tgimmROGUE1

	THE LOYALTY IN FRIENDSHIP

The Gospel

JOHN 11:28-45

[After Lazarus died,] Martha called her sister Mary, saying, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.” As soon as Mary heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. … When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” … Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

The Media -- "Mission: Impossible--Rogue Nation" (beginning session)

Within in the IMF (Impossible Missions Force), given the danger of the missions that the Force accepted and the nature of the work, the agents had to share friendship. The friendship had many parts, but perhaps the most important one was loyalty to one another. At no time could there be a question about whether one agent would actually give up his/her life for the other. In the movie, Ethan Hunt, Benji Dunn, Luther Stickell and William Brandt were friends, and completely loyal to one another. It meant that each of them would sacrifice their very lives for one another, completely giving to each other, no matter what the consequences, to the very end.

Our dictionary defines "loyalty" to be a faithfulness to another that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray. Therefore, loyalty as a virtue in friendship implies that the friends will be present to each other no matter what the circumstances may be. Jesus was "loyal" to his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. They no doubt had been loyal to him throughout his ministry, always being open to the needs of his ministry, always believing in him. Jesus in his human way showed the same loyalty and friendship as he decided to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Within the IMF organization in the "Mission: Impossible" movies, being loyal to one another was absolutely necessary in order to accomplish the goals of the organization. If the agents were to accomplish anything as they tried to bring out "good" amidst the chaos of the land, they had to completely trust each other. Often their lives were in the hands of their friends, and each of them had to sense that the other was part of the loyalty that they had to build. Such was the loyalty that the four friends in the movie showed to each other.

Being a friend to another implies a number of things, of course, but the thought of being loyal to such a friend may be a primary one. If the loyalty exists, then nothing will stand in the way of the friendship, and each will be able to trust the other to be who they said they would be.

Our world needs people who are true friends to each other. If we manage to have it, we will be loyal to them, and them to us. And we will be able to face the world of complication that we encounter.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son showed us the value of friendship in his life. May we learn from him, and be loyal friends to those whom we call friends. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Being loyal to another is a very important part of friendship.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 61 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. Jesus showed the very human quality of being a friend in the Lazarus story. In what other places of the Gospel do you see the "human side of Jesus"?
3. Jesus refers to the faith that the people should have. What does "faith in Jesus" mean to you? (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 422-455.)
4. What is your definition of "loyalty" in friendship?
5. What are some other characteristics of "friendship"?
6. Why are friends necessary for our world?
7. Analysis: In your opinion, do the torture scenes in movies like this one have an adverse effect on young viewers? Yes or no and why?
8. Should any agency of the government ever use "destructive methods" to determine information? Yes or no and why?
9. In movies such as this one, friends will often risk their lives to help another friend. In general, do you think that most friendships have this characteristic? Yes or no and why?

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