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When Herod had died, behold, the
angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,
“Rise, take
the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who
sought the
child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and
his mother, and went
to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling
over
Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back
there. And
because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of
Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what
had
been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be
called a
Nazorean.”
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After
his
summer time off, Harry
Potter was reluctant to return to his school Hogwarts, but at his
headmaster Professor Dumbledore's urging, he came back. Dumbledore
first took Harry to see Professor
Slughorn whom Dumbledore also persuaded to come back to
Hogwarts to teach. Harry realized that Dumbledore
had other reasons besides teaching to bring him back, however, and the
reasons all seem to revolve around the idea that Harry was the "chosen
one." Harry had gradually understood that he was indeed the chosen one
whether he wanted to be or not, a knowledge that is clear from the
beginning of this movie until the end. Chosen to overcome Voldemort,
the Dark Lord, Harry did not understand how he would
be able to do it, but if he was to survive and allow his world to
return
to good, he knew that he must.
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Being chosen
to do something can be an awesome task, especially if it involves doing
something that will affect a large number of people for the good. Harry
Potter had come to such an understanding as the movie "Harry Potter and
the Half-Blood Prince" commences. He knew that it would be a difficult
task. He knew the danger that was involved because he had already felt
it in his young life. He could very easily die, and if he did not
succeed, he was not at all sure what would happen to the life of the
people he loved.
The situation is not unlike the situation of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus when he came back to Nazareth as described by the Gospel of Matthew. Obviously, this boy--his son--who had arrived in such a miraculous manner was chosen for something that God wanted. And in a sense, that fact made him and his wife Mary also "chosen." They were chosen to make sure that Jesus could do what he was asked to do. They did not know what it was, of course, but they knew that they had a responsibility to give him the opportunity to do it. You and I have not been chosen to save the world. Our own little world is not made up of all of humankind or the fantasy world in which Harry Potter and his friends existed. Our world consists only of the places where we are right now or will be in the future. But it is important to see that we too are chosen to save it. We are chosen to bring ourselves to maturity. We are chosen to see that there are people around us, even in our own families, who could really use our help. We are chosen to bring about peace to the world in which we interact. Jesus said during his lifetime that he had been chosen. Harry Potter says it in the movie "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." You and I must say it as well, as we recognize our role in the real world in which we live. |
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PRAYER
Good
and gracious
God, your Son was the chosen one--chosen to redeem us and give us the
chance of eternal life. As we study Jesus' work, we know that you
wanted us to help in whatever way we can. Give us the grace to
understand that you have chosen us to do what we can to bring about
Jesus' redemption. Be with
us,
we pray.
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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT
Theme: We are chosen to save our own little worlds. THE
GOSPEL
1. Project:
Outline how Herod’s kingdom was divided between his sons after he
died in 4 BCE. (Archelaus ruled Judea,
Samaria, and Idumea from 4 BCE to 6 AD.)
2. Joseph determined that he should not settle in Judea, going instead to Nazareth. As we work with the situations that God gives us, what are the principal rules that should guide us? 3. Joseph was chosen by God to be part of “salvation history.” Describe how you think Joseph felt as he lived through these early years of Jesus’ life. THE MEDITATION 2. Knowing your
circumstances right now, what is a way that you can help others?
3. Knowing your circumstances right now, what is a way to bring peace to your own little world? THE MOVIE, PART 1 (approximately 47 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. Scene
analysis: Harry, Hermione and Ron talk about how dangerous Hogwarts is. What is the most dangerous situation that
teenagers place themselves in today?
3. Scene analysis: Professor Snape makes the unbreakable vow. What vows should be considered “unbreakable” in our world today? 4. Dialogue analysis: Professor Dumbledore tells the students that evil’s “greatest weapon is you.” What does he mean, and how can the statement be applied to evil in general? 5. Harry “cheats” by using the marked “Potions” book. In your opinion is “cheating” always wrong? Yes or no and why? 6. Scene analysis: Professor Dumbledore shows that Tom Riddle was an exceptional student. Do you believe that adult evil people can be recognized as evil early in their lives? Yes or no and why? 7. Project: choose some people from history that you would label “evil,” and study their early lives. |
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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