madeyou

March 3

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, March 3

MARK 10:17-27
My Possessions

Prayerthoughts

a. In my opinion, what is most important for me to gain eternal life?

b. Jesus points out that “good” is an attribute of God. Do I look at the present

direction of my life as “good”?

c. Which of the commandments that Jesus mentions are most important for me?

d. What is apparent to me as I study my income and giving to others, especially the poor? Should I make some adjustments?

e. Obviously, the Lord wants me to look at my “possessions.” Do I have too much? Should I make give some of my “stuff” away?

f. Jesus points out that the wealthy will have a difficult time getting to heaven. Obviously, it is because the wealthy often forget what is most important in life. In my opinion, what is the most important thing in my life?

g. “All things are possible for God.” What do I want God to do most in my world?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will list five things from my possessions that I should give away.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

JESUS’ THOUGHTS ON MATERIAL POSSESSIONS

+ This is a Gospel about the call of people to a “higher or deeper” spirituality

- clearly there are two levels that Jesus is talking about

- a level of the commandments and law—that which one starts with

- and the deeper level—what might be called the “giving” level

+ The first level incorporates the general idea of the Book of Sirach

- which says basically that this is the way to God: we praise God—“you shall praise and glorify God”

- that first level is praising God and as Jesus says, keeping the commandments

- Jesus’ answer to the man who wants to inherit eternal life is to keep the commandments in general, mentioning only a couple of the Ten Commandments given to Moses

- and still on that level: since one is keeping the commandments, a certain acceptance of them into the heart so that the person truly follows the Lord

+ But Jesus talks of a deeper level of spirituality—

- in the Gospels, it is always good to consider the exact questions that Jesus is asked—

- here the question of the man is understood—“what can I do more”?

- Jesus’ higher level of spirituality is characterized by going and selling what we have and giving to the poor

+ Analyzing that directive in the 21^st century when we have families and jobs and lives to live in a world that is often complicated and compromising

- Jesus’ teaching has to do with material possessions and the control of them

- and what might called the primary problem with too much money—recognizing that people who have a number of material possessions have a tendency to forget about God

- so those possessions must be controlled

- on this level, there first of all is the control of possessions and the actual giving away of those possessions to the poor

- and then the following of Jesus

+ On the first level, there is a following of Jesus, to be sure

- but the second level is more of a dependence on Jesus because we have given away possessions

+ There are a number of conclusions to this Gospel depending on the individual person

- obviously, a religious, and a Capuchin Franciscan must look at it differently from the way a person in the world would look at it

- but the general conclusion is that if we want a deeper presence with God, we have to carefully look at our material possessions and be willing to give up some of them

- that can lend itself to strong thinking.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Made You Look"-- Meghan Trainor

A CRY FOR HELP

The Gospel

MARK 5:2-6

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"?