March 3

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Tuesday, March 3

MATTHEW 23:1-12

Study yourselves and see that you are not hypocritical in the way you behave.

Prayerthoughts
a. The Lord is outspoken and critical about the religious leaders of his time. No doubt there is some criticism that I have of religious and political leaders. Do I argue from facts as Jesus did?

b. In general, I should practice what I preach. Do I say things that people ought to do and not do them myself? Think of your strongest criticisms of others.

c. When I see people who are really hurting, do I try to remedy what I can?

d. Do I expect others to honor me for whatever and all I am doing is searching for praise?

e. Am I truly a servant to others? Think of the people you see every day.

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Isaiah 1:10,16-20 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE HYPOCRISY OF CHURCH-GOERS

+ In today’s Gospel, Jesus sees that the scribes and Pharisees had the problem of hypocrisy—they said good things, worshipped God well, but they didn’t do too well in living their words

- and so Jesus says:

Do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. … All their works are performed to be seen.

+ Hypocrisy is an interesting phenomenon to talk about

- it is an automatic trap or problem area for anyone who gives direction to others:

- priests, ministers, teachers, parents, legislators, anyone showing leadership of others—and automatically, anyone going to Church

- for whatever reason, we are here today, and saying to the world:

- I believe in God through Jesus Christ

- and Jesus in essence says: then some things should happen in your lives

+ We should be very interested in what we say here in Church

- we say strong words during this service: we believe, we will, we do

- do we even listen to the words that we say and supposedly make our own?

- we receive the Lord in this Eucharist—either physically or mentally—

- how can someone receive the Lord and with the same mouth tear down someone else or allow foul language to come out of it?

- we may have allowed religion to be nothing more than something to be seen or performed, and that’s all—Jesus’s thoughts there

+ What’s the antidote to hypocrisy, how do we stay away from it?

- the Gospel gives us that as well

- Jesus says:

The greatest among you must be your servant.

- that’s the way to keep ourselves from the hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another: work on behalf of others

+ Isaiah the prophet implores his listeners in the first reading to set things right, and then calls the Israelites to be willing to obey the Law

- the Lord basically says in the Gospel to set things right with regard to what you say and do

- if you say it, we have to mean it.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Made You Look"-- Meghan Trainor

A CRY FOR HELP

The Gospel

Mark 5:2-6

When Jesus got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him.

Gospelthink: I will always heal a sick person who cries for help.

“I’ll make you double take soon as I walk away. Call up your chiropractor just in case your neck break. Tell me what you gonna do ‘cause I’m about to make a scene, I’m about to turn the heat up, gonna make your glasses steam. When I do my walk, I can guarantee your jaw will drop ‘cause they don’t make a lot of what I got. I could have my Gucci on, I could wear my Louis Vuitton, but even with nothin’ on, bet I made you look.”

The scene of Mark's Gospel involving the person with the unclean spirit is a scene of a person using violence as a cry for help. No doubt everyone who saw him was afraid of him. It seems as though Jesus knew what his real problem was. The man was in pain, not only physically, but internally. Jesus noticed him, returning to him his true importance as a whole person.

In Meghan Trainor's song "Made You Look," the person feels that it is necessary to be noticed, to be seen by others the way she wants them to see her. "When I do my walk," she sings, "I can guarantee your jaw will drop 'cause they don't make a lot of what I got." In an interview, she said that she wrote the song because even though she had had a baby, she still wanted to look good.

As one studies the song in light of the way we live in Northern American relationships, it becomes clear that we must "look good" in order to be seen by others. And once we are seen by others, then a relationship could develop. So much of our time is spent on looking "pretty" or "handsome." When a person spends too much time on such a thing, it can well be a cry for help in the sense that we feel as though we "must have" good looks and will do anything to get it.

Somehow we must learn that we are created with certain characteristics that are the result of parental genes and the like. Certainly, we can make ourselves "look better" in a healthy way, but when we become "obsessed" with such a thought, it could be nothing more than wanting recognition. Or, as a psychologist might say, it becomes a cry for help. We feel that we must be noticed, and if we are not, then we will do things that are harmful to us.

In his human life, Jesus was able to see into a person's soul and to see there exactly how people felt about themselves. Realizing that everyone was important, he wanted everyone to know of their own importance. And so, he would heal someone with an "unclean spirit," saying to such a person that he/she is important in God's eyes, and deserves a wholesome life.

Likewise, the Christian message to someone who is looking for a possible partner is that everyone is important, no matter what they do to improve their looks. If we could accept that as a fact, our world will become a little better.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you have created us, and that fact in itself, tells us that we are important in your eyes. Help us understand it even as we do things that make us more attractive to others. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When we want to be noticed by others, it may just be a cry for help.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Made You Look" teach young people?
2. What should be most important to a person as she/he grows?
3. What IS most important to a person as she/he grows?
4. What are some of the things that a person does in order to be noticed by their peers?
5. In general, do you think that young people are "obsessed" with looking good? Yes or no and why?
6. What is your definition of a "wholesome life"?
7. In your mind, what is the most important result to the statement that "everyone is important"?