TGIMMjurassic2

October 14

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Tuesday, October 14

LUKE 11:37-41
The religious leaders were concerned with externals.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus accepted invitations from all people, even those he knew would try to trick him. Am I open to everyone no matter what I think of them?

b. The Pharisee was "amazed." He was looking at Jesus with criticism. Jesus makes the distinction between externals and internals. The internal is more important than the external. I should concentrate on my "internal" judging and feeling about others. As I study other people in whatever situation that I am in, do I judge them with a positive point of view?

c. The Pharisee in particular was concerned that Jesus did not follow a ritual. Am I too tied into some ritual in my spiritual life, forgetting that the important thing is a closer relationship with the Lord.?

d. Two words describe what Jesus says that we must do: give alms. As I study my life, am I giving of myself to others?

e. Specifically, do I give alms to help the poor in the community in which I live?

f. My prayerthoughts...

Today, I will read Romans 1:16-25, and write an
important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

EXTERNAL PRACTICES, INTERNAL GROWTH

+ Both readings refer to different aspects of the lives of the Hebrew people of the Hebrew Scriptures

- Paul refers to the fact of sinfulness even though they knew what God had given them]

- Gospel: the Hebrew ritual practices, like the ones performed at meals

- and in both instances, both Paul and Jesus say that there must be a change if Jesus is important in people’s lives

+ The basis of the spiritual life for us, of course, is the following of Jesus—the main point that Paul is trying to get across to the Romans, and as we hear often in these readings

- but the way it is expressed in today’s readings is significant

- for Paul, faith in Jesus is expressed through actions

- for Jesus, what is really important, that which will make us “clean”—giving alms, with the stress on “giving”

+ And so, the application of the readings becomes very practical:

- 1 – externals must lead to internal growth

- the spiritual things that we do must change who we are

- all of our prayers—this Mass, rosaries, formal religion for us, all the external practices of our spiritual life

- must lead to a change on the inside

- we become kind people, people able to put up with problems, forgiving people

- 2 – we have to work at the virtue of giving—giving being the definition of love

- giving of ourselves in whatever situation—real generosity

- to the point that others can take advantage of us

- this may be one of the most difficult things in life to do

- 3 – giving, generosity, is expressed especially in giving alms, that is, giving material things to others

- and in Jesus eyes, that is the way people will be clean

- giving away to the poor (especially clear in Luke’s Gospel)

+ There are two phrases from the Scriptures well worth meditating on today:

- from Paul—establish in our personal lives “a righteousness of God””

- from Jesus—“give alms, and everything will be clean for you”.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Jurassic World" -- beginning session

MORE TEETH

The Gospel

MATTHEW 22:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”

Gospelthink: I want you to follow what I tell you and not follow the ways of the world. How well am I following the Lord's directions?

The inventors of the Jurassic World theme park were in it for the business, of course. As the Park continued to attract visitors, the company responsible for its continued existence, Masrani Global Corporation who owned the genetic company InGens, knew that the Park was losing attraction. As Claire the Operations Manager of the Park tells the potential advertisers, the Park needed "more teeth." In light of that, the geneticists who created the dinosaurs chose to create Indominus Rex, a dinosaur even larger and more ferocious than T Rex.

When those who worked in the theme part Jurassic World noticed that they were losing business, they set their hearts on doing something about it. They knew the makeup of human nature; they knew that the public wanted more of everything, more attractions, more dinosaurs, more excitement, more relevance, more frightening things, bigger dinosaurs, or as Claire, the operations manager said, "more teeth."

Jesus knew that human desires resolved around the idea of having more. Human beings often believe that having more will make them more important, make them better in the world, not only richer, but more powerful. Therefore he told us quite plainly what we should be searching for in life--not more of anything, actually "less." Whoever loses his life, he tells us, will find it. That is, the less proud we are, the less we think about our selves and our wants, the better off we will be.

It is not the way of the world. The world has convinced our human natures that more is better. Our economy depends on it. The world wants us to want "more teeth." The world has told us that if we do not have more than someone else, the latest of everything, the best of everything, indeed more of everything, our lives will be less important than they are now. We will be left behind, not popular, not "with it" or the like.

Jesus is not saying that we cannot have any material goods as we strive to grow in the spiritual life. He is saying that material goods have a tendency to dominate any growth at all, and therefore we must be very careful about our desires to have "more." In life, he tells us, "more" is not only not better; "more" may actually be the worst of all.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, it is almost a "given" that we will always want more of everything in our material world. Give us the grace to listen to Your Son and eventually realize what it is that really helps us be better people. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We often hurt ourselves and others because our human natures tend to want more of everything.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 60 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2.As we study the Gospel, denying oneself means disowning ourselves as the center of existence. Why is this so difficult for the human being?
3. In your opinion, do most Christians truly follow Jesus Christ? Yes or no and why?
4. What are some examples of human beings wanting more of everything?
5. In your opinion, what would happen to our world if we would follow what Jesus said with regard to "losing our life"?
6. What is your definition of the spiritual life?
7. Scene analysis: In general is it good to send the kids "away" as the parents are working toward a divorce? Yes or no and why?
8. Analysis: why did Claire evacuate only a part of the park when Indominus Rex escaped, and not the whole park?
9. Analysis: in your opinion could dangerous animals like the Velocirapters and Indominus Rex be used in military operations? Yes or no and why?
10. Are the action scenes in the movie too explicit for younger audiences? Yes or no and why?