TGIMMJune6

June 6

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, June 6

MARK 12:38-44

Humility and Money

Prayerthoughts

a. Jesus tells the Pharisees and me not to be proud as I feel as though I should be honored in some way. Do I try to develop humility as I deal with my life?

b. Jesus is very strong in his condemnation of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. Am I hypocritical in my approach to the spiritual life? That is, does my life—thoughts, words, deeds—show my devotion to God, as I profess in my prayer?

c. A thought that crosses my mind a lot is money or wealth. Do I tend to judge in jealousy those whom I think are rich or have more than I do?

d. The thought with Jesus’s story is that we should give of what we have to good causes. Do I consider this a true necessity in my life?

e. Do I see myself giving of my “surplus wealth.” That should be a given in my life. But do I give a certain percentage of the rest of my income as well. (Realizing that we really do need money for living.)

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read 2 Timothy 4:1-8 and write
an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY

+ Paul gives Timothy some direct advice while he works as a bishop in the area where Paul appointed him

- and among other things, tells him to “fulfill his ministry”

- that is, to do the things that he should be doing as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus

- for Timothy, that meant that he serve the people in a religious way as best he could

+- I believe that you and I can listen to the same directive, and discover something about our own spirituality

- the word of God tells you and me to fulfill our ministry

- to me, I am to do what I have been called to do—as a religious taking specific vows, and working in this world

- to you, you are called to be true people of God in the midst of the world you live in

- people dedicated to the ideals that God through Jesus gave us

+ Those ideals, of course, cover the whole spiritual life that you and I have learned and hopefully try to carry out—

- love of God and neighbor, forgiveness of others, and so forth

- and Jesus gives us two in particular in the Gospel reading today for our particular consideration:

- 1 – you and I are called to be sincere in what we do

- Jesus had a very difficult time with the scribes who only acted like they were holy

- ominous words here from the Son of God:

they will receive a very severe condemnation

- - as we fulfill our ministry in this world at this time, we have to be sincere in our approach to what we are doing, and especially in the way that we treat others

- we can’t just act like we are good—we have to be good

- and 2 – you and I are called to give

- Jesus observes a poor widow who gives to the temple treasury

- and she gives from her poverty, not her surplus wealth

- almsgiving is the topic here

- giving our money on behalf of good causes

- the Church at St. Bernadette’s or whatever parish we attend is certainly one of them

- because we are trying to keep up the influence of the Church in this area

- but giving to charitable causes also comes into play here,

- giving of what we have to others who do not have and need our help

+ The directive to “fulfill our ministry” is a call to each of us to do the things that we should be doing to bring about the kingdom of God in this world

- part of that ministry is being sincere in our approach to God and others

- and learning the lesson of almsgiving, giving of ourselves to those who need our help.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: What Was I Made For (Billie Eilish)

HOW TO BE HAPPY

The Gospel

JOHN 1:2-5

JOHN 1:1-5

The Word was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Gospelthink: Every one of us was created by God and therefore we have life to enjoy.

“I used to float, now I just fall down. I used to know, but I’m not sure now. What was I made for? Takin’ a drive, I was an ideal, looked so alive, turns out I’m not real. I don’t know how to feel, but I wanna try. Someday I might. Think I forgot how to be happy, something I’m not, but something I can be, something I’m made for.”

At the very beginning of the first Baltimore catechism that was approved by the Church for the English-speaking world, the question is asked “Why did God make you?” And the suggested answer to be memorized was “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.” It is significant that the catechism uses the word “happy” because in the creation account of human beings in the first chapter of John’s Gospel, being “happy” would be the result of our creation by the Life/Light.

The topic of Billie Eilish’s song “What Was I Made For?” is that of happiness, saying that being happy was what she was made for. Of course, the context of the song is that the person in the song wanted to be “real,” as opposed to Barbie in the movie “Barbie” who was not real. For her, once she was real, she could be happy.

Of course, Billie Eilish and the movie did not define “happy” in a spiritual context, but if understood as an overall description, being “happy” means a spiritual happiness together with a happiness in life here on earth. In the Christian understanding of things, being happy is an all-embracing term. Since by the very fact that we were created by the Life/Light, we are meant to be happy.

Billie Eilish sings of Barbie who struggled to be happy by being real. In that real life which we live every day, it is often a struggle to be happy. Even though we have it so much better than any other age, it is not easy to grow up in the world of today. There are far too many things that make life difficult, and being happy in the light of them is often very challenging.

But Billie Eilish’s desire as sung in her song is still the hope of everyone of us. We have the wherewithal to be happy. First, we are created which in itself should lead to happiness. Secondly, we are destined to be happy with God forever. And thirdly, even though some of the challenges of this world can direct us away from happiness, there are situations in that same created world that can easily help us to be happy, even happy forever.

Perhaps our task as real human beings in this created world is to be as happy as we will be forever with God in the next world.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you have created us to be happy here on earth and in the world to come when we spend it forever with you. Give us the grace to realize what it means to be happy, especially here on earth. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We were created to be happy with God in this world and in the next.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song “What Was I Made For” teach young people?

2. Phrase study: “I forgot to be happy.” When do most people “forget to be happy”?

3. Do you agree that we were made to be happy?

4. The meditation says that it is not easy to grow up in today’s world. What are the most difficult parts of our lives today?

5. The meditation says that we have the wherewithal to be happy in today’s world. What can make us happy in today’s world?

6. That which will make us the most happy is to enjoy the presence of God as we live both here and hereafter. What keeps us from the presence of God as we live in our lives here on earth?