TGIMMJuly13

July 13

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, July 13

MATTHEW 10:34–11:1

Jesus wants us to follow him.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus wanted peace for the earth, but people were set in their own ways, and would not agree with the peace that Jesus wanted. Am I too opinionated in the way I speak?

b. There will be division in families. In my own different families right now (families that I grew up in, my own family right now, family in which I work, etc.), do I try to promote peace?

c. I have a love of my family, but Jesus says that love for Him and the things of God should even be greater. Do I place God high in my priority during the day?

d. I must accept the things that happen to me, my “cross,” and adjust to them as best I can. Have I looked at what has happened to me as God speaking to me?

e. We can get wrapped up in the things of this life without the Lord (“saves” his life) or we can choose to lose our life for the Lord’s sake, that is, give ourselves to the Lord more and more in our living. Do I see evidence in my life that I am choosing correctly?

f. Obviously, I am not ashamed of my time with the Lord, but I do I make it often enough? As I study this past week, what percentage of time was spent specifically in prayer?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Isaiah 1:10-17 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

MAKING JESUS THE CENTER

+ As Jesus closes the missionary discourse in Matthew’s Gospel

- he gives one of the secrets of what might be called Christian psychology

Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

- the definition of “finding life” in today’s world might be the idea of feeling better about ourselves, and there are many secrets to doing it well

- that is the vocation of counselors, psychiatrists and the like, and many of them exist in our world

- and do very good work

+ But here Jesus gives us the essence of finding life from the Christian point of view

- the operating phrase is “for my sake”—that is, for Jesus’s sake

- Christians must make Jesus the center of their lives

- more important than family

- more important than self

- more important than peace in the world

- more important than having everything go well in day to day living

+ Two things here, one psychological, the other spiritual; first, psychological:

- when Jesus spoke about self, it was usually in the negative

- he knew all about human nature and our desire to satisfy ourselves

- he knew that when people set out to gain power, even for a good cause, the chances were that evil would come into play

- too many people want to gain "the whole world" no matter what it does to their lives with God

- speaking true psychology then, Jesus simply says that we have to deny our selves, "lose" our lives, thus gaining eternal life after death

+ That may be one of the most difficult of all Christian doctrines because of our dedication to self

- we have been taught from early on to satisfy ourselves--we must have food, and sleep, and fun in order to survive

- but, the Christian view of life demands some elements of denial as we grow older, leading ourselves away from our own desires and more into an understanding of the needs of others

+ Secondly, spiritually, making Jesus the center of our lives means

- what Jesus gave us as recorded in the New Testament:

- namely, his words and actions

- those words and actions prefigured by the prophet Isaiah and simply spelled out here at the beginning of the book of Isaiah:

“Cease doing evil, learn to do good.”

- it is the basic moral principle in life

- that is, work on doing good in every circumstance

- external rites are not the way to make God the center of life

- Isaiah’s words: “What care I for the number of sacrifices, says the Lord”

- but simply determining what is evil, and shunning it

- determining what is good, and doing it

+ Living a good life or “finding life” is not a matter of some magic formula for the Christian

- it is making Jesus the center of our lives

- what we are doing here as we celebrate the Eucharist together

- it is not, in Isaiah’s words, simply following an external ritual, although the idea of ritual is very strong in our Church

- but by the Eucharist, we are choosing to follow through with Jesus’ words:

- we are finding our life by choosing to make Jesus the center of our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: “The Adjustment Bureau" -- beginning session

ALL WILL KNOW

The Gospel

JOHN 13:34-35

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Gospelthink: I give you "my" commandment to love. Do I love everyone as I should?

The movie "The Adjustment Bureau" is a love story in a fantasy setting. From the very beginning of the movie when David Norris met Elise Sellas, one knew that there was a romantic bond between the two of them. Theirs was real love because it was something that occupied their everyday thinking, leading them eventually to being together. The fantasy part of the movie comes into play with the knowledge that there is a group of people known as "The Adjustment Bureau" who do not want them together. The members of the Bureau know the future and they know that David and Elise's love relationship will ruin their chances for a profitable future for both of them, especially for David whose future includes being President of the United States. Throughout the movie, the guiding thought is that the love that David and Elise have for each other will indeed change their future together, but that it will be what they choose and not the Bureau.

The thought of love changing the lifestyle of people is the fundamental thought of Christianity. Jesus meant that his idea of love should change the people who would follow him. When Jesus gave his commandments of love, he told his disciples that such love was how everyone will know that they were his followers. If love is in place, everything else will be different and people will notice. One cannot love and then have nothing happen. Love must change everything.

Romantic love is part of the love that Jesus preaches in the Gospels. It works the same way. If deep romantic love is present between two people, what has been called "soul love," everything will change. Such is the case presented in the movie "The Adjustment Bureau." David and Elise's love of each other was a "soul love." Even though there were periods of time when they were not together, the love they had for each other did not cease. It affected everything they did.

Because most of us choose marriage, most of us will develop such a love for someone else, and we must live it out with our chosen friend in marriage. But the point of this meditation, and the point of the spiritual life is that Jesus's idea of love extends to every Christian. Because of Jesus's law of love, every part of the Christian's life should change. As Jesus told us, the love that we have for God and for each other is a love that will affect everything we do. In Jesus's words, "all will know" that we have chosen a different lifestyle because love should change everything we do in a fundamental way.

It is a sad commentary that much of our Christian history does not reflect such a change.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you wanted us above all to be people who love, love you and love each other. Your Son continually reminded us of your desire. May we truly work at making that love fundamental in our lives. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: A person experiencing true romantic love as well as a person governed by a general love of others will view the world in a better way.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 49 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition treats the Ten Commandments of Moses by showing that all ten commandments are "contained" in the two commandments of Jesus (see numbers 2083-2550). Project: go through each commandment of Moses, and show how it is contained in the two commandments of Jesus.
3. Jesus calls this commandment to love a new commandment because it is modeled on the love that Jesus shows for his disciples. Such a love will culminate in his death for them. In general, do most Christians have this type of love for one another? Yes or no and why?
4. Analysis: "One cannot love and then have nothing happen." In your opinion, what is the meaning of the sentence?
5. If love of God and others changes everything about a person, what would change first in a person's behavior patterns?
6. What is your understanding of "soul love"?
7. The ideal is for every marriage to be a union of "soul-mates." In your opinion, what percentage of marriages are the union of "soul-mates"? Why?
8. One of the characteristics of "soul love" is given in the meditation, namely, that time does not destroy the feeling. What are some other characteristics of "soul love"?
9. Why do approximately fifty percent of our marriages fail?
10. Scene analysis: David loses the election because of an impropriety while he was in college. Why do young people do things in their younger days that could hurt them in the future?
11. Dialogue analysis: "People want maturity" in their candidates. Is the statement always true? Yes or no and why?
12. Analysis: David and Elise obviously are in love right away. Do you believe that true love can happen this quickly? Yes or no and why?
13. Scene analysis: Inspired by Elise, David becomes very honest in his concession speech. In your opinion, are most politicians truly honest? Yes or no and why?
14. Analysis: "The Chairman": The Adjustment Bureau refers to the Chairman, not mentioning his name. The name probably refers to God. Do you think that God plays such an active role in working out our lives? Yes or no and why?
15. Dialogue analysis: "I'll never let anything happen between us." In your opinion, do young people use the words "never," "forever," and the like too often? Yes or no and why?