awater

October 4

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, October 4

LUKE 10:13-16
If you do not repent, you will condemn yourself.

Prayerthoughts
a. The towns were made up of people, of course, and the people of the towns were the ones who did not repent, even though they had seen great things. I personally have seen great things that God has done. As a result, do I try to stay away from thoughts, words and deeds that complain about the things that have happened?

b. If the people of the cities of Tyre and Sidon had seen the deeds that the Lord did, they would have been easily influenced by the Lord. Do I say enough that I am sorry for the sins of my past?

c. Jesus makes a direct statement to the people around him in Capernaum. Do I show to the people of my locale that I am truly a follower of Jesus?

d. The Lord reminds me that when I speak of the Lord, I am doing what God wants. As I study my life so far, what in general have I accomplished with God's help? Is it what God wants of me?

e. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read the book of Job, chapter 38, and
write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

RECOGNIZE SINFULNESS, RECOGNIZE GOD

+ The book of Job concludes with a speech from the Lord and finally a statement from Job that is the first reading tomorrow

- the speech from the Lord is a statement of the wisdom of God and the power of God

- in chapters 38 and 39, the Lord hammers away at what God has done with the world

- how he has created the world and everything in it: “Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning?” he begins

- and then Job answers the Lord in chapter 40: “I am of little account, I put my hand over my mouth.”

- he has complained to the Lord and he realizes that he has sinned against the Lord even though he tried not to—his so-called friends got him to that point

- but he admits his sinfulness

+ For the saints (and especially Therese of the Child Jesus), that was a very real statement—they knew that their past was full of sinfulness

- probably not sinfulness that was criminal (although there were some saints like that), but sinfulness in the sense of Job: not understanding the power of God

- and once that understanding was present, then they wanted to do something with their lives

+ Jesus says that what we must do is to recognize God’s deeds in our midst

- saying to the people of the towns where he and his disciples were working

- that if they would only recognize what is happening, the “mighty deeds”, he calls them

- they would reform their lives

- saying that those same mighty deeds would have led the people of Tyre and Sidon to reform

- those people of Tyre and Sidon were destroyed because of their sinfulness, their lack of understanding of God

+ The application for us is a common one from the Scriptures—

- recognize what you have done in the past

- we have to admit our sinfulness—really, as the saints did

- then understand the mighty deeds that are happening around us

- the miracles in our own lives and families

- the proofs of the Lord’s presence with us

- and finally change our lives

- and since we have basically changed our lives and are moving in the right direction

- to find one little thing at a time that needs changing, (what Therese of the Child Jesus called “the little way”) and work on that, so as to become a little better every day

+ The pattern of Scripture for personal meditation is always the same

- announcing to us in different forms: recognize your sinfulness, recognize the deeds of God that surround us, and do something about it in our own lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Watermelon Sugar" -- Harry Styles

MORE THAN A FEELING

The Gospel

JOHN 15:14-17

Jesus said: "You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another."

Gospelthink: I chose you to be a person who tries to love everyone. Is there anyone in my acquaintances that I do not love as I should?

"Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening. And it sounds like a summer feelin’, it’s so wonderful and warm. Breathe me in, breathe me out. I don’t know if I could ever go without. I’m just thinking out loud. Watermelon sugar high. I want that summer feelin’, getting washed away in you. I just wanna taste it, Watermelon sugar high."

Feelings are an important part of the Gospels. It is clear that Jesus' feelings for his Father were strong. And as one studies those feelings, it becomes evident that the feelings that Jesus has are merely the beginning of his love for His Father. His love goes much further than feelings.

It is the same with his feelings for his disciples. It is clear that he has strong feelings of appreciation and care for them. But it goes much further than that. He calls it being a "friend" to them, that is, having the love of a friendship for his disciples. Then he calls his disciples to have that same love for one another. The point is that in Jesus' mind, there are two thoughts: "feelings of love" and "love itself." Feelings of love do not describe love. Love is much more than feeling love.

It is an important fact as one studies the multiple love songs that are produced in the music genres of our culture. The feelings of love tend to dominate a love relationship because it is the feelings that we can see and experience. Love goes much further than that. Thus in Harry Styles' song "Watermelon Sugar," the feelings of love are quite apparent: a "summer feeling," "wonderful and warm," "getting washed away in you," wanting to "taste it."

But the conclusion of the song, and the conclusion of every love song, must be that the love they want or describe is more than feeling. Here, he sings, "I don't know if I could ever go without" the love. His words imply permanence which only comes about after the feelings of love are present.

The love of a permanent relationship is a love that will not cease. It must be true when a couple makes the commitment to be with one another forever. In Jesus' mind, it must be the commitment of every one of us for each other.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are many times when we have the feelings of love. Give us the grace to understand that if we are going to truly love, we must go further than feelings. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We want good feelings with love, but we must work at being truly loving.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Watermelon Sugar" teach young people?
2. Sometimes in Christian circles, there is a distinction made between "like someone" and "love someone"? Is that a good distinction to make as we read Jesus' statement to love everyone? Yes or no and why?
3. In your opinion, what is a "watermelon sugar high"?
4. What is your definition of a "friend"?
5. What is your definition of "true love"?
6. There are other relationships in a person's life that are permanent besides marriage. Give some examples/
7. Do you think that a Christian can make a commitment to love everyone with a true love? Yes or no and why?