TGIMMroar

	FROM ZERO TO A HERO

The Gospel

LUKE 4:16-22

Jesus came to Nazareth where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?"

Gospelthink: I told the people in my hometown about my intentions to help the world. Is it clear from my actions that I intend to help the world as much as I can?

The Media -- "Roar" (Katy Perry)

"I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath, scared to rock the boat. So I sat quietly. I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything. Get ready ‘cause I’ve had enough. I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire ‘cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar, louder than a lion. Now I’m floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes, I went from zero to my own hero.”

Katy Perry's song "Roar" is the statement of a person who finally has a good feeling about herself. In the song, the woman knows who she is and what she stands for. She knows that when you stand for nothing, you fall for anything that comes along, and so she makes a choice to be someone stronger, someone that she is proud of, a true hero.

She remembers the past. There was a time when she was content to let things happen around her. But, as she says, there comes a time when you understand that you have to stand up for oneself, reach for an inner strength, and in her words, finally, "roar." Her action implies that she had to recognize the need for a change, make herself a better person, a "champion" that fought the fires of immaturity. She earned her stripes, that is, she finally discovered the "why" in life, and now is ready to embark on a life of meaning.

In many ways, she is copying the human Jesus who began his ministry by accepting a responsibility that was a result of understanding who he was. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me," he declares. That is, he was ready to face his destiny wherever it might lead. He possessed the self-image that would enable him to be the fulfillment of a prophecy.

Both the person in Katy Perry's song and Jesus' beginning actions in the synagogue can be an example for people who desire to live well in our world. Before we can accomplish anything good, we must have a true knowledge of self, a self-image that is strong and competent, that has learned from the past, and has finally understood what life can be. It is a self-image in Katy Perry's words that has gone from zero to becoming a hero.

It is not an easy choice. Soon after Jesus' statement of readiness, the same people who praised him were ready to kill him. The person in Katy Perry's song still has a life to lead in a world that is full of complication and challenge. But a person with a good self-image, a person who has built him/herself into a true fighter will be ready to face the world no matter what it sends.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son had a good image of Himself because He understood who He was and why He was here on earth. Give us the grace of a good self-image so that we may accomplish what You want us to do. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: In order to do well in life, we must have a good image of ourselves.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In the Gospel, the conclusion to the episode in Jesus' life is probably the most famous. Even though he was praised by his community at the end of his speech, they were ready to kill him. In general, why do people change their minds so quickly?
2. Jesus attended the synagogue regularly. Why is attendance at Church on a regular basis important in our lives? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2180-2188. The presenter might what to discuss the thought of "Sunday obligation."
3. Who are some modern day prophets?
4. Luke, more than any other evangelist, thinks of the poor in Jesus' discourses. Who are "the poor" in our society today?
5. In Luke's Gospel, everything that Jesus does is in fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures. Do religious people pay enough attention to Scripture today? Yes or no and why?
6. In general, we do not like "to rock the boat," that is, disturb things. When should people "disturb" the status quo?
7. Text analysis: Explain the meaning of the sentence: "I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything.."
8. Text analysis: what does it mean to have "the eye of a tiger"?
9. What are the ways that a person can become stronger?
10. In your opinion, what does a "life of meaning" consist of?
11. What is your definition of a good self-image?
12. In your opinion, do most people have good self-images? Yes or no and why?
13. What in our world is the most complicated and challenging?
14. What does the song "Roar" teach young people?

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