jum2

October 7

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Tuesday, October 7

LUKE 10:38-42
I want people to spend time thinking about things that matter.

Prayerthoughts
a. The Gospel story concerns family. In my own family right now, are there relationships that I should work on to make them better?

b. Mary listened to Jesus speak. Do I truly listen to the Lord, that is, concentrate on the words of Scripture?

c. Martha knew Jesus well enough, and Jesus was close enough to the family that she could complain to him. In my prayer to the Lord, am I as open about my situations in life as I should be?

d. As Martha, we have a tendency to worry or be too concerned about what goes on in our lives. Am I too anxious about anything in my life right now, and if so, perhaps I should "hand it over" to the Lord, and let God take care of it.

e. The better part in life is to spend time with the Lord as Mary did. Do I have a prayer schedule set up in my life, and do I try to follow it as best I can.

f. My prayerthoughts….

Today, I will read Jonah 3:1-10 and write an important thought from it.

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Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

LISTENING TO JESUS

+ In the first reading, continuing the story of Jonah, Jonah finally listens to God, preaches to the people of Nineveh, and the people of Nineveh, in turn, listen to Jonah, turn from the evil that they were doing

- Jonah listened to God, the people listened to Jonah

- listening is the key

+ It is also the thought of the Gospel today: we must listen to the Lord’s words

- first of all, Jesus once again goes against the culture of the time

- and seems to be spending time alone with women other than relatives (Luke would easily report that in his Gospel since he was concerned about women)

- his words to Martha are significant for the person interested in a deeper spiritual life

- the spiritual life begins with listening to the words of God through Jesus

+ Once again here in the Scriptures, we run across the idea that the spiritual person must listen to the words of Jesus

- there has to be time spent with those words

- Mary was seated at the feet of Jesus

- a significant amount of time was spent

- and applying it to ourselves, a significant amount of time must be spent in our day

- perhaps reading/listening for 10-15 minutes, and then thinking about a personal application for 10-15 minutes

- we know that it is possible to find a half-hour a day if we want to

- it’s a matter of planning and scheduling

- what a significant thing this could be for a parish or a Christian community

- it would have a profound effect on our behavior

+ Also, there must be the effect of putting the words into practice

- not mentioned in the Gospel here, but one is led to believe from the Scriptures that Mary did well with following through with Jesus’s words

- much of this will be automatic since if we expose ourselves to something like Jesus’s words long enough, they will affect us

- but there must be a real desire to do something also

- to make some resolutions to do some good things in our lives

+ Listening is a difficult virtue in many ways

- because we spend too much time with the “background noise” of the world

- Jesus words are important and we must make them so in our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Jumanji: The Next Level" -- final session

HOW TO ACCOMPLISH LOVE OF ENEMIES

The Gospel

MATTHEW 5:43-45

Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."

Gospelthink: I desire that you get along with everyone, even those you do not like. Am I doing it?

The friends of Spencer finally found him in the avatar of a female cat burglar in the game of Jumanji. Discovering a way to change avatars, the original players each discovered what they could do. But Spencer's grandfather Eddie and former partner Milo had been brought into the game with the original players. They got into an argument about their work in the restaurant business in real life that ended violently. Then after the group was joined by two other players who were friends of theirs in real life, Eddie and Milo finally reconcile. Milo explained to Eddie that he was terminally ill and wished to make amends with Eddie before he died. The group change avatars again, and eventually Spencer rekindled his relationship with Martha. The seven eventually must go through a number of situations in order to obtain the jewel which that finally did. Once they were free to go home, Milo decided to stay in the game, while Eddie thanked him for his friendship.

If there is one doctrine that sets Christianity apart from other major religions, it would probably be "love of enemies." Jesus makes it clear that we must not only tolerate or put up with those who dislike us, but we must love them. No other religious leader has ever said that; it is a totally unique doctrine. And it is likewise well documented in history and even in the present day that most Christians have not followed this doctrine as well as they should have.

In any given situation among human beings, almost always there will be an instance of disagreement and hatred among them. It is almost inevitable that someone somehow will upset another. In a sense, they become enemies, and in general, will avoid one another. Such was the case between Eddie and Milo in the movie "Jumanji: The Next Level." Like so many people who had worked together at one time, they grew to hate one another because of some reason, and they became irreconcilable.

It is significant how the two made up their differences. Together with the other people who were trapped in the game with them, they had to undergo all kinds of difficulties as they "played" the game. That could have caused them to see how petty their dislike of each other was. But that did not do it. They made up by talking, plain old communication. They both explained what had happened between them when Milo finally made up his mind to do something about his dislike of Eddie.

Given any disagreement, the situation can be "made better" simply by talking with one another. Perhaps there must be further action after the initial communication, but any reconciliation must begin with the desire to talk it out.

It is an important fact to learn for the Christian. Jesus makes it clear that his doctrine includes love of enemies, love of people that we do not like or those who do not like us. Love is what he counsels. It begins with a true understanding of how each feels, something that can only be attained by communication.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son told me that I must love those that I do not like for whatever reason. Help me hear Him a little better than I am doing at the present time. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Even a deep hatred between people who were friends at one time can be resolved.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 57 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. What does the movie "Jumanji: The Next Level" teach young people?
3. In what areas of our world do we see a true love of enemies?
4. In your opinion, are there any other doctrines besides love of enemies that other religions do not share?
5. In your opinion, what is the principal reason for hatred of others?
6. Why is it so difficult to communicate with another, especially one that we know well?