IFICAN'T

September 12
[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, September 12 LUKE 6:39-42 Judging others Prayerthoughts a. If we follow the wrong leader, he/she will lead us astray. We have chosen to follow Jesus. As I look at yesterday, was it evident that Jesus is my guide? b. In many ways, I am a teacher of Jesus’s ways to others. What are the most important things that I should teach others? c. In my thoughts, I often find myself judging others. Who are the people in my life that I judge unjustly? I should say a prayer for each of them that they will follow God’s will. d. In my thoughts, I often find myself saying that some specific others should be doing what I am doing, thus making myself “superior” to them. In what ways has “pride” entered into my thinking? e. The Lord wants us to “see clearly.” What are the most important rules that I should follow if I want to see clearly? f. My prayerthoughts… Today I will read 1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-14 and write an important thought from it’
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy SEEING CLEARLY + The concept that Jesus uses in Luke’s Gospel today which is still part of the Sermon on the Plain - namely—“to see clearly”—is a good one to dwell on, - especially in light of the liturgy today + First, as Jesus was using it in the Gospel, - the only way we can see clearly to judge another is to remove the personal plank that blocks our understanding of others - because we are human beings with human natures, - we will naturally compare ourselves to others - and almost every time, we will make ourselves better or criticize another person in a negative way - and we run the risk of this accusation of Jesus - and so we have to consider carefully what we are doing and analyze our thoughts in light of our own problems which often “color” the whole situation - the goal is to see clearly, to see objectively + Secondly, in terms of what or whoever wrote the letter (scholars argue whether Paul did or not—the language is different from Paul’s known letters) - we have the graces that we need to see clearly - the author knows that everyone of us have the graces - the question is whether we will use them or not - our “problem” if you can call it that, is our free will - the Lord will not take that away - and so if we want to “see clearly” we can—we have the grace +The concept of “seeing clearly” in a general sense is nothing more than introspection - carefully studying the way that we act toward others and toward our everyday living - the only way we can grow spiritually is to study ourselves to see why we do the things that we do; - only when we have accomplished that can we see clearly.

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?