thepea1

October 31
[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, October 31 LUKE 14:1-6 Healing on the Sabbath Prayerthoughts a. The keeping of the Sabbath was extremely important in Jesus’s time with us because it was an important part of the Hebrew Law. Do I always make Sunday a day of prayer in some way? b. Jesus was teaching about the importance of taking care of a person. Are there some people for whom I have not shown the proper respect? c. The religious leaders would not answer Jesus’s question concerning healing a person on the Sabbath. They were “setting him up for failure.” In my interaction with people, do I always interact with them with love? d. Jesus healed the man. Obviously, I can’t heal, but do I show real concern especially toward the most vulnerable people that I meet? e. Jesus shows that the law must be “adapted”. Of course, you would do the work to help someone or some animal in dire need of help on the Sabbath; so you should do even if the law doesn’t say so. Are there some situations in which I “excuse” myself, but really should be helping them? f. My prayerthoughts… Today I will read Romans 9:1-5 and write an important thought from it.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE + In the first reading, Paul writes to the Romans about his love for his fellow Jews - saying that he really wants them to accept Jesus Christ and his teachings - going so far as to say—and this is a profound statement for Paul to make— - that he would even allow himself to be condemned and blocked from Jesus—that is something that he never wanted to happen to him - but he would accept it if only his fellow Israelites would accept Jesus + Paul desperately wanted his fellow Israelites to accept Jesus, and chapter 9 of Romans goes into a teaching about why they should accept him - it brings up the whole question of how you and I have accepted Jesus in our lives - that is, have we completely accepted who Jesus is, and what he wanted to teach - have we made him the way, the truth and the life that every Christian is called to do? + Because if we have truly accepted him - we will have the same love of our fellow people as Paul had for his fellow Israelites - the same love that is exemplified in the Gospel today - in Jesus’s view of things, people are very important - other people—whether neighbors or people who are sick or ill - he deliberately heals the man with dropsy on the Sabbath - saying to the Pharisees who were watching him very closely that people are more important than any law - the Israelite law did not allow medical activity on the Sabbath and Jesus points out how wrong that part of the Jewish law was + And so, this idea becomes very important for us as you and I say that we have accepted Jesus and his teaching - do we treat people with the respect they need - we look at the world outside - and we see a lot of negatives—the wars, the killing, the revenge, the hatred, the prejudice - there are some people who are working for the betterment of humankind, but there are a number who are not - we look even within the Church - and we see people who have made the Church an exclusive club almost that will not allow certain elements of society to come into it + But especially in this area, - we have to be concerned about ourselves - that is, if we have accepted the teaching of Jesus, we have to be concerned about how we treat those closest to us—our families, our fellow religious elsewhere and here - the people that we know best in all the world are the ones that we live with + There is an English idiom—saying—that familiarity breeds contempt - that is, when you are so close to people all the time, the chances are that we will learn to hate them - that could never be what Jesus wanted - for him, people were important, even more important than law - it should be the same with us.

MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: "The Peanut Butter Falcon" -- beginning session THE INFLUENCE OF ANOTHER

The Gospel

MARK 1:32-34

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Gospelthink: I want people to be healthy and I make it possible for them. Do I show others help and care as much as I can?

Tyler had led a life that consisted of satisfying himself throughout his young life. His work was "stealing" from the different crab traps around his native North Carolina home. Eventually he ran into the people who owned the crab traps, and after an immature act of destroying their property, he fled in one of their boats. On board unknown to him hiding was a Down's Syndrome young man by the name of Zak who had run away from his care facility. Tyler's interaction with Zak was what Tyler needed in order to recognize who he really was, and although the movie does not describe his future life, one is led to believe that he chose a different lifestyle.

One of the remarkable facts about Jesus's ministry was how many people he influenced in some way. There are some passages of the New Testament in which great crowds are influenced by what he had to say and do. In all of them, one must be struck by the good that he did and how people were actually changed because of him. One must be led to believe that there were many "conversions of heart" simply because the people met this Jesus.

One person therefore can change the life of another. It is proven time and time again in Jesus's life. We can learn from that in our lives. Tyler in the movie "The Peanut Butter Falcon" learned it when he met Zak. It was obvious to Tyler that Zak was somewhat handicapped. Zak even made sure that Tyler knew that he was a "Down's Syndrome" person. But Tyler needed someone in his life to make him aware of what he was like, someone who could prove to be a guide that he desperately needed. When Tyler saw how Zak was driven by a dream that he had, Tyler finally learned that maybe in his life he should find a way to do some serious thinking.

Who is the person in our lives that we should imitate and learn from? It is the question of everyone of us as we learn how to behave in our lives. People choose significant others to direct their thinking all the time. Young people choose parents, students choose teachers, adults choose other adults who have the same calling that they have. We learn from others if we want to. People tend to imitate great personalities.

Ultimately, the Christian must learn from Jesus. As he was the focal point that led so many people to change their lives, so he must be for those who profess to follow him as a Christian. It turns out to be a lifelong task.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God Your Son must be an influence on us if we are to be the people we should be. Give us the grace to truly choose Him to be a guide in our lives. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Sometimes conversion of heart begins with an encounter with another person.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 45 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. What are the common forms of selfishness in young people? How can they be addressed?
3. In your opinion, what is most striking about Jesus's personality?
4. In our lives right now, who is most influential and why?
5. Who do you think is the most influential person in the world and why?
6. What is the most important Christian virtue that we should follow and why?

THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE