Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

MARK 15:42-46

[After Jesus died,] when it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

Gospelthink: Joseph of Arimathea was a brave man. He knew he would receive criticism because of what he did for me. Am I willing to be criticized because of my belief?

In the movie "Dark Waters," Bob Bilott finally discovered that the Dupont Chemical corporation was supposedly unwittingly poisoning the people of Parkersburg, West Virginia area. He found that Dupont had been running tests of the chemical PFOA or C8 for decades on their own, tests that had shown that it caused cancer, and they never said a thing. They dumped hundreds of gallons of toxic sludge in the Ohio River and some of it on Earl Tennant's farm who had complained to Bob Bilott. The attorney earned a settlement for Earl, but after hearing further testimony from Dupont workers, Bilott decided to work further against Dupont. Receiving the help of some 70,000 people in the Parkersburg area, Bilott with the help of an independent scientific panel, after seven years, finally discovered that the chemical indeed caused a number of medical problems including cancer. Bilott himself worked so hard that he had medical problems, but he finally was able to receive multi-million dollar settlements against Dupont. And still is.

At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, as a member of the Sanhedrin Joseph of Arimathea had been against what Jesus taught, but had changed his mind the more he got to know him. When Jesus died, Joseph "courageously" approached the governor asking permission to bury this person in whom he had come to believe. He knew that he would receive criticism for his action, but he saw that he had to step up to help Jesus even after Jesus had died.

In the meditations on the movie "Dark Waters," we run across two very courageous people, people who were willing to endure criticism. They were willing to endure it because they knew that their cause was right. Earl Tennant alerted Bob Bilott to the problem of pollution on his land, and then the attorney Bilott took it from there. Both received verbal and even physical abuse from the people of the Dupont chemical corporation and even some people that they were trying to help in the Parkersburg area.

In the first meditation on this movie, we spent time on the courage of both Earl and Bob. This meditation adds to the courage the thought of the criticism both had to endure. It brings up the question of when and how we should condemn a problem.

Sometimes we are able to do nothing about the problem except to pray that the perpetrators will receive the graces of the Holy Spirit to change their ways. At times, it may help to write a letter or an email to explain our beliefs. But sometimes we can do something and it will cost us in the long run. We may loose some friends or money or prestige, but we should pursue what we know is right. Both Earl and Bob felt the ire of some people as they pursued their worthy goal, but it did not hold them back.

We must be prudent in our decisions to confront others about their behavior, and we must always do it with concern for the person we are confronting. But we should not shun our duty when it is called for.           

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, it takes courage to believe in what is right. Please give me the grace to improve the world around me, even when I must confront others about the right thing to do. Be with us, we pray. 

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When something is wrong, we should take action, even if it could end up hurting us.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 59 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. There were some members of the inner circle of religious leaders in the Gospel who accepted Jesus, such as Joseph of Arimathea, while most rejected him. In your opinion, what caused the religious leaders to reject Jesus?
3. We do not know anything about Joseph of Arimathea's later life. What can you guess happened
4. What would most people have done with the complaint that there was something happening with the water around us.?
5. Do you believe that most adults are able to change their minds if they must when it comes to something truly important in their lives? Yes or no and why?
6. When is "courage" a problem for us?
7. Name the three most important problems in our world. What realistically can we do about them?
8. In your opinion, what does the meditation mean about "being prudent" in our decision to confront someone?
9. Do most people take into account the fact that we should be concerned about a person we are confronting? Yes or no and why?

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America