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November 22

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Ssturday, November 22

LUKE 20:27-40
Our God is a God of the living who takes care of us who are living.

Prayerthoughts
a. Quoting Deuteronomy 25:5, the Sadducees speak against the resurrection of the dead. Obviously, I believe in life that is eternal. Do I think of my death in such a way as to prepare well for it?

b. The religious leaders speak in a “flippant” way about marriage. If I am married, is my relationship with my spouse a good one? How can it be improved? If I am not married, am I treating everyone with the respect they deserve?

c. Jesus doesn't ridicule the Sadducees even though they were ridiculing Him. He simply answered them and told them the truth. When people ridicule me or do not pay attention to me, do I show signs of revenge?

d. Jesus says that we will be like angels. In your opinion, what does that mean and why?

e. Jesus reminds his inquirers that God IS and that God will ALWAYS be. In what areas do I see God most at work in my life and in the world?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read 1 Maccabees 6:1-13 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

LIFE, PART 1 AND 2

+ The resurrection of the dead is one of the ideas coming from the Gospel today

- it gives rise to our Christian belief of eternal life

- Jesus takes to task the Sadducees and arguing from the book of Exodus, one of the first five books, and therefore part of Scripture that the Sadducees did believe in,

- shows that the book of Exodus acknowledges a belief in the resurrection of the dead

- since Moses called Yahweh the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob who have already obviously died

- and Yahweh, God, must be a God of the living according to Exodus

- then their forefathers are alive, and therefore there must be a resurrection of the dead

+ We all believe this doctrine of the resurrection of the dead

- we profess it every time we pray the Creed

- what it should do for us is to give us a little better understanding of life itself

- life here and now should be different because of our belief in the life hereafter

- we will live with the idea of a future

- that there is more to come

+ One of our problems is what might be called a preoccupation with the present

- when we are preoccupied with the present, for example, it does not allow us to understand death and tragedy at all

- in fact, many have turned off religion because they don’t understand such things as tragedies, and so forth

- if we are only concentrating on the present, death really does not make sense

- but if we really believe in the resurrection of the dead, death is only a passageway to further life, what might be called life, part 2

- when we are preoccupied with the present, we don’t allow much time for preparation for life, part 2

- our “mind-set” is with the things of this life, part 1

- we don’t want to alter our behavior and follow Jesus’ way to have eternal life because if we do, we will have less fun here

- we see that sometimes we have to admit our guilt and do something about it—as in the first reading: Antiochus admitted guilt, but would not do anything about it

- we don’t want to follow through with action because it is too difficult

+ Our God is a God of the living

- a God who gives us only life

- because of God, we cannot not live

- our life right now is part 1 that must be spent in some type of preparation for part 2 of life,

- and if it is,

- earthly death becomes a passageway

- and life part 2 will be happiness forever with God.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Star Trek Beyond" -- beginning session

OUR CALL TO UNITY

The Gospel

JOHN 17:20-23

Jesus said: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you love them, even as you loved me."

Gospelthink: I want everyone to be one in love of all. Am I trying to show that love especially to those I have a difficult time with?

In the movie "Star Trek Beyond", the Enterprise traveled to a nebula after hearing a distress signal from a ship in the area. On the way they were attacked by a massive cluster of ships headed by an alien by the name of Krall. The aliens boarded the Enterprise, took most of the crew captive and destroyed the Enterprise. They were looking for a bio-weapon called the Abronath, and as they did so, they encountered the bravery of the crew. Krall tells Lieutenant Uhuru whom he has captured, that their weakness is their desire for unity since it causes them to stay together and not to get away when they can. Uhuru points out to him that on the contrary, their desire to stay together will be the way to bring about the end of Krall's invasion.

When Jesus prayed for us to His Father, what did he pray for? It is interesting that he prayed above all for "unity." He did not mention specifically obedience to a law, or even that we should love more or be kind to others. He prayed that you and I would be one just as the Father and Jesus are one. Analyzing His words, we see exactly what it means for all of us. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one in their love of humankind. It was God who created, redeemed and continues to sanctify all of us. And in light of that, we are to show the same actions toward our world and those around us.

We are called to be one in our approach to others, just as the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are united. In the movie "Star Trek Beyond," the saving quality as Lieutenant Uhuru expressed it for the crew of the Enterprise was that they were all one. Each member saw the necessity to bind with one another whether it meant death or life, because "unity" was the guide. Unity brings about love and all the Christian virtues because people who want to be joined with one another in a Godly way will show each other what God wants of us.

Unity means something quite specific for people who are committed to each other. For married couples, it will mean working to the best of their abilities to keep their love alive. For couples who are committed to each other in friendship it will mean loving each other no matter what the circumstances. And for people committed to each other under the banner of loving the same God, it will mean a reaching out to one another beyond family ties.

Jesus' prayer for unity for us is a prayer to remain God-like with everyone.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son prayed for unity when He prayed for us at the end of His life here on earth. May we learn the lesson and work to be one with You and with all of Your creation. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: While some people may think that achieving unity is a weakness, the mature person will recognize it as a strength.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. In general, do most Christians show the love that they should show to one another? Yes or no and why?
3. In general, do Churches and organizations present "unity" in their approach to the world? Yes or no and why?
4. Specifically, do you think the fact that Christian churches are not united is a good thing or a bad thing?
5. What is a way to promote family unity in the world?
6. Analysis: Should we spend the time and money it takes on space travel? Yes or no and why?
7. Analysis: the Enterprise has been in space about three years. What effect does this have on families? In modern day, it is seen by members of the armed forces who must spend a long time away.
8. Why is the order to "abandon ship" so traumatic for a captain?
9. Analysis: What is the closest weapon that we have to the Abronath that the world possesses now. What control should be placed on it?