March 7

[media presentation below]DDDD

GospelThink

Saturday, March 7, Lent II

LUKE 15:1-3,11-32
The story of the Prodigal Son or Forgiving Father is one of my most important stories.

Prayerthoughts
a. According to Scripture scholars, the action of the younger son during Jesus’s time was paramount to an insult to the father. Yet the father did not react in a negative way. How do I react to those especially in my family who insult me?

b. When bad things happen to me and the world around me, do I turn to the Lord for help or merely blame others?

c. “Tending the swine” was an insult to the Hebrew person. Do I find myself wanting to strike back in revenge against others who insult me?

d. The center of the story for the younger son was the idea that he came to his senses. Do I spend time every day thinking seriously about the direction my life is going at the present time?

e. The father shows true compassion toward both the sons. Who is the one person in my family, friends or co-workers for whom I have not shown enough forgiveness? What can I do about it?

f. The father was "there" for both of his sons. God is “there” for me always forgiving and helping me. Should I be more thankful to God than I am? To whom in my life right now should I be more open to help?

g. The father refuses to react to the sarcasm of the older son. How do I react to someone who is saying false things about me?

h. My prayerthoughts...

Today I will read Micah 7:14-15,18-20, and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

OUR FORGIVING FATHER

+ The Gospel is the very familiar story of the Prodigal Son or a better way of saying it, the Forgiving Father

- the story of the father is exactly the statement of the prophet Micah concerning God

- God does not persist in anger, delights in compassion

- the story has a number of points specifically for adult spirituality:

+ 1 – the younger man squandered his inheritance

- we sin, we make mistakes

- it is a familiar theme of Lent

- something that comes up in the readings all the time: we really are sinners, we think thoughts that are not at all Christian, we say words that should not be said, we do things that should not be done

+ 2 – the younger man comes to his senses

- the pivotal point for the younger son

- and what must happen if our spiritual lives are to grow—we have to come to our senses, some conversion experience

- in which we finally understand that we have to make God more a part of our lives, more than God is now

+ 3 – the father was watching for his son/ran/no reluctance on his part at all (this is not the way a father would act in the Hebrew tradition)

- this is the kind of God we have

- if we show the slightest sign of coming to our senses, some type of conversion, God is there and will remain with us

- this is so generous on God’s part, “generous to a fault”

- an image so foreign to people who do not understand God

- the father running to embrace his son, you and me

+ 4 – the older son was angry

- human beings are not always going to agree with how generous God is because we are so selfish

- we do not rejoice with another’s good fortune (the Hebrew religious leaders did not miss this reference)

- we want what we want

- again the selfishness thought that comes up so often in these Scriptures is present

+ 5 – but the father is also generous to the older son

- he goes to him, he begs him

- we who are so selfish—the Lord keeps pursuing us, hoping that we will come to our senses as well

+ 6 – Jesus leaves the story unfinished

- maybe leading us to believe that the selfishness could not be overcome

- the sin which is not forgiven most is selfishness because such a one finds it hard to come to his/her senses

+ I would suggest that we read the story again today, slowly, thinking of ourselves.*

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Dance the Night"—Dua Lipa

DANCING...BUT STILL FACING A PROBLEM

The Gospel

MATTHEW 11:21-23

[Jesus said,] "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld."

Gospelthink: If you realize who it is that is teaching you, you would surely repent.

"Baby, you can find me under the lights. Diamonds under my eyes. Turn the rhythm up, don’t you wanna just come along for the ride? Pull my outfits up tight, you can see my heartbeat tonight. I can take the heat, best believe, that’s the moment I shine. ‘Cause every romance shakes and it bends, don’t give a damn. When the night’s here, I don’t do tears, no chance. I could dance. Watch me dance, dance the night away. My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face. Watch me dance, dance the night away."

Dua Lipa's song from the movie "Barbie" "Dance the Night" captures the joy of dancing, but it seems to present a problem as well. The problem could very well be that she is dancing instead of facing some problems in her life. "My heart could be burning," she sings, "but you won't see it." And she sings of other problems that she is avoiding in the rest of the song. Perhaps she is hiding from the problems, and occupying her time by doing something enjoyable rather than facing some situation or problem.

Jesus once spoke about the people of the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, telling them that if they had faced the problems that had plagued them, they would have been better off. They had disregarded what they should have done, choosing to follow what they wanted. And the result was that they would be condemned because they had not repented of their sinfulness.

Human beings know that they should face the problems that they have. Instead, they often ignore the signs and warnings, choosing their own answers or ways of acting, or choosing to do something that doesn't attack the problem, thus causing more problems than they have already. In the Christian scheme of things, facing the problems usually means facing what we have done, and "repenting" for the things that we should not have done.

If we learn to face the problems that we have in life "head on," that is directly, our lives will be much better for it. We may indeed allow something like dancing to take some of the stress off of the problems of life, but we can't allow that enjoyment to keep us from facing the problem.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son taught us to face the problems or sinfulness in our lives directly, thus choosing to repent for our sins. Give us the grace to face all the problems of our lives in such a way as to follow your will at all times. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Doing something enjoyable like dancing should not take the place of facing some problem.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Dance the Night" teach young people?
2. In general, what are some reasons why we will not face the problems we have?
3. The meditation uses the word "condemned" as it speaks of the people of the cities. Is it too strong a word in English?
4. What are the most significant problems that young people face in this world?
5. What are the biggest problems in our world today? What if anything can you do about them?
6. In general, what does it mean to face a problem directly.