IFICAN'T

September 12
[media presentation below] GospelThink Thursday, September 12 LUKE 6:27-38 Love of Enemies Prayerthoughts a. This has been called “the unique” doctrine of the Christian, to love one’s enemies. In general, do I “love” those who disagree with my way of thinking, even though they disagree with me and would never “love” me? b. There are a number of believers in God, especially in special circumstances such as war, who still believe that they should do harm to enemies. I should pray for them as well. c. “Pray for those who mistreat you.” Generally, I do not have persecutors as such, but I should think in terms of the early Christians or those who are persecuted in our world. Would I have the thought to pray for them? d. The reasoning behind loving everyone is that God created everyone. I should look at all creation as God’s gift. I should take the time to praise our God for His creation. (This is the task of the meditation.) e. I should think in terms of doing “more” than merely acknowledging them. I should “love” them. Studying my actions with others, say yesterday, did I show that I truly accepted them as people that I “loved”? f. Am I truly a merciful person? g. Do I find myself often judging other people? When I do, perhaps I should say a prayer for them. h. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will list the gifts of creation that for which I am most grateful.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy BEHAVIOR TOWARD OTHERS + Both readings give us some rules with regard to others - and they are not easy rules to listen to because we would much rather think of what we want rather than our behavior toward others - we are selfish human beings in many ways - and one of the jobs of a Christian is to recognize it - and so the readings become a meditation for us—as they often do—a meditation about how we should react toward others + In the first reading, Paul counsels the Corinthians not to eat the meat sacrificed to idols - and much of the meat in Corinth was sacrificed in some way to idols - but his reasoning is not because it is intrinsically wrong - the problem is that it could be scandalous to others, - and so he tells them to abstain because we have to be very much aware of the community - that is, other people - and the application to us: don’t scandalize others, and if your actions look like they would scandalize, then don’t do them + The Gospel reading is from the so-called Sermon on the Plain from Luke, and a statement of how we should behave toward our families and friends, as well as other people - we should be people who: - love and pray for enemies - let people take advantage - give to others without expecting anything back - show compassion - refuge to judge or condemn -pardon others’ faults + The Gospel closes with what might be the ultimate statement of Jesus concerning why we should behave the way he suggests: - he brings it back to our selfish human thinking - saying that we will be treated, presumably in eternal life, the way we treat others - this is extremely difficult if we put it in the context of how we treat the people who dislike us the most The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.

MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: "If I Can't Have You" -- Shawn Mendes A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INDEPENDENCE

The Gospel

MARK 5:15-20

As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Gospelthink: I wanted the man I cured to go home to his family and proclaim the message. Do the people who are closest to me realize that I am a Christian?

"I can't write one song that's not about you. Can't drink without thinking about you. Is it too late to tell you that everything means nothing if I can't have you? Oh, I'm good at keeping my distance. I know that you're the feeling I'm missing. You know that I hate to admit it, but everything means nothing if I can't have you. I'm trying to move on, forget you, but I hold on."

One of the most intriguing passages of the Gospels is in Mark's Gospel after Jesus had cured a man who had many demons by sending those demons, Legion by name, into a near-by herd of pigs. Perhaps what is most intriguing about the passage is what Jesus says to the cured man, namely, not to follow him directly, but to "go home to your family and announce to them" the message of the Kingdom. Apparently the cured-man was so appreciative of Jesus that he was ready to give up the rest of his life completely and follow the Lord as the Apostles did. But Jesus tells him "no" and to tell the world about him as an independent preacher of the Kingdom at "home."

It gives rise to the thought that the disciple of Jesus may be in one of two categories, namely giving up everything and following the Lord or simply telling others about the Lord. By far the majority of Christians in today's world are in the latter category. All Christians do give up some things, but most of us are called to "go home and announce" that is to stay in the confines of the world, and spread the message of the Kingdom of Jesus.

The former group of people are asked to be completely dependent on Jesus, staying with him, doing what he directs. These are the religious and priests of our day who have given up everything and have "remained" with the Lord. The other category of disciples are those who are dependent on the Lord, but have chosen to be somewhat less dependent by going back to their homes and remaining disciples in their own way.

In our day-to-day living, as we use the idea of being a good person in the world, dependence on another is a virtue for those who have said "forever" to the other person. It is necessary for survival that such a dependence be carried out. But by far for most relationships in our world, namely friend to friend, there cannot be too much dependence on another because our well-being demands that we have a certain amount of independence. And so, in the song "If I Can't Have You," in a relationship not fully developed into a "forever" commitment, complete dependence on another may destroy the growth of each other.

It seems that Jesus set up two basic groups of those who followed him. In our world also, there are too basic groups of people, those who are totally dependent on someone else, namely those who have said "forever" to each other as in marriage. But many people, especially those still growing to maturity must be people who are working toward some type of dependence on another, but must strive to be independent--depending on themselves--as they grow..

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, I must learn the virtue of being dependent on you for life. But in the world in which I live, help me learn to be somewhat independent in my thinking so that I can be fully human in my approach to others and to You. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Depending on another too much too soon can lead to difficulties in relationships.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "If I Can't Have You" teach young people?
2. Why do you think the people of the vicinity "begged" Jesus to leave them?
3. In your opinion, how well are the Christians of our world "announcing" the Kingdom Jesus preached?
4. Because of our divorce rate in the world, there are people who have said "forever" to each other, and have not meant it. Why do those people forget about their promise to stay together forever?
5. In general, why is it wrong to be totally dependent on another in young love relationships?
6. In young relationships today, do you think that the two are usually too dependent on each other? Yes or no and why?