TGIMMiron2 2

	NEVER STOP LEARNING

The Gospel

LUKE 12:54-56

[Jesus] also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say immediately that it is going to rain, and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot--and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"

The Media

"Iron Man 2"

second session

Tony Stark/Iron Man understood that he was dying in the movie "Iron Man 2." He began to close out his life with questionable behavior, typical of someone who had given up on life. Understanding Tony Stark's situation, an organization interested in maintaining the peaceful state of the world, approached him with the beginning of a solution to his problem. Nick Fury, the representative of the organization was able to temporarily slow the progress of the poison in Stark's body by a special serum, giving Stark time to do something to correct his problem. He then reminded Stark of Tony's father's work some thirty years before. Reviewing the film of his father's research, Stark discovered a personal message from his father that led him to uncover something new. Stark had thought that his father had not cared about him, but now began to understand that he actually did. Learning from his father's work, Tony Stark realized that the past could teach him something that would guide his future.

Jesus was a great teacher, but often those who listened to him were not great learners. At times in the Gospels, Jesus became quite frustrated with his students, asking them why they could learn from things like nature, but did not learn about how they were acting at the present moment.

It could very well be the question that Tony Stark should have asked in the movie "Iron Man 2." How could he be so brilliant and miss the answers to his problem? As Stark is forced to answer the question, he discovers that there are answers he had never thought of. He did not realize that his own father actually loved him enough to give him answers years before Tony reached maturity. Tony began to understand that the past could give him answers if he would only open himself to learn them.

People can learn from what others have taught and from the way they themselves have reacted to past problems. But there is only the possibility of learning if they do not open themselves to learn. If people are convinced that they cannot learn anything new, they will not learn anything new.

But if people allow for the possibility, they can learn from everything, both in the past and in the present. They can learn from the things that did go well, and especially from the things that went wrong. They can learn from a successful undertaking, and from a wonderful experience. They can learn from a love that did not work out, from a wrong choice made early in life, from a miserable failure, and from an embarrassing moment.

One must never stop learning. When they do, they choose death--even if they remain living.

PRAYER
Good and gracious God, we constantly can learn from the things that you give us. Some are easy to learn from, but some are very difficult for us. Give us the grace to never stop learning no matter what happens. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The past can teach us if we open ourselves to learn from it.

THE GOSPEL
1. Jesus refers to interpreting the “present time.” For us, of course, it is the 21st century. What would you say are the three most important situations for us to be concerned about right now?
2. Studying those situations, what realistically can be done about them?
3. What is the greatest discovery that we have learned from nature around us?

THE MEDITATION
1. Jesus is a great teacher, but the meditation reflects that sometimes we are not great learners. If the topic is “how well you are showing what Jesus taught,” what grade (A, B, C, D, of F) would you give to the people who call themselves Christians in our world? Why?
2. The theme of this session is opening ourselves to learn answers from the past. What is are the two or three great lessons that you should learn from your past?
3. What does it mean to be “open to learn”?
4. Why do some people choose to stop learning when we have such great opportunities to continue to learn?
5. In general, what is the most important lesson one can learn in life?

THE MOVIE, PART 2 (approximately 39 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. Dialogue analysis: answer Stark’s question: “If it was your last birthday party, how would you celebrate it?”
3. Analysis: Tony develops a better understanding about his Dad. What are the characteristics of a good father?
4. Dialogue analysis: Tony’s father tells Tony that he is limited by the technology of his time What discovery do you think will be made in the future, but we are limited now without knowing enough?
5. Dialogue analysis: Tony’s father tells Tony that his greatest creation was Tony. Obviously, most fathers of our world really care about their children. Some fathers do not care the way they should In your opinion, why does that happen?
6. Scene analysis: Tony discovers the solution to his problem. As you study the problems of the world, and you are asked to give only one solution, what would it be?

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