slow

October 6
[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, October 6 LUKE 10:25-37 My famous story of the Good Samaritan, telling you to have mercy. Prayerthoughts a. In my opinion, what is most important for me to gain eternal life? b. Taking the question of the scholar at face value, who are those in my acquaintance who could be called “neighbor,” namely those people I see all the time, should I be a little more kind to them? c. The priest and Levite would have been expected to take care of the injured man. In my role of Christian, I am “expected” to care for those who are hurting. Do I show enough concern in my life for the people who really need help? d. The priest and Levite passed on the opposite side so as to avoid contamination. Are there some people who need help that I am deliberately rejecting? e. Should I develop the virtues of compassion and mercy a little more in my life? f. The Samaritan went out of his way to care for the injured man. Am I willing to give up what I want to do in order to take care of someone that I could help? g. The Samaritan gave money to help the man. As I study my giving of money to people who need it, am I trying to give up to 10% of my income to good causes? h. The scholar refused to even mention the Samaritan by name. Do I find myself judging others who are doing good in a harsh manner? i. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Jonah 1:1-2–2: and write an important thought from it.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy GOD CALLS US TO SHOW COMPASSION + The first reading begins the interesting story of Jonah from the book of the Hebrew Scriptures - it will run over the next two days, and the liturgy doesn’t give us the whole story, and so I might suggest that you read it sometime today or during the next two days - in this first part, Jonah hears the Lord direct him to preach to the people of Nineveh; he refuses, tries to hide, finds that the Lord pursues him, is thrown into the sea, understands that the Lord is with him and offers a prayer of thanksgiving (not in the liturgy), and the fish throws him out onto the shore - the theme from this part of the story might be: God calls us to certain tasks, and we try to run away from God because we don’t want to do them + Sometimes we are not aware of those tasks, and we should be—the case of Jesus’s familiar story in the Gospel, the Good Samaritan - the priest and Levite should have been aware of what they should have done for the injured man, but they were too interested in their own agenda - they were pursuing their own lives, and knew that if they came into contact with the injured man, then they would have to purified, and that would take time, and they didn’t have that kind of time + There’s a tremendous lesson here that we must listen to if we want to live a Christian life - the Lord suggests things to us as we listen to the Scriptures - primarily, they have to do with how to live well with ourselves and with others - they are basic things: how to be a good person in the workplace in which we find ourselves, whether in an office or home or work environment - or how to treat others: with respect and with true love - we actually know what they are, we know the good things that we should be doing for ourselves and for others - but we simply don’t want to—we would much rather do our own thing, and not have to worry about what should be + What should be is what the Samaritan did in Jesus’s parable - he went out of his way to show the compassion that is so necessary in our selfish world + God calls us as Christian people to do the things that will help our world—that includes the way we behave toward the world, and especially how we treat other people.
MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: "Slow Hands" -- Niall Horan I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOU

The Gospel

JOHN 15:1-5

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. ”

Gospelthink: I am the vine grower and I have pruned you by my word. Do I live your word as much as I should?

"Slow hands like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry. No chance that I’m leaving here without you on me. I know that there ain’t no stopping your plans and those slow hands. I just wanna take my time. We could do this all night ‘cause I want you bad. Fingertips putting on a show, got me now and I can’t say 'No,' wanna be with you all alone. Take me home. Can’t you tell that I want you."

Our Christian belief is that Jesus, the Son of God, became one of us, to lead us to eternal life. In the process, he did not do it as a "superior" to an "inferior." He did it as a friend. He wanted to make us friends of his, and together we would come to eternal life to His Father. In fact, if we remain "in" him as a friend, he will treat us as friends of his, helping us know the way, correcting us as we travel that way, that us, "pruning" us, but always with the thought of friendship with us. Listening to John's Gospel, one feels his desire to be with us.

A common fact in romantic love is that in order to make it really work, there must be a real desire to be with the other in the relationship. Such a desire will encompass everything that happens, will be part of the beginning attraction, but will continue throughout the relationship. It will be part of the relationship during the problems as well as when there is some type of separation. If the relationship is real, it will be constant. As Niall Horan sings in his song "Slow Hands," there is no chance that the man in the relationship will be leaving "without you on me."

We have all kinds of relationships in life. Obviously, we have romantic involvements with some relationships that become permanent ones. But we also work with friendships in a particular time in our lives, some of which become lasting ones. But no matter what the makeup of a real relationship, one thing is demanded of it--namely, that there be a desire to be with the other.

Jesus showed us how to act as human beings on our way to eternal life. He taught us that when we choose to have a relationship with someone, a friendship, it must include the desire to be with that person in order to make it be what it should be.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son has a special relationship with us since he desired to "remain" in us, and we in him. Give us the grace to learn how to remain friends with Him and with those in our special relationships. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: There will be a real desire to be with another in any true relationship.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What is the best way to "remain" in Jesus?
2. In your opinion, is it difficult to remain in Jesus? Yes or no and why?
3. What is the best way to show to another that you truly want them?
4. What is your definition of a good friend?
5. Do most relationships that are made early on in high school last throughout people's lives? Yes or no and why?
6. In your opinion, is there ever a time when "being good friends" will not demand that the good friends be together? Yes or no and why?
7. What is your definition of "eternal life"?
8. What does the song "Slow Hands" teach young people?