athunder

November 24
[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, November 24 LUKE 21:1-4 Giving of yourself for a serious reason means giving of everything you have. Prayerthoughts a. A thought that crosses our minds a lot is money or wealth. Do I tend to judge in jealousy those whom I think are rich or have more than I do? b. The thought with Jesus’s story is that we should give of what we have to good causes. Do I consider this a true necessity in my life? c. Do I see myself giving of my “surplus wealth.” (That should be a given in my life.) But do I give a certain percentage of the rest of my income as well. (Realizing that we need money for living.) d. An alternate thought with this passage is that Jesus was very upset that this poor widow had become poor because the scribes and Pharisees used their laws to demand money from the poor ("devouring the houses of widows" (Luke 20:47)). Do I spend too much time thinking about having more money? e. My prayerthoughts... Today, I will read Daniel 1:1-6,8-20 and write an important thought from it.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy TRUE DEDICATION TO GOD + The first readings of the last week of ordinary time in this cycle are taken from the prophet Daniel - a book that introduces Daniel and his three companions - it is written about a negative time in Israel’s history with Daniel and companions showing courage as the faithful few tried to keep Israel dedicated to God + That thought about being truly dedicated can lead to some fruitful meditation for people seeking deeper spiritual lives - being a truly dedicated person means a number of things - studying these Scriptures today, two things stand out + First, from the Gospel, being dedicated to God means generosity in giving to God - as Jesus pointed out, the widow was completely generous in her approach to God - she was able to give everything that she had - the person dedicated to God in our time should be one who can give of him/herself generously - it naturally leads us to very personal questions: - what is the percentage of our money and energy that we give to God in prayer, the church or charity? - we obviously have to spend more time and money on other pursuits in our lives—family, job, etc. - we have to, but do those things “own” us? + Secondly, from the first reading, the person who is dedicated to God is going to be one who is able to sacrifice some of the good things that he/she would normally have - Daniel and his companions sacrificed the good food of their captors - one of the marks of a person dedicated to God in our age is the idea of sacrifice - giving up what we could legitimately have - it is a fact that we can sacrifice things that we could have to bring God into a clearer focus + Dedication to God, according to our liturgy today might mean two things to think about: - 1 –generosity in giving to God, and 2, the ability to sacrifice some of the good things of life.

MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: "Thunder" -- Imagine Dragons LIGHTNING BEFORE THE THUNDER

The Gospel

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

Gospelthink: Zacchaeus was anxious to see me. Do i show that i am anxious to be with the Lord in my life?

"Just a young gun with a quick fuse, I was uptight, wanna let loose. I was dreaming of bigger things and wanna leave my old life behind. Not a yes-sir, not a follower, fit the box, fit the mold, have a seat in the foyer, take a number. I was lightning before the thunder." Other kids were making fun of him, but now he sings, “I’m smiling from the stage while you were clapping in the nosebleeds.”

Zacchaeus knew a couple of things about himself. He knew that he was small for his age, and so he managed to compensate for that. But he also knew that he was something more than a tax collector, even more than a chief tax collector. As he studied himself, one is led to believe, he did not like what he saw. He was not living up to his potential. Perhaps this man whom he had heard of, this Jesus, could help him. So he climbed the tree hoping not only to see him, but perhaps be moved by him. He was not disappointed.

It seems that the man in Imagine Dragons' song "Thunder" is the same type of fellow. He knew what he was, and he knew what he could become. As he put it, he knew he was lightning, and what was being presented now in his life was merely the thunder. He fully understood that he was the lightning, not the thunder, capable of accomplishing much more than he was. He was not a yes-man, a follower; he was destined to be on the stage instead of watching from the audience.

Such is the thought of every leader in our world. There will come a time as she/he grows in which they realize that her/his life could be so much more than it is. Yes, the person may be enjoying life, having a good time, but there are dreams of bigger things always in the mind. The difference between a leader and a follower is that she/he will do something about it.

As Zaccheaus, as the man in Imagine Dragons' song, the leader will do the work of giving away the things of youth, and accepting the challenge of being the lightning, being the person whose desire goes far behind merely making noise or even making money. The leader is one who sees what must be done, and takes up his desire and makes it a reality.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Zacchaeus became a true leader when he accepted Your Son into his life. Help us grow in our own maturity and accept the challenge to be better than we are right now. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We can be more than we are if we want.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. As you study our world today, who would you say are the most "lost"?
2. What are some of the qualities of a true leader?
3. As you study the personality of Jesus as presented in the Gospels, what is his strongest leadership quality?
4. The man in the song "Thunder" is obviously confident of his abilities in the future. Why is confidence so necessary as we look at the future?
5. What is the most necessary characteristic in a person before he/she becomes a good leader?
6. After one is convinced that he/she wants to be a leader, what is the first thing that must happen in her/his life?
7. What does the song "Thunder" teach young people?

TRUE DEDICATION TO GOD