November 7

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, November 7

LUKE15:1-10
Rejoice for Finding

Prayerthoughts

a. The fact is that I am a sinner, and therefore need to hear the Lord’s words. A prayer asking for forgiveness is in order.

b. Are there some people in my acquaintances that I have deliberately shunned? If so, what should I do to welcome them again?

c. What are the things that give me “great joy”? Should there be more “spiritual” things for which I am joyful? What are some ways to be more spiritually joyful?

d. What are some things for which I must be more sorrowful? What can I do to show more repentance?

e. Do I consider myself “self-righteous” (in no need of repentance)? What can I do about it?

f. As I study my life so far, when was I most in need of repentance?

g. My prayerthoughts….

Today I will write my own act of repentance.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

LOST AND FOUND

+ The Gospel contains two stories of how anxious God is to treat sinners and eventually forgive them

- a thought that gives tremendous hope to a Christian

- all we have to do is acknowledge our need of repentance

- and if God is this anxious—

- going to look for the lost sheep

- turning the house upside down to find a lost item

--you can be assured that God forgives us

- at the slightest sign of repentance, God is ready to forgive

- and immediately after these two parables in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son or Forgiving Father

- it is the same theme of forgiveness. developing our need to recognize that we are lost

+ Paul, in the first reading, realized that he was lost

- and he tells the Philippians that now he is found as he professes Jesus

“Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ.”

- he had been lost, and now was found

+ That idea of being lost and found by Jesus is an important one

- some people really don’t realize that they are lost

- and wander through life pursuing their own desires, without worrying about anyone else’s direction, and really are nothing but selfish

- and need desperately to be brought back to the true idea of Christianity

+ Of course, spirituality is mainly about ourselves

- we have to consider the possibility that we are lost

- we are not lost in the sense of not knowing what direction we should be going

- we are here, and therefore we know that Jesus is the way to find ourselves

- but we may be lost in the sense that we are not doing enough as we consider our spiritual lives

- perhaps we have become complacent with our connection with God, and have to work on it a little bit more

- a little more charity toward people

- a little more reading of Scripture

- a little more prayer throughout the day

+ It is obvious from the Gospel that Jesus wants to find us

- but, at the same time, we have to want to be found.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Unholy" -- Sam Smith & Kim Petras

A TRULY PERMANENT COMMITMENT

The Gospel

JOHN 18:1b-3

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

Gospelthink: Judas was a friend to me at one time, but he lost sight of what "love" really meant.

"Mommy don’t know daddy’s getting hot at the body shop, doing something unholy. A lucky girl she got married to a boy like you. She’d kick you out if she ever knew. Dirty boy, you know everyone is talkin’ on the scene. I hear them whisperin’ ‘bout the places that you’ve been and how you don’t know how to keep your business clean. He left the kids at home so he can get that."

As we study the Scripture passages at the very beginning of Jesus' passion and death, there are a number of people that a person interested in the spiritual life can study and learn from. One of them is the Apostle Judas Iscariot. It is clear that Judas knew Jesus in an intimate way. He knew where Jesus liked to pray. He knew where Jesus and His Apostles met for private conferences. Judas used that knowledge to set up the downfall of Jesus's human life. Judas had no doubt felt the love that Jesus had for him and it could have been a lasting love if he had pursued it.

Putting such a situation into the romantic love relationships of our modern life, young lovers can easily identify the same feeling. At some point in the relationship as they move toward a permanent commitment, each person in love must decide and choose whether he/she will work for such a commitment. Unfortunately, sometimes he/she will make the permanent commitment and it is false.

Such is the case in the song "Unholy" from Sam Smith and Kim Petras. It is clear that the permanent commitment has been made. They have even created a family. But the father's commitment was not as permanent as he said at first, and it will no doubt throw the family into some type of chaos unless he comes to his senses and realizes what the word "permanent" means.

In any love relationship, whether it is romantic or not, we must decide whether it will lead to a permanent friendship, and in the case of romantic love, a permanent commitment with each other. The "deciding" is of course the difficult part. Usually, the decision will take some time to feel some good moments and bad moments. It is possible to determine whether our love will be lasting or not, but the decision will always have an element of "indecision." We simply must make the decision to go into the desired permanent relationship and not look back.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are many decisions that we must make in our human situations, particularly with our interaction with others. Help us to understand the love that we must have to bring about a true lasting love. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: If we want love to last, we must be certain that it is a permanent love.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Unholy" teach young people today?
2. In your opinion, why would Judas completely turn against Jesus the way he did?
3. The mediation uses the words "permanent love." In your opinion, what is "permanent love"?
4. In your opinion, how long should young people "date" before they make a permanent commitment of living together?
5. In your opinion, should it be the man or the woman who is the aggressive one in the relationship?
6. Many people decide about their love too early, and therefore we have very unhappy marriages. What are the characteristics of a truly happy marriage?
7. In your opinion, do you think that most young people are truly prepared to make the decision of a permanent commitment? Yes or no and why?