TGIMMMay19

May 19

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, May 19, Easter Weekday

JOHN 14:21-26

If you keep my words, the Father and I will come to you.

Prayerthoughts
a. The Lord talks of my love for Him and therefore the Father's love for me. In my life right now, what is the best way for me to show my love for the Father and the Son?

b. What does it mean when Jesus says that he will make our dwelling with Him?

c. If we love Him, we will keep His words. What are the most important words that the Lord has spoken to me?

d. The Lord mentions the Holy Spirit. From what you have learned, what is the main function of the Holy Spirit in your life?

e. What teaching of the Lord must I be reminded of the most?

f. My prayerthoughts....

Today, I will read Acts of the Apostles 14:5-18 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE HOLY SPIRIT REMINDS US

+ In the Gospel Jesus continues his discourse during the Last Supper, as John the evangelist remembers it

- part of it has to do with a reference to the Holy Spirit whose job it is, Jesus says, to….

…remind you of all that I told you.

- the Holy Spirit’s function, according to Jesus here, is to make the Apostles remember the true significance of Jesus in their lives

- and therefore for us, now, after Jesus’s Resurrection, the Holy Spirit’s function is to make us remember the true significance of Jesus today

+ What is the significance of Jesus for us today, that is, how should the Holy Spirit lead us to understand all that Jesus told us?

- as Jesus intimates in the Gospel, it should lead us to obey his commands and be true to his words

- therefore, there must be a careful concentration on what Jesus has instructed us to do by his words and deeds

- this is a common conclusion to any reflection on the Gospels, especially with John’s Gospel, and Jesus’s words in John’s Gospel

- in practice, it means time spent with the New Testament, especially with the Gospels

- it should also lead us to the understanding that even though we are only human beings—as Paul and Barnabas stressed in their sermon on Paul’s first missionary journey

- with God on our side, great things can be accomplished

- for the apostles on their missionary journey, as we heard in the first reading, it was the ability to heal

+ One of the common themes of leadership literature is this:

- we really can accomplish great things if we are willing to put forth the effort

- for those of us who are involved in Christian leadership, all of us, it translates to:

- if we put forth effort that involves accepting Jesus’s life and principles, there’s no telling what can be accomplished in our lives and the lives of others who come into contact with us

+ Our belief is that we have received the Holy Spirit in one form or another

- we have received the gift which should help us understand the importance of Jesus in our lives, to remind us of everything that he told us

- if we have received that Spirit, then our daily lives must be affected by the fact that Jesus is part of it.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "The Lion King"--beginning session

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YOUNG

The Gospel

MARK 9:35-37, 42

MARK 9:35-37,42

Taking a child Jesus placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who send me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."

Gospelthink: I felt strongly about the way adults deal with young people. Am I showing the respect for young people that I should?

Young lions like young children, are vulnerable and must be taught many things if they are to survive. Consider Simba, the son of the lion king Mufasa in the story, "The Lion King." Even lion-kings-to-be must learn the art of being a lion in the "circle of life," the world. At the same time, those who would be king must also learn of those who refuse to be governed. They must learn of treachery and manipulation, of jealousy and amoral ambition. In short, they must learn the negatives of life in order to become positive. Mufasa's brother Scar and the hyenas show the negatives of learning to govern and live in the society of life.

Jesus felt strongly about love for young people. He wanted his followers to have the same innocence usually connected with

children to be their own. He also knew how difficult it was for children to grow, considering the problems that adults might cause them. "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me" he said. But, realizing the child's vulnerability, Jesus goes into exaggeration as he often does when something is so personal to him: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Jesus knew well that young people have difficult things to learn in life, and therefore they need strong guidance. If they are deprived of such guidance, the adult who deprives them is the guilty of a grave sin.

The story of "The Lion King" is told with human beings in mind. Human beings are the ones who must be concrned about young people. The world is a complex place and young people must experience many difficulties. They must find a way to integrate those difficulties into their growth. They must have the help of concerned adults to do it. Such is the burden of a parent or adult mentor.

But there is another side to the burden of growth. That side concerns the young people themselves. Young people must be willing to accept the advice and the direction of conscientious adults. If they are not open to their direction, the young person's future life may be scarred and perhaps ruined during her/his time on earth.

Jesus meant for everyone to benefit from his teaching about the Kingdom. He spoke mainly to adults, but he knew that if people would learn about that Kingdom in their younger years, the more they would be able to function as true followers of Jesus all their lives.

PRAYER
Good and gracious God, the young are vulnerable, whether they be animals or human beings. Direct them to be willing to listen and follow the advice of concerned adults, and help those of us who are older to always be people who show concern for those younger than we are. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT:
Theme: Young people are important and must be taught about the problems of gowing up.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 55 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. In general, do the people of our world treat those children under 5 well? 5-12? teens?
3. In your opinion, what is the principal reason why Jesus said that we should be like children?
4. What virtue do young people need most from the adults of this world?
5. What lesson should a teenager in particular learn from concerned adults?
6. What most proves that young people have learned the lesson of maturity?
7. What can a teenager do if he/she judges that an adult is harming another young person?