TGIMMit

	THE EFFORT IN LOVE

The Gospel

LUKE 9:3-6

[Jesus] said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them." Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

The Media -- "It Will Rain" (Bruno Mars)

"If you ever leave me, leave some morphine at my door ‘cause it would take a whole lot of medication to realize what we used to have. So keep in mind all the sacrifices I’m makin’ to keep you by my side, to keep you from walkin’ out the door. ‘Cause there’ll be no sunlight if I lose you. There’ll be no clear skies; just like the clouds, my eyes will do the same if you walk away. Every day, it’ll rain, rain, rain. For you, I'll try, I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding if that'll make you mine."

After he had chosen them, Jesus sent his disciples out into the surrounding areas to prepare for his own visiting of those neighborhoods. Basically there were two guides for behavior that he gave them as they went about their task. One was the whole idea of love for the people that they would encounter--they were to proclaim the good news that Jesus would give, and they were to show love by healing the sick. Secondly, Jesus told them that they were to show constant effort in their task--taking nothing for their journey. Their efforts were to be placed on what they were doing without worrying about themselves and their own comfort.

Put in a general way, Jesus was saying: if you love people, you will show effort on their behalf. Such a directive applies to romantic love as well as to the love that Jesus had for all the world. One of the characteristics of true romantic love is that the couple in love will show a constant effort to maintain the love. In Bruno Mars' song "It Will Rain," the man in the relationship is very clear about the effort he is showing, speaking of "all the sacrifices" he's making, and saying to her that he will keep trying, and will pick up any broken pieces even if it hurts him in the process.

It is easy to understand what this should mean for good living. First, if we follow Jesus' directive to love everyone, it will be evident from the way that we are showing the effort to do it. And in the case of romantic love, maintaining the romance forever will imply that both in the relationship are continually making the effort to keep it strong. Unfortunately, our human natures have difficulties with either situation.

The problem, as always, lies in not wanting to do the work. Yes, it is a great idea to have everyone in the world love everyone else. Yes, it is wonderful to have and to hold someone whom we say that we will love all the days of our lives, but effort is not easy. We tend to shy away from what is not easy. The fact is, and it is one that we must say to ourselves every moment of every day: loving another, whether it be in a general or a romantic sense, demands a constant effort.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son's primary directive was to love. We heard him say it to us, and we saw how he worked in proof of it. Grant us the grace to learn from him and truly make the effort to love in every situation of our lives, especially in marriage relationships. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Loving another demands a constant effort.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. If your neighborhood in this modern day was the locale of the Gospel, and you were one of the disciples sent out, what would be the first thing that you would do to help it?
2. The disciple of Jesus was to show complete reliance on the Lord. Do modern Christians usually have this much trust in Jesus? Yes or no and why?
3. Why are the Gospels called "good news"?
4. If you really wanted a relationship to continue, and you got the feeling that it was going to breakup, what is the first thing that you should do? Why?
5. What are some of the "sacrifices" a person should make to keep a relationship going?
6. Text analysis: "broken pieces." What do you think the song is referring to?
7. Text analysis: "I'll try." What are the best ways of showing another that he/she is trying to make the relationship work?
8. What is most difficult about the Lord's directive to love everyone?
9. Why does love of another demand constant effort?
10. What does the song "It Will Rain" teach young people?

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