TGIMMgood

November 15

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, November 15

LUKE 18:1-8
In the prayer of petition, you must be persistent.

Prayerthoughts
a. The ideal of prayer is to "pray always without becoming weary." Am I striving after a prayer life that is both consistent and persistent?

b. Jesus's story concerns a judge who is bad and a widow who is persistent. What can I do about evil in the court system? Should I at least pray for these civil servants?

c. The Lord obviously wants me to pray about a situation, asking the same thing over and over. In my prayer, do I follow that pattern, or conclude that God is not listening?

d. Every prayer that I say to the Lord will be answered. Do I pray with that thought in mind? A prayer of thanksgiving to God would be in order here.

e. Jesus asks the most important question at the end of his story. Persistence in prayer is a matter of faith that God will answer. In general, is my life clearly one of faith?

f. My prayerthoughts...

Today, I will read Wisdom 18:14-16–19:6-9 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE PRAYER OF PETITION

+ In the Gospel story that Jesus tells, he is saying that the persistent petitioning of the poor woman pays off

- giving rise to some familiar beliefs that we have:

- God answers the prayers of the just

- God answers the prayers of the poor

- God gives what we want, as long as we are persistent

+ But immediately, we have unanswerable questions, the familiar unanswerable questions of people who expect their prayers to be answered

- good people get hurt even when they do pray in a persistent manner: hurricane, earthquake, war

- God does not answer some prayers: we pray for the homeless and they remain homeless, and we pray for the people who are persecuted, and they are still persecuted, we pray for peace, and there is no peace

- two people in exactly the same circumstance, same prayers are said, one is answered, the other is not

- leads to the question: is God answering one and not the other?

- or in general, does God answer our prayers?

+ These are important questions for the believer

- because there are legitimate questions concerning this prayer of petition

- the liturgy today suggests some answers

1 – we have to consider the thought of how God answers prayers

- first of all, we honestly do not know—we do not understand God or how God works—we only know that God only works for the good, but we don’t understand how

- nowhere in the Scriptures does the Lord ever say that we will get exactly what we want

- unfortunately many Scripture texts seem to say that

- it seems as though the people always get what they want in Scripture texts

- as with Jesus’s miracles, Hebrew Scripture stories

- actually, as we study those stories, the concentration is not on the healing or what people want

- the concentration is on their faith

- Jesus says that in the Gospel today—have faith in the fact that “justice is done” for his chosen: in fact, it will be done “speedily”

- that is, God will give what will help the situation

- not necessarily what we think will help the situation

- the prayer of petition is made with the faith that God will give us what is needed and it will be just for us

- that is, it will be good for us

- Jesus knows that that may be a problem, and so he asks his rhetorical question that speaks to how we work with the prayer of petition:

Will [the Son of Man] find faith on earth?

2 – a second thought about the prayer of petition, might follow from the first reading from the book of Wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures

- namely, that of complete trust in the Lord

- just as certain as the Lord delivered the people of the Exodus, so will the Lord listen to our requests

+ The lesson of the prayer of petition coming from our liturgy today is that

- if we are going to ask God for things

- and that should never be taken lightly: we are asking God for help

- we should pray in such a way that we are prepared to let God answer

- even if we don’t understand the answers when they come

- and we should trust completely in what God can do.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Good Time" -- Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen

IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME

The Gospel

LUKE 15:1-7

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."

Gospelthink: I want you and everyone to be sorry for your sins. Do I ask for forgiveness from the Lord enough?

"Woke up on the right side of the bed. What’s up with this Prince song inside my head? Hands up if you’re down to get down tonight ‘cause it’s always a good time. Slept in all my clothes like I didn’t care, hopped into a cab, take me anywhere. I’m in if you’re down to get down tonight 'cause it’s always a good time. Good morning and good night. I’ll wake up at twilight. It’s gonna be alright. We don’t even have to try: it’s always a good time. Doesn’t matter when: it’s always a good time."

What are the things that make up a good time? What are the things that make us feel good more than anything else? Some people might answer with the pleasure idea—going to a movie or a party or enjoying the company of friends. Some people like the stimulus of learning new things. Some people like quiet time in which nothing is really happening, and they are just relaxing like reading a good book or watching television or spending time praying. There are a number of different answers.

No matter what the answer, according to the song "Good Time" by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen, anytime is the occasion for a good time. "It's always a good time," they sing. Jesus seems to agree in the sense that when people can learn to repent, they can have "joy." And if one repents of her/his sinfulness all the time, it stands to reason that such a person can always have a "good time." In other words, in the spiritual realm of things, a "good time" means that we understand the evil of our world, especially the evil that we have done. There is "joy"--feeling good--when we have "repented."

Our understanding of a "good time" in our day-to-day living would do well to have this spiritual element be part of it. There are far too many "good times" that hurt others or hurt ourselves because we think that a "good time" must mean that we satisfy only ourselves, and really do not have to think of anything else. We have a "good time," but it is purely selfish.

If we truly concentrate on developing a life that is concerned about living without sin and the importance of others, our times will indeed be good. We can say that it really "doesn't matter when: it's always a good time."

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son has told us that there will be joy when there is repentance in our lives, and therefore our lives will be happy, and we will experience "good times." Give us the courage to bring about such a life. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We can make any situation be a "good time" no matter what the circumstances.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Jesus' story in the Gospel is exactly what God does for us: he seeks us out. In what ways do you see God searching for us?
2. Text analysis: "A sinner who repents." Describe what this means in day-to-day living.
3. Text analysis: "...righteous people who have no need of repentance." What is the meaning of the phrase?
4. What is your understanding of the word "repentance"?
5. Text analysis: "right side of the bed." What is the meaning of the phrase?
6. What is your understanding of a "good time"?
7. The song seems to say that we have to make anytime be a good time. Do you think that it is possible?
8. Give some examples of a "good time" that are not what you consider to be a good time.
9. The meditation is based on Jesus's understanding of "joy." How would you define "joy"?
10. What is the most common "evil" that you see practically every day?
11. Do you think that people can be "always happy"? Yes or no and why?
12. What does the song "Good Time" teach young people?