March 5

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, March 5, 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.

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read Jeremiah 17:5-10 and write an important thought from it.

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

Movie: "Limitless" -- final session

THE CHOICES WE MUST MAKE

The Gospel

LUKE 6:13-16

When day came, [Jesus] called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Gospelthink: I chose the people that would help me spread the Kingdom. Do I show the virtues of the Kingdom in my daily living?

In the movie "Limitless," Eddie Morra gradually became aware of what the pill NZT-48 did to his body. Not only did it give him limitless ability in just about anything he wanted, but it also was addictive in that he wanted to remain limitless. Unfortunately, he discovered also that it gradually was killing him. His girlfriend Lindy had tried it once because she had to, and reminded Eddie that being invincible may seem wonderful, but it is not real. She points out to him that being invincible is in itself a drug: it will take over our minds, and in the end, will not help us at all. Eddie has a choice to make--stay on the drug or do something that would change his life without the aid of a drug.

Jesus had to make some choices after he decided how he was going to preach the Kingdom of God to the world. Those choices were the occasion for further choices because he asked specific men to help him in his endeavor. Called by Jesus, the apostles had to deliberately choose to give up family and livelihood in order to follow him. One can easily imagine that the apostles made the decision only after they had discerned, possibly with their families, that it was the right choice.

The right choice is not always easily discernible. Often the choice is between what we want to do and what we should do. What we want to do often involves satisfying only ourselves, even though it may seem like we are being objective in our choices. In the movie "Limitless," Eddie Morra finally learns from his friend Lindy what the final choice must be with regard to the miracle drug that he has taken. Eddie finally chose to stop taking the drug and instead determine how to live the way he wanted without it.

The world in which we live has been labeled by many as a "drug society." Not only have illegal drugs made a significant entry into our day-to-day living, but legal drugs play an important part in our physical well-being as well. Often even legal drugs lead to further problems. We are called to make choices concerning those drugs.

In fact, we must make choices all the time. Our Christian guide for those choices must be the example of people like Jesus and his Apostles. They teach us to make the choices, but always to make them with the intention of bringing about what is right and good.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son chose to ask men to help him teach the Kingdom. In turn, those men had to choose what was right for them after Jesus' call. Be with us in all of the choices we make in our lives so that we may choose correctly. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: In our choices, we must always choose what is right no matter what the cost.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 49 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. The Gospel passage immediately before this passage of the selection of the Apostles is the statement that Jesus spent the night in prayer. In general, do most Christians ask for God's help when they make important decisions? Yes or no and why?
3. The word "apostle" comes from the Greek word meaning to "send out." In what ways are Christians "sent out" to the world today?
4. Judas Iscariot is mentioned as "the traitor." In your opinion, why did Jesus choose Judas?
5. A person's conscience helps make the right choices in life. Project: Make a presentation about "conscience.". See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 1776-1794.
6. Why does "selfishness" always play a part in the choices that we make?
7. Is the label of a "drug society" true for the society in which we live? Yes or no and why?
8. Why do young people choose to take drugs?
9. What is the best way to help a person who is addicted to an illegal drug?
10. Scene analysis: The movie leads a person into thinking that Eddie could have killed someone while under the influence of the drug. From what you have seen in the movie, did he kill her? Yes or no and why?
11. Scene analysis: Eddie meets his ex-wife and sees what NZT-48 has done to her. Why do drug addicts often refuse treatment?
12. Scene analysis: Lindy takes the drug in order to escape. Do you believe that there are ever justifiable causes to take an illegal drug? Yes or no and why?
13. Dialogue analysis: Lindy tells Eddie that taking the drug makes one feel invincible, but it was not good for her. Why would "feeling invincible" not be good?
14. Dialogue analysis: Carl to Eddie: "You do not know what I know because you have not earned those powers." Why is his statement a true statement?
15. Dialogue analysis: Eddie, about to commit suicide, says that really we all want to live. What causes people to become so depressed that they no longer want to live?
16. Scene analysis: Carl tries to take advantage of Eddie thinking that Eddie is still dependent on the drug. Evil takes advantage of any opportunity. Where do you see the most evil in your world right now? Is there anything that you can do about it? If so, what can be done?
17. What does the movie "Limitless" teach young people?