Table 1

  March 1

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Sunday, March 1, Second Sunday of Lent

MATTHEW 17:1-9

Jesus is Transfigured

Prayerthoughts

a. There are certain times during Jesus’s human life when his divinity “shines through” and the Transfiguration is one of them. In my life, where do I see the Lord’s presence most of all?

b. Elijah symbolizes all the prophets. In my life right now, where do I most need to be guided to do better?

c. Moses symbolizes the law. Which directive of Jesus is most important to me at the present time?

d. “It is good that we are here.” Jesus’ saying should encompass everything we do on earth. Do I have a positive attitude toward life?

e. How can I be more positive right now?

f. They were very much afraid. When we truly sense the Lord’s presence in our lives, it can truly be incredible. In what area of my life do I most sense the Lord’s presence?

g. “Listen to him.” This is one of the five or six most important directives from God in my life. Do I truly “listen,” that is, not only “hear” but desire to follow the Lord’s directives in every way?

h. My prayerthoughts…


Today I will read 2 Timothy 1:8b-10 and write an important thought from it.

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Some Thoughts on the Liturgy


LISTENING WITH THE HEART

+ We had a teacher who loved to get our attention in a unique way

- while we were taking a test or reading very intently, for example, he would suddenly slap the desk as hard as he could

- we just about jumped out of our chairs, and then he would say something like “Now that I have your attention”


+ If we are to make the Christian life something personal to us, we have to listen to Jesus

- but right there, we have a major problem in spiritual development

- how do we listen to Jesus

- he obviously is not talking to us as we are accustomed to

- the standard answer is that Jesus talks to us in the Scriptures, and in ways other than spoken words

- that’s true, but not complete enough

- what must be present to have real communication between people, and therefore, between God and us, is what might be called “listening with the heart”

- if we learn to listen with the heart, we can easily hear what another says

- mothers and fathers do it all the time with their small children who cannot talk

- in terms of listening to Scripture and the Gospels, it means:

- thinking that Jesus is saying something vital for me, and therefore, I have to look into it carefully, meditate on it, and then choose it as a guide


+ Our problem with listening to Jesus may be nothing more than we don’t want to listen with the heart

- and we don’t want to listen because the words of Scripture are sometimes very difficult


+ Listening with the heart can happen with any Scripture, really, but especially with the Gospels

- we can do it by means of a routine, one that is suggested by Christian authors:

- prerequisite: that you spend at least 10-15 minutes doing it

- 1) take the time and energy to read a Scripture passage—slowly and quietly—reading Scripture every day for the Christian is like “breathing”—you must do it to live spiritually

- 2) ask questions about the passage—personal questions: what are you saying to me, Lord; how does this relate to my experience

- this is the guts of the prayer—honestly confronting ourselves with all our circumstances in light of the words of Jesus/Scripture

- and 3) make some decisions with regard to what we thought about

- so three things: read, ask questions, and make decisions


+ Those of us who enjoy movies have probably seen “The Sixth Sense,” and were probably a little bit frightened by the dead people and the preoccupation of the young boy to work with them

- the secret of the movie though was the discovery that the only thing the dead people wanted was to be listened to

- listening is one of the secrets to living well

- God tells us that we must listen to the Son, to Jesus

- which involves listening with the heart

- God and Jesus are waiting and wanting to be heard.                        











 

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Captain Phillips" -- beginning session

WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS



 

The Gospel


Luke 9:22

[Jesus] said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

 

Gospelthink: I predict my death and my rising. How am I prepared for my own death?

Based on a true story, the movie "Captain Phillips" is the story of an ordinary captain of an unarmed container ship who is attacked by Somalian pirates. The pirates were motivated by their "bosses" who promised them money for carrying out the capture of the ship. They were to hold the ship "captive" until the pirates received the necessary money obtaining the ship's and crew's release. Captain Phillips was skilled in maneuvering the ship to avoid the attack at first, but eventually the Somalian pirates took the ship and its crew as hostages. Captain Phillips attempted to "buy" the pirates out, but was unable to do so and the pirates took the captain as a personal hostage.

 

Captain Richard Phillips in the movie named after him was a courageous man. He wanted his ship and crew to be prepared for the possibility of modern day pirates, but he was not looking to be a hero. When his ship actually was attacked, he was somewhat prepared for what might happen, but certainly not completely. He showed his courage in trying to protect his men, but especially in what he did not expect to happen.

The human Jesus was likewise a courageous man. As he worked in his public life, it became evident that much of what was to happen to him was not going to be pleasant, and certainly not want he wanted. But courageous men do not pick and choose where they want their courage to show. They must be prepared for the unexpected. Jesus looked at his rather uncertain future, and although he might end up well--"be raised" from death, as he said--the dominating fact of his future was one that he had not planned. But he embraced it with courage.

Studying Jesus' courage and indeed the courage of Captain Richard Phillips, one can sort out a definition of the virtue. It can be described as a form of tenaciousness, a refusal to quit even if one is tired or hurt or humiliated or emotionally broken. But perhaps most of all, the virtue of courage is the ability to face what life throws in our paths unexpectantly, working with it in the best possible way.

We are courageous in so far as we accept what happens to us, and truly make it something we can live with, no matter what the circumstances.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son was a great example of the courage we must have as your followers. Give us the grace to accept the problems of life in a courageous way. Be with us, we pray. 

 

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The virtue of courage is made manifest when there are unexpected problems.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 62 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why?
2. In the Gospel, Jesus shows determination to do what he thinks is best for him. In general, what should people be most determined to do as they live in today's world?
3. The human Jesus realized that suffering was going to be part of his life in the very near future. What is the best way to work with the suffering that human beings may have to endure in their lives?
4.  What is your definition of "courage"?
5. What does it mean to be a "hero" in an ordinary sense of the term?
6. Analysis: "Courageous men do not pick and choose where they want their courage to show." Give an instance from history where this statement is true.
7. When especially is the "unexpected" difficult?
8. Why was the ship unarmed in your opinion?
9. Analysis: Captain Phillips is a pretty demanding captain. What are the best qualities of leadership in your opinion?
10. Analysis: There is dissension among the Somalis. Ultimately, what was the reason for this?
11. Dialogue analysis: "I am the captain; shoot me." It is a statement of courage. What are the most courageous acts that you are aware of?
12.  Analysis: Ultimately, the reason for the attack was for ransom or money. What is the principal reason why money is recognized by religious leaders to be a major drawback in life?
13. Scene analysis: the pirates threaten to kill one of the crewmen. It may be the most frightening scene in the movie. Why? What would you feel like?   

 

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