October 16

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, October 16

LUKE 11:42-46
The Pharisees

Prayerthoughts
a. The Lord tells the Pharisees and us that we are to both pay a tithe and show true love of God. In my life, am I giving of my possessions to the poor? Am I showing the love of God and neighbor in my actions and words and thoughts?

b. Do I seek out honor and praise as I go about my life?

c. The Pharisees lead others astray—walking on unseen graves—which led to ritual impurity in the Hebrew tradition. Do I show good example? Go through yesterday an study the example I showed to others.

d. The scholars of the law knew the law and demanded that it be kept even if it were burdensome, and would not help others. As a general rule, do I find myself trying to help others, especially those close to me?

e. In general, what part of Jesus’s law should I follow most of all?

Today, I will read Galatians 5:7-26, and write an
important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT

+ We don’t like to identify with the religious leaders of the Hebrew people—the Pharisees, Sadducees, lawyers of Jesus’ time

- because they are pretty much the “bad guys” in Jesus’ public ministry

- they give their 10% of everything they own, but they do not have a love for God

- they love to be noticed by others

- they know the law and obey it, but they do not help others who have to struggle

- their intentions are bad

+ We don’t like to identify with them, but we should

- not because we are so bad,

- in fact, everyone here is really trying to grow in their spiritual lives

- but we may be close to thinking the same way that they were

- anyone who sets out to live the spiritual life a little deeper is going to have the same temptations as the religious leaders of Jesus’ time

- that is us—we who come to daily Mass, we who pray the rosary, we who give ourselves to formal prayer, we who make profession as religious

+ Therefore, it is good for us to know how the religious leaders thought and what their temptations were

- and their main problem was thinking that they were a little bit better than others

- or as St. Paul phrased it as he warned the Galatians: they were not guided by the Spirit

- St. Paul points out what happens when you are not guided by the Spirit: “immorality, impurity, etc.”

- and he points out what happens when you are guided by the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”

+ We really are doing a little bit better than a number of Christians

- there is nothing wrong with that knowledge

- but we always have to be guided by the Spirit

- that is, our intentions have to be such that we want to be good Christians and never judge others

+ There are nine virtues that Paul enumerates to the Galatians

- I’m sure that he didn’t mean for them to be exhaustive

- that is, a complete list

- but they are very good, and cover just about everything about our spiritual lives

- if you want to spend some quality spiritual time today, go through each of those virtues and reflect on how you are doing

- it is what Jesus wanted the religious leaders of his day to do.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Broken" -- lovelytheband

BROKEN LIKE ME

The Gospel

JOHN 20:11-16

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.

Gospelthink: After my Resurrection, I appeared to Mary Magdalene because she was one who loved me completely. Do I show my love for the Lord in the way I live and act?

“I like that you’re broken, broken like me. Maybe that makes me a fool. I like that you’re lonely, lonely like me, I could be lonely with you." They met at a party, and they sing "These aren’t my people, these aren’t my friends. She grabbed my face and said I like that you’re broken, broken like me, lonely like me."

A feeling that is often described in popular music is the feeling of loss and despair because of the loss. The songs of our day reflect the situations of our lives, and one of the most common ones is the feeling that things have not or are not going the way the person wants them to. There will be many relationships as one grows. Some of those relationships become close and the two choose a marital life, but eventually one of the spouses will die. And there will be pain. Sometimes relationships become close, but the relationship does not work out. There will be a breakup, and there will be mental pain, as a result.

And sometimes as in the song "Broken" from lovelytheband the couple meet after lonely backgrounds and they are hoping that their relationship will blossom. The title of the song captures the feeling exactly. Both people in the eventual relationship feel the loneliness and brokenness, and at the moment, there is nothing that can be done. About all they can hope for is that both of them will feel lonely together, and that will cure the loneliness, one would guess. Mary Magdalene felt lonely. In her mind, she had lost the one that she loved, lost him in a most brutal way, and she wanted to do what she could do. But even as she wanted to do her simple burial rite, once again, she could not find him, and she felt completely broken.

The cure of such a feeling is never easily heard because it always deals with time, allowing time to heal the mental wounds that accompany the brokenness. And during that time, the pain continues. But perhaps the Resurrection story for Mary Magdalene can encourage the people who suffer the pain of brokenness in relationships. The fact is that there will be a resolution to the situation. The couple in lovelytheband's song could feel that solution coming in that they were hoping that their loneliness would dissipate once they worked at being together.

The fact is that we will find an answer at some time. It may take time, but perhaps the end result will be even better than one could ever imagine. Mary Magdalene discovered exactly that.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are many times in our lives when we feel broken—the loss of a loved one either in death or a breakup of some relationship that we wanted to last. Help us during those times to look forward to the fact that with your help, things will always get better. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: There is hope even with broken relationships.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Broken" teach young people?
2. What is your own definition of "loneliness" ?
3. When a person is "broken," what does it usually imply?
4. Do most young people have mental pain as a result of a breakup?
5 What is the best way to behave when a person has had a breakup?
6. How does "time" heal all relationships?
7. What is the best way to "heal" loneliness?