November 19

[media presentation below]
GospelThink

Tuesday, November 19

LUKE 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was anxious to see me.

Prayerthoughts
a. As Zacchaeus, I should be seeking to see Jesus in my life. How am I seeking to see Jesus right now?

b. Jesus says to us as well as Zacchaeus today: “Come down quickly because I must stay at your house.” As Jesus comes to be my guest, what can I change?

c. I am a sinner as the people concluded about Zacchaeus, and therefore what are some actions that I should do by way of repentance?

d. Zacchaeus deliberately makes himself a poor man. What are some things that I have in my possession that I should give away to the poor, that is, to a thrift store or the like?

e. I want salvation, of course. What is the one good thing that I should continue to insure that I will gain salvation?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will determine what I will give away to someone.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

ZACCHAEUS AND CONVERSION

+ Zacchaeus was a politician

- his political office was one of doing a legitimate job but at the same time it was cheating others

- his “wrong” was what we now call the sin of extortion

- in order to make his livelihood, he taxed his fellow Hebrews more than the Roman tax demanded so that he would be able to pay the Romans, and also enjoy a good life

- after his conversion, he changed his way of living

+ The Zacchaeus Gospel story is both a fact and an allegory teaching us about what conversion to God consists of, I believe

- together with the first reading from the book of Revelation, it gives us a good meditation

+ The first step to conversion is the climbing of the tree, that is, the necessity to see above the crowd

- many times we can’t see because of the crowd

- the crowd can be interpreted to be the crowd of this world and what it wants—the desire for power, the desire to control others, the pleasure syndrome, the desire for money, the desire for the good things of life

- that crowd is pretty strong, and pretty tough to see over

- and so we have to climb the tree

- that is, we have to make some efforts to control those things

+ And once we have climbed the tree

- we move to the second step of conversion: we make amends

- we do something

- Zacchaeus gave back one-half of his wealth to God, and four times what he had taken from others

- which meant that he deliberately became a poor man

- we are not called to make ourselves poor

- but we are called to do something significant, maybe even heroic

+ A third part of conversion is to realize that we must live out our conversion

- we’re not sure what Zacchaeus did with his life, but my guess is that he lived it well from then on

- as we study the directives to the churches of Sardis and Laodicea in the book of Revelation, it is to live well: keep what you said, and repent, the Lord says to Sardis,

- and allow God to enter our lives, the Lord says to Laodicea

+ Zacchaeus and the Book of Revelation from our liturgy today teach us some things about conversion and what we should be doing with our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Animals" -- Maroon 5

LIKE ANIMALS

The Gospel

MATTHEW 26:36-39

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”

Gospelthink: In my human nature, I felt the pain of abandonment, but I allowed God to work. As I turn to prayer, do I allow God to work in my life?

"I'm preying on you tonight, hunt you down, eat you alive, just like animals. Maybe you think that you can hide. So what you trying to do to me. It's like we can't stop. We're enemies, but we get along when I'm [with] you.You're like a drug that's killing me. I cut you out entirely. But I get so high when I'm [with] you." [lyrics adjusted]

What were Jesus' feelings like? We do not have a complete answer to the question, of course, because we cannot get into Jesus' mind. But we have some indication from the way the writers of the Gospel talk about him and his actions. When Jesus was about to undergo the Roman process of crucifixion, he knew that he did not want that pain. His prayer, therefore, was to allow it to pass him by. He quickly came to an understanding of what he had to do, however, and he resolutely told his Father that he would do what had to be done.

Analyzing his actions, we conclude that his immediate feelings were to avoid the pain, but he saw what he had to do. If he allowed only his human feelings to control him, he would choose something that he did not want.

Studying Maroon 5's song "Animals," one could conclude that the man in the relationship realized what his physical feelings may do to him. But he allowed those feelings to control him because he still wanted the "high." His friend was "like a drug," and in the end, the whole relationship just might "kill" him, but his desire for the "high" motivated him to be with her.

When our feelings control us, we may have difficulties as we mature. Our human feelings in general want to make things easier for us, that is, to keep away from immediate pain or give into a desire for temporary illicit pleasure. It may indeed be easier for us, but in the long run, it may harm us for perhaps a significant amount of time. We learn from Jesus that control of feelings is the way to live well.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, feelings are such an important part of our life here on earth. We like good feelings and want always to pursue them. Your Son teaches us however that at times we must control our good feelings in order to follow your will. May we learn from him. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When our feelings control us, we will often have difficulties as we grow.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Jesus prays before every important happening in his life. In your opinion, do most Christians pray as much as they should? In your opinion, what is the most common petition Christians ask from the Lord?
2. Text analysis: "Keep watch with me." What do you think the Lord wanted from his Apostles?
3. Text analysis: "like animals." In what way can pursuing another romantically be "like animals"?
4. Text analysis: How can the couple in the song be enemies and still get along?
5. Text analysis: "You're like a drug that's killing me." What is the meaning of the sentence?
6. The context of the song is a sexual one. In your opinion, are the songs of today too explicit when it comes to physical sexuality? Yes or no and why?
7. The Catholic Church is clearly opposed to premarital sex, considering it to be seriously wrong, and yet there are many Catholic couples who practice it. In your opinion, do couples consider this to be a sin? Yes or no and why?
8. In your opinion, is premarital sex always wrong? Yes or no and why?
9. What are the best ways to prevent premarital sex between couples who feel that they are in love?
10. Besides the sexual feelings, what other feelings do human beings experience that tend to "control" them?
11. In general, do you think that human beings "control" their feelings well? Yes or no and why?
12. What does the song "Animals" teach young people?