses is

…sheep in the midst of wolves

- therefore, Jesus gives the directive: be shrewd even as you are simple

- that is, remain innocent, pure, and good but always be aware of the possible evil in the world

+ And as you are in the world that sometimes is evil, when things are rough

- Jesus reminds his Apostles of two things in particular:

1 – remember that God will help you; in fact, depend on it

You will be given at that moment what you are to say;…it is the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

2 – hold out till the end, that is, have patience with the Spirit of God that is working with you

Whoever endures to the end will be saved.

- incidentally concerning the last verse about the Son of Man coming before they are finished:

- the human Jesus and early Church expected the fulfillment of the kingdom to happen very quickly

+ For spiritual people, those two ideas are worth dwelling on, namely, depending on God for help, and holding out till the end

- first of all, we are not in a situation of “sheep in the midst of wolves” and therefore do not have to depend on God the way that the early Christians did

- we have no persecution

- in fact, many critics say that that is the reason religion is not as strong as it should be

- but there is some persecution in the sense that the “world”/”society” has evil elements to it

- in terms of what Hosea said in the first reading—

- we have said “our god” to material things

- and therefore we are called to change that and totally depend on our real God for help and direction:

“We shall say no more ‘our god’ to the work of our hands.”

- and secondly, we must persevere in our dependency on God—day after day, consistently saying to God over and over again:

- I will keep your directives, I will be the religious that I should be

- in much the same way that learning some art demands—“practice, practice, practice”

+ Two elements of our spiritual lives to consider today, and two questions that we should ask ourselves:

- how well do we depend on God, allowing God to direct us; and are we consistently trying to be the religious that we aspire to be?

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Aquaman" -- beginning session

CHOSEN TO LEAD

The Gospel

MATTHEW 16:17-19

Jesus said to Peter in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Gospelthink: I chose Peter to lead the Church. I have been chosen to be a true Christian in all that I do.

Having met quite by accident, lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry and Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis began a romantic relationship. They had a son Arthur but after an attack from Atlanna's commandos who demanded her return to Atlantis, she finally went back promising Thomas that she would return. Arthur grew up, displaying some natural tendencies toward the ocean creatures and toward doing good after freeing some crewmen from pirates. Believing that the people of Atlantis killed his mother, Arthur was not moved to help fight against his half-brother Orm who was about to attack the surface world. But when he and his father are almost killed in an attack and after being invited by Princess Mera to join her and Prince Nereus' followers to fight against Orm, as Aquaman, he joins the battle.

Perhaps the most important call of the leaders who would follow and help Jesus was the call of Peter. Jesus apparently recognized in Peter a quality of leadership that the other Apostles and membership of the young Christian community would recognize. As can be seen from various places throughout the Gospels, Peter's appointment was not without difficulty since his personality often "got in the way" of what he was chosen to do. But he accepted the responsibility of being the "rock" for the new group of followers who were dedicated to Jesus.

Arthur Curry, whom we know as Aquaman was also a chosen man to lead. His mother, of course, was the connection to Atlantis, and it would seem that Arthur would be the natural choice to be the king of the kingdom. As seen in the fantasy tale, it was indeed the final outcome of the adventure. But there were ups and downs throughout his ascendance to power. Gradually he came to realize that he was chosen to lead, especially after he discovered that his mother was in favor of the choice he made to be a leader.

The obvious application for us who do not have the fantasy-power and life that Arthur possessed is a part of maturity defined to be the choice to lead ourselves and others. It may not consist of fighting with a trident that can ward off all danger, but it does consist of being a leader in the midst of a world in need of people who are not afraid to stand for what is right.

In our world made up of so many choices and opportunities, we are called to some type of leadership, at least to better ourselves. There will always be blocks along the way, but it is part of a good life pattern to do the best that we can given the circumstances in which we live.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son chose people from his time to help with the direction of the beginnings of the church that would follow You. May we recognize that we are truly chosen to be leaders in our own environment as we try to be the type of people you want us to be. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Some people are chosen to lead others to what is good.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 67 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. What are the essential characteristics of leadership?
3. Peter's personality sometimes blocked the way for him to be the leader he should have been. What personality blocks destroy the concept of leadership?
4. At what age should most people understand their need to be leaders?
5. In what areas can young people show that they are leaders?
6. In general, do you think that the different leaders of the nations you are aware of are doing a good job of leadership? Yes or no and why?
7. In general, what is the best way to "better ourselves"?
8. Scene analysis: Aquaman does not help David Kane to live. Should he have done something to help him. Yes or no and why?
9. Dialogue analysis: Queen Atlanna asked Aquaman whether he was afraid. After Aquaman said "yes," she said that he was ready for leadership. Whys is fear necessary to lead?