September 19

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, September 19

LUKE 8:1-3
I chose both men and women to follow me.

Prayerthoughts

a. What is the “good news” that I “preach” by my attitude?

b. There were a number of so-called “sinners” among those who followed Jesus. It is a lesson to us that everyone, no matter what they have done or are doing is important. Is there someone in my acquaintance that I do not treat the way I should? If yes, what can I do about it?

c. How do I understand the “kingdom of God”?

d. Luke mentions Mary Magdalene in particular whose life was not what it should have been before she met Jesus. Do I judge others with the thought of their wickedness?

e. It is important to see that among Jesus’s early followers, there were some women. In the way I live and act, do I show respect to all people, whether male or female? If no, what should I do about it?

f. The women provided for them out of their resources. Do I give to others out of the resources that I have?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read 1 Timothy 6:2c-12, and write an
important thought from it

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Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KINGDOM

+ The central thought of Jesus’s teaching revolves around the concept of the Kingdom of God

- here, Luke says that he went from place to place with one message, namely proclaiming the Kingdom of God

- the Kingdom has many characteristics, of course, and our whole spirituality is based on them

- the readings today mention a couple

+ As Paul wrote to Timothy about how a teacher of the Kingdom—namely, he, Timothy—ought to handle himself

- he says that the teacher ultimately has to be concerned about his own spiritual life—laying hold of eternal life, and then the rest would follow

- similar to Francis of Assisi’s and most of the saints’ thought—work on your own religious life before you worry about the ministry or even the salvation of others

- do your best to insure your own spirituality and holiness

+ Secondly, from the Gospel, we have a glimpse of the way Jesus went about his ministry of getting the message of the Kingdom across

- he went from place to place with a band of helpers which included women

- the “women” part was something that was scandalous to the Jewish mind

- women in those days often helped with situations, but never traveled with the men

- Scriptural theologians point out that the band of people who accompanied Jesus is a symbol of the make-up of God’s Kingdom

- men and women, married and single, healthy and ailing, rich and poor

- it also is a make-up of the Church as we know it

- Jesus excluded no one

- applying that to ourselves, we have a human tendency to want to exclude certain people from our own circle

- many spiritual writers say that this is one of the basic sins of religion

- namely, wanting to make their religion—for us, Christianity—an exclusive club

- Jesus’s group as he traveled preaching the Kingdom was not into exclusion of others

- it included all and so should our understanding of carrying on the work of our Church

+ Jesus preached the Kingdom of God to all

- he wanted the preacher to be convinced first

- and then he wanted to extend it to all.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Star Trek Beyond" -- final session
WINNING BY DYING

The Gospel

MATTHEW 27:50-53

Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Gospelthink: My death is really what I lived for and now redemption is yours. Do I thank the Lord enough for what he has done for me?

After the Enterprise has been destroyed in the movie "Star Trek Beyond," most of the crew are rescued by Kirk, Spock, Bones and an alien by the name of Jaylah. In the process they discovered that the aliens had decided to use their new-found weapon the Abronath to destroy the Federation station Yorktown and kill thousands of people. Finding an old starship named the USS Franklin, the Enterprise crew headed toward the station to help as much as they could. Managing to destroy the thrust of the aliens, Kirk found himself face to face with Krall who managed to put Kirk into a position in which Kirk would have to die in order to save Yorktown. Kirk was willing to die, saying to Krall that it is "better to die saving lives than to live with taking them."

Studying the symbolism present at Jesus's death, we see that the evangelists saw in the death of Jesus a much deeper reality. In Matthew's Gospel, the veil which protected the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem synagogue could only be passed through by the high priest and that only on a special day. With the veil being torn, now everyone had access to the presence of God. Also the earthquake and saints appearing were symbols of the final age--the Old Testament has now ceased, and the New Testament has begun.

In symbolism, then, Matthew is telling his audience that when Jesus died, all creation was allowed to approach God's presence. As Kirk worded it in the movie "Star Trek Beyond," and translating it into religious terminology, Jesus in his dying was saving lives. He was giving up his life so that humankind could live with the presence of God. Spoken from a secular point of view, as Kirk said, it is always better to die while saving lives than to live and neglect to help others.

The application is easy, of course, but the carry through is difficult. You and I are called to be good people who will work for the betterment of human beings, even if it means that we must sacrifice in the process. Carrying it out sometimes requires that we be willing to give up our lives. From a religious point of view, Jesus gives us the example of his human death in order help all of us. You and I are called in a similar way, even though it may be difficult for us as it was for Jesus.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, in Your Son's dying, we see the beginning of our new life in God. May we always learn His lesson to give of ourselves to others even if it means a sacrifice. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: It is "better to die saving lives than to live with taking them" (Captain James T. Kirk).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. What is most striking about the death of Jesus? Why?
3. If Jesus were to come today, how do you think he would make himself known to us?
4. How would you define the presence of God? [See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 203-213.]
5. How would you define a martyr for God?
6. The alien invasion is thwarted by Jaylah's music, adding discord to the unity of the invaders. Their unity is destroyed, and they flounder. Again, we see exemplified what a lack of unity will do. In our world today, what could be better worked out if there were unity?
7. Krall drains the life force from others to stay alive, the ultimate selfishness. In our world today, where do we sense the most selfishness?
8. What does the movie "Star Trek Beyond" teach young people?