TGIMMhey

	SOULMATES

The Gospel

JOHN 17:1-5

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began."

The Media -- "Hey, Soul Sister" (Train)

"Your lipstick stains the front lobe of my left side brain, I know I wouldn’t forget you, and so I want to let you blow my mind. Your sweet moving, the smell of you in every single dream I dream; I know when we collided you’re the one I have decided who’s one of my kind. Hey soul sister, ain’t that 'Mister Mister' on the radio, stereo—the way you move ain’t fair you know. I don’t wanna miss a single thing you do tonight. You give my life direction, watching you is the only drug I need; I want the world to see you'll be with me."

The group Train's song "Hey, Soul Sister" is a love song that gives some qualities of being a soulmate to another. Being a soulmate is a description of love intimacy that has various meanings, but Train's thought of one who "gives my life direction" might capture its essence. When someone gives another direction to his/her life, the couple is truly in love. Such a description of a love relationship, however, can only be made by people who have given themselves completely to one another. It can come only after serious thought and serious time.

With something as profound as this, human beings often need some guide. For a Christian, there is no better guide than Jesus Christ. At the Last Supper, as Jesus thought about his life, he spoke with a true and deep love of his Father, a love that was part of his life on earth, a love which actually was present "before the world began," as John the evangelist describes. It gave direction to Jesus' human life, and the love between Jesus and his Father was a love that would generate redemption for a world that was desperately in need of being saved. The love could easily be described as "soulmate love."

The example of Jesus Christ and his love for his Father is worthwhile to study when a couple in love find themselves close to being "soulmates." Does each give "direction to each other's lives"? Has the love been there for a long time, having suffered through the ups and downs of finding what the other thinks and feels? Has the love been so real in each of their lives that their communication is the highest it can be? Is the love generative, in the sense of a real desire on both parts to bring into existence a further extension of love? Has the love brought about a certain harmony between the two?

Being a soulmate of another is not an easy accomplishment. It will take effort. But once accomplished, it will be a love that is lasting forever.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you had a special relationship with your Son that we cannot begin to understand. But as much as our minds can grasp, it gives us an idea of what true love should be. Give us the grace to understand your love in some way so that we can love others in a deeper way. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The study of Jesus' love for his Father in heaven teaches us how to have a deep love for another.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel has been called Jesus’ own commentary on the “Our Father.” In your opinion, do Christians truly carry out the words of the prayer “Our Father”? Yes or no and why?
2. Jesus describes “eternal life” to be knowing the Father and Jesus. How do you envision “eternal life.” In your opinion, what are its principal characteristics?
3. Jesus says that he has accomplished the work that his Father gave him to do. In your opinion, what was Jesus’ main work on earth, and what should we learn from it?
4. Text analysis: “Your lipstick stains the front lobe of my left side brain.” What is the meaning of the text?
5. In the song, the man in the relationship sings that his friend is “one of my kind.” In your opinion, when do you know that another is the “same kind of person” that you are?
6. Text analysis: Train uses the rock group "Mister, Mister"--same name, said twice--to illustrate the thought of being soulmates. What is their meaning?
7. Text analysis: “You give my life direction.” In what ways can someone give direction to one’s life?.
8. What is your definition of a soulmate?
9. Do you think that most people about to be married give sufficient time and thought to what marriage means before they get married? Yes or no and why?
10. In what ways is true romantic love like the love of Jesus for his Father?
11. The meditation says that “soulmate love” will last forever. With our divorce rate around 50%, what conclusion can be drawn about “soulmate love”? What can be done about our divorce rate in the United States?
12. What does the song “Hey, Soul Sister” teach young people today?

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