TGIMMwildest

October 24

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, October 24

LUKE 12:49-53
My followers should be adamant in following me.

Prayerthoughts
a. We who are Jesus's followers must be enthusiastic as we speak of the Lord. What are the things that I am enthusiastic about in my world, and where is "proclaim the Kingdom of God" among them?

b. Jesus speaks of his death as he speaks here of "baptism," and he is anxious that it will come. As I prepare for my own death, what is the one thing that I must accomplish?

c. Jesus would proclaim peace in the world. The problem is that many will not accept his doctrine. So it will bring in some cases, a house divided. I have no doubt that I will choose the Lord, but is it clear that I have accepted the Lord's doctrine in every instance?

d. What are the things that divide families now? (This is the task of the meditation.)

e. Are there instances of anger and hatred In the family in which I am involved right now (immediate family, community family, etc.)? What can I do about it?

f. My prayerthoughts...

Today I will carry out letter d and say a prayer for those
involved in the differences.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

ROOTED IN LOVE

+ What does it mean to be a “rooted in love”?

- it is the phrase that Paul uses in his letter to the Ephesians: “…that you, rooted and grounded in love…”

- in Paul’s understanding, one who is rooted in love will know what the love of Jesus is, and that person will be filled with the fullness of God

+ If one is rooted in love, there will be certain consequences

- in the Gospel, Jesus tells his followers who have accepted love as a guide that they will have some difficult times

- saying in effect, that if a person is going to be a follower of his, that is, even if you are a person who totally loves, people are not always going to agree with you

Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

- Jesus’ reasoning is this: as a Christian, as a person who loves, we are always going to be disturbed by the fact that there is sin, the opposite of love in a sense, in the world

- and the followers of Jesus—people rooted in love—will do something about it—reform themselves, call attention to the evil around them, etc.

- and in general, people do not like to be told that they could be sinning, that there could be evil in their lives---

- those people of God could easily be treated with disrespect and harm

+ In today’s setting, of course, Christianity does not cause that type of division

- most of the United States is Christian; most people around here are Christian

- most people here accept Christianity as a religion to believe

- but the fact is that we are still far from what Christianity calls us to be

+ What a person rooted in the love that Jesus wanted—namely you and I—is called to do

- is not convert a pagan world to Christianity, as the early Christians were called to do

- but to convert a Christian world to a renewed Christianity

- and the means to do it is exactly the same as the past followers of Jesus

- we must understand the gift of God, namely Jesus in our lives

- and bring about the love that he preached in practical ways

- to understand that living a Christian life necessarily involves going against the evils that human beings are prone to

+ The modern day person rooted in the love of God is called to a truly committed life

- a committed life which drives us to be advocates for things that really matter in the world,

- we do that and Jesus doesn’t promise peace right away because we will disturb some people

- but eventually we could lead ourselves and the world to what might be called real peace, and eventually, eternal life.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Wildest Dreams" -- Taylor Swift

SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME

The Gospel

LUKE 22:14-20

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” ... Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”

Gospelthink: I set up a way in which I would always be remembered: the Eucharist. Do I show as much reverence for the Eucharist as I should?

"He said 'Let's get out of this town, drive out of the city, away from the crowds.’ I thought heaven can't help me now. Nothing lasts forever, but this is gonna take me down. He's so tall and handsome. I can see the end as it begins. My one condition is: say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, red lips and rosy cheeks. Say you'll see me again, even if it's just in your wildest dreams."

A thought that is important to dwell on for people involved in serious thinking about life is the rather deep consideration of how we want to be remembered after we leave. It is a thought that can guide how we act and what we say during the situation itself, whatever it is. If say, I will not be part of the particular set of circumstances in which I am currently involved, how will people talk and think about me after I leave?

Jesus had the thought as he neared the end of his life. He knew that his Apostles and followers would want to stay in contact with him somehow, continue to make him part of their lives, continue to look to him for guidance. At the Last Supper, when he knew that the Apostles would very shortly be completely lost with regard to what to do, he wanted to say to them that he would always be present to them. All they had to do was remember that they could celebrate his presence by a simple act, what many religions have come to call the Eucharist.

It is an interesting thought when one applies it to a love and dating situation, as does Taylor Swift's song "Wildest Dreams." Let’s say the situation is not working out, and the person knows that he/she will move on as they try to discover further romantic love in his/her life. How does a person want their present “significant other” to think of them when they leave? Is it a good image that they have? The lady in the relationship has broken up with the man, and she is thinking about how he is going to feel about her when she leaves, saying that she wants to be remembered a certain way.

The application of the song to real life includes romantic involvement. Stated as a fact, it reads that if we want to be thought of in a good way after we leave, we will be very concerned about what we do before we leave. If we want to be thought of well or spoken of well after we leave, we must try to be the type of person who is good and decent during the time we are present.

Jesus knew that those who loved him would want him to remain with them. He was remembered well because he cared for people during his time with him. Such is a lesson that all of us should learn.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son has remained with us in our belief of His Presence with us now. Give us not only the grace to respect Him for this gift, but the grace to also learn how we want to be remembered when we leave a situation. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: How we want to be remembered in the future can direct how we act right now.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why is the doctrine of the Eucharist so important to religion?
2. In your opinion, why have some churches decided not to include the Eucharist as part of their belief system?
3. Analysis: Why does the lady in the song sing that heaven cannot help her?
4. Analysis: The lady in the song seems to have accepted the fact that the man is leaving. Why do people want to "hang on" to relationships?
5. In general, what do most people want others to remember about them?
6. What is the best way to assure that a person will remember them in a good way? That is, what qualities are most important as a person works in a relationship?
7. How does a person truly "care" about another?
8. What does the song "Wildest Dreams" teach young people today?