March 20

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, March 20, Lent II

LUKE 16:19-31

Rich and Poor

Prayerthoughts

a. Jesus sets up the ends of a continuum in his story: a rich person at one end, and Lazarus the poor person at the other. I am somewhere in between. As I study my income and money, where am I on the continuum?

b. In his story, Jesus exaggerates the status of the poor person. As I study my concern for the poor of the world, am I doing anything toward helping the poor?

c. Jesus’s picture of heaven is a picture of comfort and peace. What effect does this picture of heaven have on me?

d. Jesus’s picture of the chasm between heaven and earth is the picture of loneliness for the person in torment. What effect does this picture have on me?

e. The rich man wants to warn his family about the place of torment in which he is suffering. Obviously, I don’t want my family to be in hell. What can I do to help them?

f. Jesus tells us in the story to listen to Scripture, especially to him, the person that has risen from the dead. Am I spending enough time listening to the Lord in my life?

g. Jesus comments on how people listen to the prophets and him in this world in which we live. Perhaps a prayer right now is in order for people of our world to acknowledge the Lord’s presence in their lives. (This is the task of the meditation.)

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will carry out the thought of letter g.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

LOOKING AT WEALTH

+ The contrast set up in the reading from Jeremiah is a good one to learn from:

- the one who trusts in human beings—barren bush—finds emptiness, and is cursed

- the one who trusts in the Lord—a tree with water—bears fruit even in the year of drought, and is blessed


+ The person who trusts in the Lord will understand the meaning of wealth in his/her life

- studying the Gospel in particular:

- the rich man and Lazarus did nothing wrong or right

- they simply had money or didn’t

- Luke is the only evangelist who reports this story

- showing Luke’s feeling for the poor and his desire to make the downtrodden be important


+ There are some important conclusions from the Gospel:

a) there is a need for concern for the poor in our lives

- often the poor can do nothing about their plight

- they can’t get money because they can’t get a decent job because they don’t have money to educate themselves to have a decent job

- we are obliged as Christians to give to the poor, especially the money they need, as much as we can

- there are a number of different programs where we can give money: food pantries, United Way, the Bishop’s collections during the year

- b) there is a need for concern if we have more than what we need

- the Gospels, and therefore Jesus, especially in Luke’s Gospel, but the others as well, “hit” people with money pretty hard

- probably the idea of “rich” is defined by the thought of having more than we need

- we have to take to heart what Jesus has said about riches

- and consider whether we need a change of heart in that area

- c) in order to live well, we have to heed Moses and the prophets

- translated to Christianity, heed what Jesus said and why he said it

- here: looking at our riches, and our motivation concerning those riches, recognizing that we really do have to listen to the one who has risen from the dead, namely our way and truth and life, Jesus.








MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Can't Feel My Face" -- The Weeknd

THE LIFE WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT



 

The Gospel

MATTHEW 6:25-30

MATTHEW 6:25-30

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?”   

Gospelthink: I will take care of you if you try your best. Have I placed my trust in the Lord once I have done what I feel is right?

"And I know she'll be the death of me; at least we'll both be numb. And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come. But at least we'll both be beautiful and stay forever young, this I know. She told me, ‘Don't worry about it.' She told me, ‘Don't worry no more.' We both knew we can't go without it. She told me you'll never be in love. I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it.”   

The Weeknd's song "Can't Feel My Face" is a song about the emotions of a couple in a relationship. The man knows that the relationship is not what it should be, but he feels good when she is around, and so he wants it. She, on the other hand, tells him not to worry about his feelings, and just allow the relationship to happen. The fact is that he should worry about the relationship because it probably is not what it should be.

Jesus knew about "worry" and what we worry about. He told his disciples at one time that they should not worry about the wrong things--material goods. But he said that they should worry about what is more important than material goods in life, namely "life," that is, how they lived and who they chose as a guide. Life was more important than any material good or emotion. He even showed that God manages to take care of animals with their material needs, and therefore never had to "worry."

In many ways, romantic involvement is nothing more than a desire to feel good on our parts, as the man in The Weeknd's song. We get involved and desire to be told not to worry from a friend, when all we want is the good feeling that everything is okay. The man in The Weeknd's song should have worried about the right thing, namely whether his relationship with his girlfriend was something that could bring about life instead of making him feel good.

In the end, we should all be concerned about the things that really matter in life, that is, who we are and who we are becoming by our actions, words and thoughts. Yes, we should worry about important things, and our emotions can "help" guide us to what is important. But, when all we want is the emotion of feeling good, perhaps, as Jesus points out, we should be considering what is "more than" those feelings.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we worry about many things, some of which is the idea of feeling good about life and love. As Your Son points out to us, help us be more concerned about the important things in life. Be with us, we pray. 

 

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GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We should be concerned about the emotions concerning real life and not just feeling good. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs, but forbids making them the object of worry. In your opinion, do people generally care more about "wants" than their "needs"?
2. When Jesus uses the word "life"--"life is more than food and drink"--what does he mean in your opinion?
3. Text analysis: "At least we'll both be numb." What is the meaning of the sentence?
4. Text analysis: "I can't feel my face when I'm with you." What is the meaning of the sentence?
5. In general, what do people "worry" the most about in their lives?
6. In life, what should we be most concerned about?
7. What does the song “I Can't Feel My Face” teach young people today?

 

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