June 7

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, June 7, The Body and Blood of Christ

JOHN 6:51-58

My Flesh and Blood

Prayerthoughts

a. Jesus is very clear about what the Sacrament of the Eucharist is. Should I not spend more time thanking God for the gift of the Eucharist?

b. Since I have received the Eucharist, in a general sense, the Lord remains in me. What should that mean to me in changing my current behavior?

c. Through the Eucharist, the Lord has given me life eternal and life here on this earth. What contribution am I making to bring about a better life here on earth?

d. The Lord has promised me eternal life because I have received the Eucharist. knowing what eternal life is, what are some elements that I think of when I think of eternal life?

e. My prayerthoughts…

 

Today I will read 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE EUCHARIST IS NOT ONLY FOR YOU


+ The family lived next door to the rectory

- and the relationship between the pastor and the family was a very good one

- the family had a four year old girl who, as her father said, “had learned the art of talking very well”

- always inquisitive

- one day the four year old came over to the rectory with a jar of St. Joseph’s children aspirins

- gave it to the priest and said, “This is for Jesus because he is sick.”

- the priest asked, “How do you know that Jesus is sick?”

- and the girl answered, “Daddy said so”

- priest couldn’t figure that out, so he called the father

- who was embarrassed about the whole thing and explained it to the priest

- the day before at Church he had this conversation with his daughter, during Mass, trying to keep his daughter quiet

- she pointed to the tabernacle, and said what is that

- that is the place where Jesus lives

- can I ask him to come out and play

- no, I don’t think Jesus wants to come out and play

- you mean, Jesus doesn’t like me?

- no, Jesus just doesn’t want to play today

- why doesn’t he, can I go ask him?

- no, you can’t go ask him

- why can’t I go ask him

- conversation went on like this for a couple of minutes

- finally, quite exasperated about the whole thing, the father said, “Jesus is sick today, he doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

- hence, the bottle of aspirins that her parents used to help her when she was sick


+ Those of you who are parents and have tried to explain the Eucharist to a young child understand that story

- you know that the higher theology of the Eucharist is very difficult to explain to a four-year old

- actually, I think that chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, today’s Gospel, contains a thought about the Eucharist that we may never have spent a lot of time on

- in that chapter, John has Jesus say some things that we have always believed

- but one of the phrases that is especially important in John’s understanding of the bread of life, and perhaps an addition to our theology of the Eucharist is the phrase:

The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

- that is, this Eucharist is not only an individual gift for each of us—to give us eternal life, but it is a gift for the life of the entire world


+ If this bread of life is going to bring about life for the entire world

- obviously that life is only going to come through you and me since we are the ones who receive the Eucharist

- and so, an important question comes out of this theology: is this Eucharist that you and I receive today giving life to the world through us?

- or another way of saying it:

- is our own little world in which we operate any better because I have received the Lord in the Eucharist? or

- is this world of ours any better because of the millions of people who receive this Eucharist week after week, and even, a lot of them, day after day


+ The world that this Eucharist is bringing life to / through you and me has a bunch of problems

- evil has taken over a lot of situations

- and what is worse, there are many who don’t care whether that evil is present or not

- they accept it, buy into it

- and in the sharpest contrast you can imagine—

- Jesus says that this Eucharist that you and I receive is for the life of the world

- the world which is overcome by the evil that you and I tolerate and even sometimes promote


+ Quite obviously, our reception of the Eucharist should move us to do something

- one of the best spiritual books from the past was one by C. S. Lewis called “Screwtape Letters”

- Screwtape is a devil

- the uncle of a devil nephew named Wormwood working in the field trying to influence one particular man to get him to hell

- his uncle Screwtape sends him letters giving him advice, and in one of them Wormwood has allowed his charge to respond to the grace of the Holy Spirit

- and Screwtape writes what Wormwood should do in this “grave” situation:

“It remains to consider how we can retrieve this disaster. The great thing is to prevent his doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. Let him, if he has any bent that way, write a book about it; that is often an excellent way of sterilizing the seeds which the Enemy—God—plants in a human soul. Let him do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if we can keep it out of his will.”


+ “Let him do anything but act” the devil says

- the fact is that when you and I receive the bread of life, it carries with it an awesome responsibility

- we are the people now who have received the bread of life for the life of the world

- the Eucharist should make us better people who will do something—act—to help the world around us as best we can.

               






MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Levitating" -- Dua Lipa featuring DaBaby

A RIDE IN THE GALAXY



 

The Gospel

LUKE 7:36-48

LUKE 7:36-48

A Pharisee invited [Jesus] to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply ... “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Gospelthink: I forgave the repentant sinner who anointed me, while pointing out that there are people who insult me. Do I beg for forgiveness as I should and thus show great love?

"If you wanna run away with me, I know a galaxy and I can take you for a ride. I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm where the music don't stop for life, glitter in the sky, glitter in my eyes, shining just the way I like. If you're feeling like you need a little bit of company, you met me at the perfect time. You want me, I want you. I'm levitating."        

Jesus experienced many relationships during his time with us on earth. Some of them might even be labeled as "romantic," though not in the sense that Jesus showed a love leading to marriage, but there were no doubt some who experienced a deep love relationship with him. One of them was the lady in Luke's Gospel. Luke describes her simply as the "sinful woman." As one reads the story, it is relatively clear that the woman showed her love for Jesus, a love that could constitute a deep love relationship. She felt good about that love relationship, and it became a "teaching experience" for the apostles as her emotions of love led her--as Jesus said--to a "great love."

Dua Lipa's song "Levitating" is all about the emotions of love and how they can guide a person toward true love of the other in the relationship. She is "levitating" she sings, that is, she is filled with the emotions of the moment, and it leads her to a rhythm of love where the music of love will never cease. It is a love that allows the feelings of love that the couple have to be a means to deeper love.

Songs of any genre of music often speak of the emotions of love. Sometimes they can lead the couple to actions which can hurt the couple in the long run, leading them into premature commitments. But emotions can also lead the couple to an even greater love than their beginning feelings.

Couples must study how their emotions of love affect each other. What should happen is defined by the "sinful woman" in Luke's Gospel. She came to "great love" because of her emotions. In life today, couples in love must allow their natural feelings of love to direct them to a stronger love than they have already.        

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your law of love is paramount in importance in our lives. Sometimes it is a romantic love with all the emotions that implies, and when it is, give us the grace to work with that love, directing it to a deeper meaning. Be with us, we pray.

 

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Feeling good about a relationship can help the relationship become stronger.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Levitating" teach young people?  
2. In your opinion, are Christian people truly "forgiving" in their lives?
3. In your opinion, do most Christians show love of God and neighbor in their lives?
4. How long should "romantic love" last before a marriage commitment?
5. The meditation refers to times when romantic love can lead the couple to hurt one another. What are some examples that you can think of?
6. Not all good feelings about another leads to marriage. What is the most important element of love that must be present before a marriage?   

 

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America