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	ADDICTED FOR LIFE

The Gospel

JOHN 15:14-17

[Jesus said:] "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. It 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: I chose you to be a person who tries to love everyone. Is there anyone in my acquaintances that I do not love as I should?

The Media -- "Come & Get It" (Selena Gomez)

“When you’re ready, come and get it, you ain’t gotta worry, it’s an open invitation. I’ll be sittin’ right here, real patient, all day, all night, I’ll be waitin’ standby. Can’t stop because I love it, all day all night, maybe I’m addicted for life, no lie. This love ain’t finished yet. I’m gonna love you for life, I ain’t leaving your side. Even if you knock it, ain't no way to stop it. Forever you're mine, I'm addicted, no lie."

Rock music will often put into song profound words that are extremely difficult to carry into life. In the area of the permanent commitment of romantic love, for example, songs will speak about loving "forever" and "always." The lady in Selena Gomez's song "Come & Get It" makes a permanent commitment to another in the words: "I'm addicted for life, no lie." It is a promise that should have enormous effect on a person's entire life. Unfortunately, at times the songs do not carry over into real life because the actions that follow such deep words of love do not express what the words say.

We speak such words of profound commitment in many areas of our lives. Often they meet the same end as broken romantic promises. Consider for example the whole area of Christian love. When songs speak of romantic love, the Christian should think not only of romantic love, but the love commanded by Jesus Christ. His direct statement in John's Gospel is simply: "This I command you: love one another."

Such a love ought to carry the same force that a commitment to romantic love does. As the words of permanent commitment in romantic love, Jesus' directive should make us "addicted for life" to the cause of loving one another. Again, quite unfortunately, just as the words of promising "love forever" in romantic love situations are often not heeded in real life, the Christian's follow-through of Jesus' command is very poor.

We tend to find exceptions in both instances. Both with romantic love and Christian love, we attempt to excuse ourselves from meaning the profound words that we have said. We make statements like "I really didn't understand what I was saying"; "My case is different"; "Surely God doesn't expect me to keep my words after what has happened!" or "You can't expect the impossible" or the like.

We tend to make promises very quickly when we feel good about some relationship. Perhaps we must spend time thinking carefully about the words of every promise that we make no matter how we feel. Only after that time should we make the commitment, but after it is made, we intend to keep it because I am "addicted to it. No lie."

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son has told us to love everyone, and we have said that we would do it by our commitment to you in Baptism. Help us honestly want to carry through our promise to love one another. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We should be addicted for life to the love of one another.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. The only person that was called a friend of God specifically in the Scriptures was Abraham. What do you think is the meaning of the phrase "friend of God"?
2. Text analysis: "So that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.". What are the conditions necessary in order to expect an answer to our prayer? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2629-2633.
3. Why have Christians not followed completely the command to love one another?
4. Text analysis: "Even if you knock it, ain't no way to stop it." What is the meaning of the sentence?
5. What are the necessary conditions of a relationship before a song like this can be sung with the intention of a permanent commitment like marriage?
6. Most songs like this one are sung with one particular romantic companion in mind. What should happen between the couple if there is a breakup?
7. The presenter may want to present some facts about divorce in our culture. What effect has divorce had on our world?
8. Why is it so difficult to follow Jesus' command to love one another?
9. If every Christian followed Jesus' command to love one another, what is the first thing that would happen in our world?
10. In general, do you think that most people spend the necessary time for serious thinking before their commitment to each other?
11. What does the song "Come & Get It" teach young people?

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike