TGIMMstronger

	WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU

The Gospel

LUKE 24:1-11

At daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day." And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense, and they did not believe them.

The Media -- "Stronger" (Kelly Clarkson)

"You know the bed feels warmer, sleeping here alone. You think you got the best of me, think you had the last laugh; bet you think that everything good is gone, but you’re dead wrong. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller. Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone. What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter, footsteps even lighter; doesn’t mean I’m over ‘cause you’re gone."

Kelly Clarkson's song "Stronger" describes a situation that could bring about real anger and revenge, and there may be a little of that in the song, but mainly, it is about a breakup that made the person in the song better.

Ever since the Scriptures have been read, Mary Magdalene has been a fascinating figure for writers. She has been portrayed in a fictitious way to have been romantically involved with Jesus, even to the point of being married to him. But the Scriptures only present her as one of the many that Jesus inspired to be better. In Mark's Gospel, she was a person who was overcome with evil, and Jesus freed her from those demons. Further, in Mark's and John's Gospels, she was the first person that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection.

Studying Mary Magdalene's life, one can conclude that somehow all of the negatives that happened in her life became a means by which she could grow. One can see that Jesus gave her the incentive to accomplish it, but Mary herself no doubt had made the decision at some time in her life that she had to change her behavior. With Jesus' help she was finally able to do it, becoming a stronger person in the process.

Ultimately, if we want to grow well, every one of us must conclude at some time in our lives that we want things to be better. We know the negatives that have been part of our lives, even to the point of completely overpowering us, and taking complete control. There are indeed such negatives, but the psychology behind those negatives is that they can actually be aids to help us grow. They can make us stronger. We will realize that we have been hurt, and how we have been hurt, and be able to learn from the experiences. And so, Kelly Clarkson in her song can say in all truth: "What doesn't kill you can make you stronger."

The Christian addition to such a psychological fact is that God will always give us the help that we need in order to bring it about. Mary Magdalene became one of the stronger promoters of the Christian religion because Jesus gave her the power to overcome the demons that were part of her life. The Christian believer knows that God always gives us the strength that we need in order to accomplish the good things that will help us be better people.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son always had power over evil. Evil never got the better of anyone who asked for his help. Give us the grace to understand that we can overcome the negatives in our lives, and with your help, actually allow those negatives to teach us the good that we can become. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Negative experiences can make us better if we want them to.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. The Gospel passage makes it clear that "remembering" what Jesus said is important to understand him. What is the most important thing to remember about what Jesus said and did?
2. It seems significant that it is women who discover the empty tomb. Why do you think that it was the women associated with Jesus and not the men who discovered the empty tomb?
3. Why do you think that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first after his resurrection?
4. The companions of Jesus did not believe. What is the best way to convince people to believe?
5. The meditation describes the song as being a little revengeful in the way that the person in the song is behaving. Why is revenge wrong? Why is it so difficult to resist?
6. One can imagine from the song that the man in the relationship initiated the breakup. What are the biggest causes of romantic breakups?
7. Analysis: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller." Name some instances other than romantic breakups in which this is a true statement.
8. Analysis: the person is not lonely although she is alone. What is the meaning of the phrase?
9.Text analysis: "Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone." What is the meaning of the phrase?
10. Do you believe that most people who are doing evil things honestly want to be better? Yes or no and why?
11. In your opinion, is it a true statement that the negatives in life actually make us stronger? Yes or no and why?
12. In your own life, can you think of a time when negatives made you a stronger person? If there is, you may want to share it with the group.
13. As Christians we believe that God always gives us the grace to be better than we are or "stronger" in the thinking of the song. Do most Christians believe this to be true? Yes or no and why?
14. What is the one thing that most Christians could do in order to make them better people?
15. What does the song "Stronger" teach young people?

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