TGIMMtrue1

November 21

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, November 21

LUKE 19:45-48
I want you to treat every Church as a house of prayer.

Prayerthoughts
a. People were making a living selling the necessary animals for sacrifice in the temple, but they had moved in too close to the actual temple. Have I looked at my going to Church as something that “I must do” and not as something “I want to do”?

b. Jesus obviously did not want the attitude of “making money” to be connected to Church. Money is obviously needed in today's Church. How should I feel about it?

c. The idea of giving money in today’s Church is important from the point of view of giving to God of what I have because of what God has done for me. Do I give money to my Church with that in mind?

d. Jesus gives the proper perspective of what Church is—“a house of prayer.” Should the time I give to my prayer life be more important in my life right now?

e. The religious leaders wanted to put Jesus to death because of what he did and said. What was their motivation, and what can I learn from it?

f. The people were astonished at Jesus’s teaching. Do I consider the words of Jesus to be a prominent guide of my life?

g. The world can be considered “a temple.” Ecologically speaking, do I treat the world with the respect I should?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read 1 Maccabees 4:3-37,52-59 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

CLEANSING THE TEMPLE

+ Both readings speak of God’s world, the presence of God in a synagogue

- Judas Maccabeus and his brothers in the first reading

- Jesus speaking of his Father’s house in the Gospel

+ The thought of Jesus losing his temper and destroying the traders’ tables is a disturbing one

- in general, we don’t like the Jesus we want to imitate to be so radical

- we would much rather have a Jesus who is easy to follow, the gentle Jesus which is also present in the Scriptures

- but Jesus ejecting traders from the temple area is also the Jesus that must be studied and learned from

- and therefore a couple of lessons that comes from the action

+ 1 – Jesus feels strongly about the presence of God

- which basically says that we must never lose the focus of what we as a spiritual community are all about

- you and I are called to a deeper life of Jesus in each of us by the very fact that we are here

- if there is anything that takes away from our spiritual development and a deeper understanding of Jesus in our lives, we have to attack it

- church leaders especially must be aware of that, but lay people as well, especially those who are more interested in their spiritual lives

+ 2 – There has to be a certain passion for God in our lives

- as Jesus in a sense lost it in the Temple (lost it for the right reason)

- we have to feel a little passion for the things of God, and make those things more and more present

- easily can be seen in the secular world with the Christmas season coming up

- but for us, too, never to allow ourselves to forget what we are doing even as we celebrate with all the externals of Advent and Christmas

+ The image of Jesus cleansing the temple is an important image to keep in our minds.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "True Grit" -- beginning session

STRONG THE WIND

The Gospel

MATTHEW 14:24-33

The boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, [Jesus] came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Gospelthink: Peter here again exemplifying his human nature. He wanted the glory, but was not willing to look at himself. Am I too much like Peter?

The movie "True Grit" begins with the statement from Proverbs 28:1, "The wicked flee when none pursueth." The 40 year old Mattie Ross continues: "People do not give it credence that a young girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father's blood. But it did happen." The movie is the story of how it happened. Mainly it is the story of young Mattie Ross' determination to reach her goal. She had to travel to a very difficult part of the country, work with some people who would rather cheat or kill than be honest, and convince someone whom she could trust to help her in her quest. There were so many obstacles to achieving her goal that any other person might have given up, but Mattie Ross knew what she wanted. Her determination meant that the obstacles were nothing more than temporary pauses before she accomplished her goal.

The Gospel stories of Jesus's overcoming the powers of the sea have long been interpreted to mean Jesus's power to control the obstacles and complications of life. In Jesus's day, generally speaking, the people were afraid of what the sea held whether they be monsters or the power of evil. In the Gospels, Jesus was always in control of those problems.

He also passed that power on to his disciples as they struggled with the same obstacles. At one time as recorded by the evangelist Matthew, Peter wanted the assurance of Jesus's presence. Recognizing Jesus, he wanted to approach him by overcoming the obstacles of nature and the sea. Eventually, Peter was able to overcome the strength of the wind and his own problems only with the Lord's help.

In the movie "True Grit," one cannot help but admire the determination of Mattie Ross as she set out to avenge her father's death. Overcoming all of the many obstacles that kept her from achieving her goal, she was finally able to realize her desire, only by her sheer determination and refusal to give up.

You and I may not have the individual determination to pursue a goal the way Mattie Ross did, but the good news of the Gospel is that we can accomplish what is good in life. Like Peter, we have the assurance of Jesus's presence in our lives, and with the Lord we can overcome the "strength of the wind," that is, the obstacles of day-to-day living. As we reach out to the Lord who will always help, we know that we can accomplish what is good for us and those around us.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we are imperfect human beings who are trying to accomplish good things in life. Give us the grace to reach out to your Son in order to accomplish the good goals in our lives. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: A person who is determined will overcome many obstacles in order to reach a goal.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 52 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. The meditation interprets Jesus's control of the sea in the Gospel to be his control of the obstacles in life. What are the principal obstacles to Christian living right now, and what can you do about them?
3. The phrase "Do not be afraid" spoken by Jesus comes up often in the Gospels. What does it mean to not be afraid in our world?
4. As you study the actions of Peter in the Gospel passage, what conclusions can you draw about Peter's character?
5. Jesus reprimands Peter because he "doubted." In what ways do we doubt the Lord in our lives today?
6. In the movie, Mattie Ross set out to administer the strict justice of the law for her father's killer. When is killing another justified? (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2263-2267.)
7. What are the goals that everyone of us should have?
8. In a Christian meditation, a Christian's goal in life is to live a good life as mentioned in the meditation. What is your definition of "a good life"?
9. If you know a person who has given up because it seemed that God did not listen, what can you do as a Christian to convince such a person that God really cares?
10. What is the greatest good that you can accomplish right now in your life?
11. Analysis: "The wicked flee when none pursueth." Explain the meaning of the proverb.
12. Dialogue analysis: Mattie: "There is nothing free [in this world] except for the grace of God." True or false and why?
13. Do you believe that a 14-year-old could have the maturity that Mattie Ross shows? Yes or no and why?
14. Scene analysis: Brutal killing is portrayed in the movie. Does this type of presentation affect a person who watches the movie? Yes or no and why? In particular, how does this type of presentation affect a pre-teenager?
15. Dialogue analysis: Reuben: "This is like women talking." What is the meaning of the phrase?