TGIMMwrecking

September 28

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, September 28

LUKE 9:43b-45
I wanted my Apostles to understand what would happen to me.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus had the reputation of being someone great and probably could have attracted great crowds which he did often because they were amazed at his every deed. What is the most important thing that Jesus did as a human?

b. Jesus predicts his Passion by saying that he would be "handed over to men." From your knowledge of the passion of Jesus, what is most important for me to know?

c. "Handed over to men" sounds like an indictment of all, but of course, there are many people who did not agree with what happened to Jesus. Of all of the characteristics of people who are dedicated to God, what is the most important?

d. At times, the apostles did not understand Jesus. Do I spend sufficient time every day in meditation trying to understand what Jesus is saying to me?

e. My prayerthoughts….

Today, I will read Ecclesiastes, chapter 11 and write an
important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

JESUS’ DEATH AND WHAT IT TEACHES US

+ The Book of Ecclesiastes in this reading uses a number of powerful images of death and the end of people’s lives

- one of them:

“The pitcher is shattered at the spring and the broken pulley falls into the well.”

- that is, there is death—the pitcher is shattered—and if all we think about is this life, the broken pulley falls into the well, and therefore there is nothing

- the Scriptures frequently use death as an incentive and as a vantage point to look at the rest of one’s life

+ Jesus’ whole life must be seen from the vantage point of his crucifixion

- the Gospel today is the second prediction of Jesus’ passion in Luke’s Gospel

- the crucifixion—Jesus’ death, the fact that he was to be handed over to men—was to be the means whereby salvation comes to us

- and therefore extremely important in Jesus’ mind

- so that he foretells it a number of times in his life

- now in our minds, as his followers, it must be just as important

+ A couple points of meditation for someone interested in the spiritual life here:

1 – the whole thought of death and in particular our own deaths

- it is a true statement from Ecclesiastes that death is a good vantage point

- asking ourselves the question: by the time of our death, what will we want to have accomplished?

- for the Christian, we will want to have a relationship with Jesus that is expressed in the good deeds and words of a person’s life

- really, all the rest is fluff, vanity as Ecclesiastes says

- we have to be working on what we want to accomplish—that relationship with Jesus—because, using the image of Ecclesiastes, our pitcher can be shattered at any time

2 – looking at Jesus’ redemption process and the fact that he died for us

- we don’t want to fail to understand as the Apostles did during Jesus’ public life

- Jesus did die for us, giving us the chance to have eternal life

- and consequently our lives here can be legitimate preparation of eternal life forever

- it should bring forth a gratitude for what he has accomplished for us as well as a certain desire to listen closely to his direction concerning what to do with our lives

+ Death is a vantage point for us;

- we learn about our own deaths and we know that because of Jesus and his death, we have eternal happiness.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Wrecking Ball" -- Miley Cyrus

I SHOULD'VE LET YOU WIN

The Gospel

MARK 8:34-37

[Jesus] summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life?"

Gospelthink: If you want to have eternal life, you must not give yourselves completely to this life. Am I spending too much time on the things of this world?

"We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain. We jumped, never asking why. I fell under your spell, a love no one could deny. Don’t you ever say I just walked away; I will always want you. I can’t live a lie, running for my life. I came in like a wrecking ball; I never hit so hard in love. All I wanted was to break your walls. All you ever did was wreck me. You let me burn, and now, we’re ashes on the ground. Instead of using force, I guess I should’ve let you win."

The couple in the relationship of Miley Cyrus' song "Wrecking Ball" had had a very difficult time as the lady in the relationship looked back on it. The reason seems to be that they had moved into the relationship too quickly—"we jumped, never asking why" she sings. And as they moved into it, both of them moved like “wrecking balls.” As she sings: “I fell under your spell; I came in like a wrecking ball." And the man's reaction? "All you did," she sings, "was wreck me. You let me burn." What happened—"I can’t live a lie,” she sings. "Now we’re ashes on the ground."

What should the lady in the relationship have done, what should the man have done? Miley Cyrus actually gives the answer in her song: "Instead of using force," she sings, "I guess I should've let you win." When people are moving into romantic love, they cannot be bulldozers or wrecking balls. They have to be people who want the other person to win. They have to be people who are willing to give up their own way of doing things.

Jesus calls it "losing one's life." He was not speaking of romantic love, but he was speaking of an overall idea that includes it. He was speaking of love in general, a way to guide our living on earth so as to help us to live eternal life with God in heaven. It is a guide that can be applied to love and life this way: if we want to achieve what we want most in life, we must control our desire to have our own way. Jesus phrases it: "Whoever wishes to save his life must lose it."

The lady in Miley Cyrus' song had a very good insight into her relationship with her friend: "I should've let you win." That which holds us back from achieving good relationships, indeed anything worthwhile in life, is our desire to "gain the whole world," that is, everything we want, to win every game, to satisfy our every whim. When it tends to dominate a life, we just may lose that life. The way to keep it is to let others have their way at times.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son often spoke words of challenge to us. He told us that we must control our desires by giving up what we want. Give us the grace to understand that our selfishness could prevent us from gaining eternal life. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: In order to love and live well, we must control our desire to have our own way.

THE GOSPEL
1. Jesus' saying means that life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Jesus ends in destruction. But when a person lives in loyalty to Jesus and his teachings, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life. Do most Christians feel this way toward life? Yes or no and why?
2.Text analysis: "deny oneself." What is the meaning of the phrase?
3.Text analysis: "take up his cross." What is the meaning of the phrase?
4. In your opinion, do most Christians honestly follow what Jesus wants? Yes or no and why?
5. Give an example of someone (without naming anyone in particular) who has forfeited his/her life on earth.

THE SONG
1. Text analysis: "fell under your spell." What is the meaning of the phrase?
2. Text analysis: "I will always want you." Is it really possible to go through life "always wanting" the love of someone else? Yes or no and why?
3. Text analysis: "live a lie." How does one "live a lie"?
4. What kind of a love relationship does the song suggest? Why?
5. Text analysis: in general, what does it mean to always let another win? Is it always a good thing? Yes or no and why?

THE MEDITATION
1. When does a couple know that they have moved into a love relationship "too quickly"?
2. The song is describing a bitter breakup. What are the ways to overcome bitter breakups?
3. In most love relationships, do you feel that both are trying "to let the other win"? Yes or no and why?
4. It is very difficult to give up our own way of thinking and doing things. In general, can most young people accomplish it? Yes or no and why?
5. Text analysis: "gain the whole world." What does the phrase mean in our modern world today?
6. A person obviously will never achieve "everything they want." As one sets goals for a future life, what should be the overall goal? Why?
7. What does the song "Wrecking Ball" teach young people?