TGIMMSeptember26

September 26

[media presentation below] TGIMMSeptember26.html

GospelThink

Thursday, September 26

LUKE 9:7-9
Herod was confused about who I was, thinking I was my friend John the Baptist.

Prayerthoughts
a. Herod has always been considered as “evil.” As I consider “evil” and the different places of “evil” in the world, can I do anything about them besides praying that the evil will be conquered?

b. John the Baptist above all spoke the truth. Perhaps there are some “truths” which I should speak. What are the principal "truths" which should be present in my life?

c. The talk that Herod heard concerned prophets that had reappeared. Who are the modern prophets of our day today, and what should I learn from them?

d. In my life, I, too, keep trying to see Jesus in the sense of making him part of everything I do. In my life right now, what needs the most improvement?

e. My prayerthoughts….

Today, I will read Ecclesiastes, chapter 1, and write an
important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

TRYING TO SEE JESUS

+ An interesting meditation can be supplied by Herod’s question and Luke’s comment

- Herod’s question: Who is this?

- Luke’s comment: He kept trying to see Jesus.

+ As one tries to grow spiritually, Herod’s question is fundamental: who is this person, this Jesus?

- it is the foundation question that must be asked

- why do we choose to follow this man?

- it can easily lead to commitment, deep involvement and acceptance as Lord and Savior

- but in order to accomplish that, we have to go further than merely trying to see him

+ As one studies the idea of getting to know who a person is

- in our case, who Jesus Christ is

- there are perhaps two steps to doing it

- one is the idea of “trying” to figure out who he is

- Herod was curious about Jesus

- that is the beginning of faith

- we have heard about this Jesus, and we want to go further

+ But the follow-up part of “trying to see” is absolutely necessary in order to know Jesus

- Herod couldn’t do it

- once we have heard about this Jesus, and have some idea about him,

- we have to accept him

- we have to accept his words, actions and thoughts

- we have to put them into practice in our lives

- and change if necessary

- we cannot be like the negative poem of the beginning of Ecclesiastes—there is nothing new under the sun, and so they just live from day to day without change, and go no further in life

- we have to change and say that there is something new under the sun and make Jesus our Lord and Savior

+ Herod asked the question of who Jesus was, and tried to see him,

- but he went no further

- as true followers of Jesus, we have to ask the question and answer it, and once we know who he is, we have to let that affect our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Creed III" -- beginning session

SHARING LIFE'S EXPERIENCES

The Gospel

LUKE 2:39-40

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Gospelthink: The Holy Family grew up in a normal way in their home town.

Early on, Adonis Creed and Damian Anderson were best friends as they grew up together in a foster home. One day during that time, Adonis impulsively attacked Leon, the abusive caregiver of the home. He was joined by Damien who showed a gun that he had. Damien was arrested, but Adonis ran away. That fact was something that was always part of Adonis' thought but never shared with his wife Bianca. After Damien came out of prison, he looked up Adonis who was the retired Heavyweight Champion with his own gym. Damien wanted to be Heavyweight Champion and tricked Adonis into sponsoring him. Adonis does and eventually Damien becomes the Champion. All the while, Adonis was acting out of character because of what happened in the past.

We know very little about Jesus's early life. We only know what Matthew and Luke tell us in their Gospels, and that is not a lot because they are so different from one another. Here in Luke's Gospel, after Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, he and his mother and foster father settle in Nazareth. Luke's explanation covers about thirty years of time, time in which both Mary and Joseph celebrated their marriage and their son Jesus "became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him."

As can be discerned from Luke's explanation, Jesus's life foundation was a good one. No doubt, the Holy Family was the perfect place for Jesus to grow, and therefore have the basis upon which a full later life could be experienced. Judging from his future life, he could teach and show the compassion necessary to help people.

Perhaps it is profitable to look at what did not happen in Jesus's early years. There is no indication that Mary and Joseph had difficult times and therefore did not communicate with each other, or that they experienced so many difficulties that they had to separate. Likewise, there is no indication that Jesus had some falling out with either parent. Probably Joseph died during those thirty years and Jesus remained with his mother in support of her and the family needs.

It is important because there are so many difficulties with growing up for a young person. They absolutely must have the support of both parents, and when they don't or when the parents have diffiulties communicating, the life of the whole family will be affected. In the movie "Creed III," Adonis and Damien, the best of friends, had a falling out, and the fact should have been shared with the partners of Adonis and Damien later on. The fact that Adonis did not share his early life with his wife Bianca was a dificulty and could have caused a major breakdown in their adult lives.

We all have things that happen to us early on in our lives. Realizing that they could affect what happens with later lives, those difficulties should be shared with the people who are important to us later on.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you know how difficult it is to grow into maturity because your Son in his human form had to experience it. As we grow into adulthood, give us the grace to live happy adult lives by sharing experiences that have influenced our early lives. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When there are difficulties when people are young, they should share them with loved ones later on in life.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 58 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why?
2. In your opinion, allowing for the differences of time, was Jesus's early life like our own?
3. In your opinion, why is it necessary to have a "good" life as a child?
4. In your opinion, what percentage of people in the United States have a "healthy" early life?
5. Do most families have good communication with their young children? With their teenagers? With their grown children?
6. Do most married couples commuicate "well."