November 8

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, November 8

LUKE 16:9-15

God and Mammon

Prayerthoughts

a. “Make friends with dishonest wealth.” We must have money in order to operate in this world. Have I given too much time and energy to making money?

b. We must be “trustworthy” people, that is honest people. Am I honest in my dealings with others?

c. The Gospel contains Jesus’s classic statement about not being able to serve both God and mammon. In my past, what master have I chosen? In my dealings right now, am I truly choosing God in my actions?

d. The Lord accuses the religious leaders of his time to “love money.” It is extremely strong language, and should touch the leaders of the Churches in the world. Do you think that is true for today’s religions? If so, what can I do about it?

e. The Lord knows our “hearts.” Is it clear by my actions, say, yesterday that I have truly chosen the Lord?

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today I will read Romans 16:3-9,16,22-27 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

A MASTER PROBLEM

+ The liturgy gives us a glimpse of the small community that made up the early Pauline community

- and you get the feeling of contentment and happiness even in the midst of persecution that was going on at the same time

- Paul ending the letter with a statement of who is the master: “God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever and ever”

- there is no doubt in Paul’s mind that God through Jesus is the master

+ Jesus calls attention to a master in the Gospel

No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

- one of our problems in this world might be called a “master” problem

- there is the possibility that we may be serving the wrong master

- we may have defined our lives in terms of this world’s thinking

- and we should be working with God’s thinking

- that seems to be the essential meaning behind Jesus’ challenging words today

- Jesus wants us to choose God as master and not the world

+ What can that mean when we are surrounded by tragedies , terrorism, and evil?

- we first of all look at the certainties that we have to deal with

- those certainties are these: tragedies happen, problems occur

- and just as certain—we can’t change what takes place on a national and international level

- and that there is another certainty as well

- it is certain that some people choose the wrong master

- and I am not talking about religion or ethnic beliefs

- I am talking about civilized thought, mental health

- some people choose to follow a man-created master that caters to sick minds, what Jesus called “mammon”

+ Naturally, then, our mind is led to the question of what do each of us do in our daily personal sphere of activity if God is our master

- today’s Gospel tells us that we have to deliberately choose who is our master, and it is not a question of doing it half-way: it is one or the other

+ That means that everything we do, say or think must be done with the question—am I doing, saying or thinking what God says?

- God is the master that I have chosen

- not mammon, not the world

- the Gospel talks of dishonest and true wealth

- we can’t allow the very good process called capitalism to override what God says to do

- we also know about the prejudice and hatred and acts of violence that are being perpetrated throughout our country simply because someone doesn’t look like us or talk like we do

- we know what our God says about that

+ God is the master that we have chosen, and that should have a direct effect in our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Avengers: Endgame" -- beginning session

THE RETURN TO HOPE

The Gospel

JOHN 1:47-52

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him: "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Gospelthink: I see that in Nathaniel there was nothing fake about him. Am I totally honest with myself and with others?

The movie "Avengers: Endgame" begins after the evil Thanos had literally destroyed half of all creation. He had acquired all six Infinity Stones and therefore could have infinite power. Further he had destroyed the stones so that he now had absolute power over the world. The Avengers' team had adjusted each in their own way to the new way of life which they had not wanted at all. Because of a discovery on one of their parts that there was a possibility of using time alteration to their advantage, they soon decided to do something about their plight and that of humankind. They could use a quantum leap and travel back in time before their present dilemma and steal the Infinity Stones so that they can right the wrongs that Thanos has caused.

Nathanael was no doubt looking for something. He did not know what it was, but whatever it was, it was connected with hope, hope for himself, hope for others. Jesus recognized that characteristic in him, saying that he was a "true" Israelite, a believer who had no duplicity in him. He was sincere and therefore someone who could truly understand a cause like Jesus was to teach, and give himself to it.

The cause for the Avengers in the movie "Avengers: Endgame" was nothing less than helping a world that had been overcome completely by evil. Hope for a better life had disappeared and the team had had to admit defeat. Now, discovering the quantum leap, they were able to think in terms of a life once again, a life that could bring about for humankind what God had intended.

It seemed an impossible task. Nathanael, as honest as he was, could not find any hope in the world as he saw it, and so he was searching. The Avengers saw no hope in living the way they were, with half of the world literally destroyed. But both were up the task. Both must have known that there would be danger in bringing about their desired outcome, but they set about doing it.

You and I live in a world that often is without hope. We see it because of the evil that has come upon so many people--people starving, people suffering from addictions of some kind, people who are hurting because of loss or fear of death. We need hope.

Nathanael wanted fulfillment in his life; the Avengers were desiring to have a world that was whole again. As do we. Nathanael found that hope in Jesus and his doctrine. The Avengers following the lesson of Jesus to love everyone found it in their lives. We must be able to look at the lessons that Jesus taught and accept them in such a way that we are truly influenced by His wisdom.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we are in need of hope because we see a world that is in so many ways overcome by evil. Thank You for sending us Your Son, and help us truly listen to His wisdom. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Although we may be close to despair, we see hope in what we can do.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 85 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why?
2. In your opinion, what is the definition of "duplicity"?
3. We tend to adjust to evil as the world after Thanos did. In general, how do people "adjust" to evil in their lives today?
4. What is your definition of "hope"?
5. What is the life that God has intended for us?
6. Name some people of history who were "up to the task" of helping humankind.
7. What is the best way to be influenced by the wisdom of God?