notime2

September 5

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, September 5

LUKE 5:1-11
I chose my apostles, telling them that they will influence others.

Prayerthoughts
a. The crowd was listening to the Word of God. How well do I listen to the Word of God? Are there some elements of that Word that I do not pay as much attention to as I should?

b. The Lord is truly “in my boat,” that is my creator and giver of life. I should take the time right now to thank God for all that God has done for me, especially something that happened yesterday. (This is the task of the meditation.)

c. Sometimes it seems as though the Lord is giving me a directive that does not make sense, as Simon thought. It especially happens when something is happening to me that I wish were otherwise. I must take the time to see that the Lord is working with me in whatever that happens.

d. The Lord is always working and many times He will work as I want. Do I thank the Lord as often as I should?

e. One of my thoughts ought to be that I have sinned, and as a result to ask the Lord for forgiveness and for the honor of being created.

f. I truly should be astonished at what God has done for me and the world.

g. Jesus tells the Apostles that they will be “catching men,” signifying their future with Him. I may not have the same directive from the Lord, but I see people every day. I should take the time to accept His directive to love everyone I meet today.

h. I do not need to “leave everything,” but there are probably some things that I could easily give away to those who care for the needy of the world.

i. My prayerthoughts...

Today, I will carry out letter b.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

A TOTAL RESPONSE TO JESUS

+ The last phrase of the Gospel is the statement of how Luke describes the ministry of the Apostles:

- they left everything and became his followers

- that is, the Apostles gave a total response to Jesus

+ As you and I attempt to be spiritual people, there must be a total response to the Lord as well

- and from the liturgy today, there is some idea of what that total response means

1 – From Paul, as he writes to the Corinthians, we have to put the world in its place for our lives

- Paul contrasts wisdom—that of the world and the wisdom of God

- Paul was speaking of the wisdom of the world at that time

- even more so now, of course, with our technology and conveniences

- we could easily get wrapped up in our world and lose the idea of responding totally to God

2 – From the Gospel, and Peter’s statements

- here, his statement: “But at your command…”—that is, he is going to follow what the Lord says even if it doesn’t seem to be the way he thinks it should be

- if we want to respond totally to God as a spiritual person,

- we must follow the word of God in Scripture

- determine the mind of Jesus and then if in the Gospels, Jesus says to do it, do it

3 – Again, a statement of Peter: “I am a sinful man”

- if we want to respond totally to the call to be a spiritual person

- we must admit the possibility of sin in our lives

- not only in the sense of having sinned,

- but especially in the sense of need of help right now

+ The liturgy today presents three important helps to the spiritual life and a total response to God

- these are not exhaustive, but they are all necessary:

- put materialism in its place, determine and follow the mind of Jesus, and recognize our real absolute need for God.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "No Time to Die" -- final session

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

The Gospel

JOHN 15:12-17

Jesus said, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love that this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. I was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.

Gospelthink: My first practical commandment is that you show love to everyone. Have I managed to keep the commandment?

In the movie "No Time to Die," James Bond reestablished his relationship with Madeleine after discovering that she had not betrayed him. Lyutsifer Safin who was the real evil managed to infect Madeleine with the virus that killed Blofield, the leader of Spectre. In reality, Safin had directed all of the evil, even overpowering Spectre. Eventually, M and Q in MI6 headquarters enabled Bond to infiltrate the island in which Safin had set up his operation. Safin had set up the island to facilitate the manufacture of the virus in order to conquer the world, a virus that Obruchev of MI6 had invented, but Safin had taken over. Of course, as in all of the Bond movies, James Bond wins in the end, but this time after he has killed Safin, freed Madeleine and arranged for the destruction of the island where Safin had manufactured the virus, he was trapped. Having discovered that Madeleine was the mother of his child, he willingly died with the love of Madeleine and his son in his mind.

What would we do if we were in a situation that required us to die on behalf of another? Jesus, our redeemer, made such a decision. Paul the Apostle describes Jesus' death this way: "Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-7)" Jesus died for humankind, even though in many ways we did not love God the way we should, and could be called "sinners." James Bond's gift to Madeleine was given in the context of one who loves; it was not only the gift of love, but it was the ultimate proof of the gift of love. As Jesus reminded his followers, there is no greater love.

Again, the original question, what would we do if we had to die for another? We obviously do not know the answer because we are not in such a situation, and we do not know how we would act. We know we have great examples of people who have loved to such an extent, and we have seen it enacted on the movie screen. Usually the dying for another is in a romantic context as in the movie "No Time to Die," but as Jesus describes it, this type of love ought to be part of every believer in Jesus Christ on behalf of anyone else. It is a difficult doctrine. In fact, in today's world, some might even call it and impossible doctrine.

Knowing that such proofs of love exists is only part of the answer. Perhaps our principal concentration must be on managing to love everyone as completely as we can. Then, if the ultimate is required of us, we would be ready to show it.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son died for us, the ultimate statement that he loved us. We were not worthy of such devotion to us. Help us learn the lesson of love in such a way that if we were asked to give our lives for someone else, we would be able to do it. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: In the end, the way to die is to give up our life for love.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 77 minutes)
1. What scene during this session is most striking and why?
2. Concerning the Lord's directive to love everyone, do Christians even try to follow it?
3. Looking at this movie from the point of view of the end of this series of James Bond movies, what is the principal lesson that James Bond gives the world?
4. Do you think that most good Christians would die on behalf of another?
5. Besides, Jesus who is the best example of someone willing to die for another?
6. If everyone truly loved one another, what is the first thing that would change in our world?
7. What does the movie "No Time to Die" teach young people?