thepea1

October 31
[media presentation below] GospelThink Thursday, October 31 LUKE 13:31-35 Determined to Follow God Prayerthoughts a. The Pharisees may have been actually concerned about Jesus. Am I truly concerned about the friends who are close to me? b. Most probably the Pharisees merely wanted to frighten Jesus and have him submit to what they wanted. Do I selfishly want others to do what I want to do, and direct others to do things the way I want? c. Casting out demons is a sign of doing the will of God. God’s Will in my life right now is to do the very best that I can in the circumstances that I am in. Am I? d. Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem, even though he knows that it could possibly mean his death. Am I truly determined to do what God wants in my life? f. The reference to Jerusalem is probably referring to the rejection that the religious leaders made of Jesus. As I study my life, what are the times that I have rejected the Lord? I should ask for forgiveness again. g. My prayerthoughts… Today I will write a prayer focusing on how I can do my best in my current circumstances.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy THE ARMOR OF FAITH + At the close of the letter to the Ephesians, the author gives the general directive to put on the armor of God - and he tells us exactly what that is, namely “hold faith as a shield” - that is, as we deal with the problems of this world, the way to combat them is to grow stronger in our faith + And, the Gospel contains Jesus’s intention according to Luke’s Gospel, namely, to go to Jerusalem at that time, and continue his work - a place where prophets lost their lives, and—Jesus’s thinking—a place for his own passion, death and resurrection + If we study the readings in light of those two thoughts together—becoming the thought of “The armor of faith,” we find some important insights, I believe: - 1 – we have all accepted that armor of faith in our Baptisms - and at that time, we or our parents and sponsors said some pretty strong words, namely that we completely renounce sin and all evil works all the days of our lives - it is good that we often renew and review those promises which we made - 2 – the letter to the Ephesians reminds us that that armor of faith will include: - the reading of Scripture - I think it is important to do that daily, especially the Gospels; - praying at every opportunity - setting aside special times for our prayer - and persevering in that prayer; - and the desire to be the ambassador for Christ as the apostles were - 3 – from the Gospel - Jesus chose the way of redeeming us by his passion, death and resurrection - obviously we are not called to such a high vocation` - but we are called to be as thoroughly Christian as we can be in whatever way of life we have chosen + You and I have been given the directive to live our lives with the armor of faith - it is something we should both be thankful for and try to live.

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' 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' 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' 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?