sayyou

July 6

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, July 6

MATTHEW 9:18-26

I touched both of the people that I healed.

Prayerthoughts
a. The official asked the Lord to have his daughter healed. There are some ailments that I have now. I should continue to ask the Lord for healing, but always with the understanding that the Lord will answer according to His will.

b. There are often ailments and/or disabilities that I must accept because they simply cannot be cured, given our human condition. Do I accept these and still try to live well?

c. The thought of “touch” is significant. Do I try to “touch,” that is get close to, the Lord every day?

d. There are some people that I see often. Do I try to “touch” them and make them feel more positive about life?

e. Obviously, both the official and the woman have a strong faith in Jesus. Again I should consider my faith and how strong it should be.

f. Jesus cured the little girl only after he had dismissed the crowd. Perhaps the crowd was not able to understand what Jesus was doing. Often the “crowd,” other people, takes away any desire that I may have to grow in the spiritual life. Perhaps I should take some quiet time today, and determine how I can grow better in the spiritual life.

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read Hosea 2:16,17c-18,21-22 and write an important thought.

+++++

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

PEOPLE OF FAITH

+ This is the evangelist Matthew’s version of a longer story that is told in the Gospel of Mark

- the passage contains two stories of strong faith

- the faith in Jesus of the synagogue leader whom Mark calls Jairus

- the faith in Jesus of the woman who was suffering

+ The first reading from the prophet Hosea speaks of the consecration to God by the people of Israel

- a consecration that had to be reiterated many times throughout Israel’s history

- it had to be said over and over again because Israel failed so often

+ We too have consecrated ourselves to God either through baptism or through our lifestyle

- the fact of our Baptism of course is the fundamental statement of our consecration to the Lord

- the fact that we are here is part of the statement of our consecration

+ Putting the ideas of the two readings together, we are called to be people of faith as a result of our consecration to God

- and there are two characteristics of that faith that are presented in the Gospel reading:

- 1 -- the woman who is suffering reaches out to touch Jesus’s cloak

- a person of faith is going to make some visible sign that they believe

- a person of faith cannot be secret in their faith

- he/she will go to church, will pray, will value communication with their family and those around them, will deliberately change some of their behavior—some external sign—that God is important to them

- 2 -- and secondly, a characteristic of faith from the synagogue leader

- he goes out of his way to find Jesus to ask him to come to his home

- the person of faith will search for Jesus in prayer, in some type of study, spending valuable time in pursuing—going out of his way—looking for Jesus

- in that prayer and study, searching for who Jesus is and what he wants for and from us

+ We might meditate today on two things about a person of faith who is consecrated to God:

- one, their faith will not be a secret

- two, they will go out of their way to find Jesus in prayer.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Say You Won't Let Go" -- James Arthur

EVIDENCE THAT IT IS PERMANENT

The Gospel

MATTHEW 3:7-10

When John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good that is evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Gospelthink: My friend John reminds you that if you are good, you have to produce evidence of it in your life. What evidence am I showing that I am a good person?

"I knew I loved you, but you’d never know ‘cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go. I knew I needed you but I never showed. But I wanna stay with you until we’re grey and old. Just say you won’t let go. So I wrote this song for you. Now everybody knows that it’s just you and me. Just say you won’t let go."

John the Baptist knew all about permanent commitments because he had made one even to the point of death. Called to be the precursor of the Messiah, he was committed completely to his job. Consequently, he demanded such a commitment of people who said that they were committed to religion and the pursuit of virtue. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees to such a permanence because in John's mind, their job was to do what they could to promote religious authenticity. So, he tells them "Produce good that is evidence" of your job.

Comparable commitments should be treated with the same respect. In romantic situations in our lives, commitments are made all the time. But only some of them will be regarded as permanent. Some are said to be permanent, but because of the human condition, they do not remain permanent. One of the signs that it will remain is to make a promise that is impossible to break. In a sense that is what the man in the relationship of the song "Say You Won't Let Go" does as he dedicates a song to his beloved. By doing it, he says that the commitment will be permanent because the song will never be "un-written."

Permanent commitments are serious business. They cannot be made carelessly. Only too often we find ourselves saying "permanent-like words" such as "forever" and "without end" and we do not mean them at all. Romantic heartaches are evidence that the permanent commitments are not kept much of the time.

John the Baptist made a commitment that could not be broken; his life was evidence that he would keep it; he wanted the religious leaders to do the same. James Arthur sings of a permanent commitment in his song that he can never break if he means what he says in the song. As we consider our permanent commitments of romantic love or love spelled out in lasting friendship or the like, we must review our intentions to see if our permanent commitments are as permanent as we say they are.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son's precursor John gave us an example and a guide to make permanent commitments to You. May we imitate His example, always giving evidence of the permanent commitments we make. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When one makes a condition that is impossible to break, the relationship will be a permanent one.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1 What is your understanding of "repentance."
2. Do most Catholic Christians show the "repentance" they should? Yes or no and why?
3. What are some signs that a person is showing true repentance?
4. Analysis: In general, why are people "scared of letting go" of a relationship?
5. Why do many married couples not understand the permanent commitment connected with marriage?
6. In general, counselors argue against using words like "forever" and "never" by young people. Why do you think they argue this way?
7. In general, do you see any "exceptions" that can be made to permanent commitments? If so, what are the conditions for those "exceptions"?
8. What does the song "Say You Won't Let Go" teach young people?