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At daybreak, Jesus left and went
to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they
came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said
to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the
kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent." And he was
preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
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"You know I’m not the one to break
promises, I don’t want to hurt you but I need to
breathe. At the end of it all, you’re
still my best friend, but there’s something inside that I need to
release. Which way is right, which way is
wrong? How do I say that I need to move on? You know we’re heading separate ways. And it feels like I am just too close to love
you. There’s nothing I can really
say. I can’t lie no more, I
can’t hide
no more. Got to be true to myself; so
I’ll be on my way."
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Jesus' ultimate purpose in life was very
simply to offer salvation to the whole world. He knew it, and using the
idiom of our English language, he was true to himself. That is, he
knew what his purpose was and he did it. As he said, he had to go to
other towns besides Capernaum, and preach to them as well. He fulfilled
his purpose even though people often wanted him to do something
else.
Fundamentally, the meaning of "being true to oneself" implies that a person will not hide from the reality of his/her feelings and desires. Too often we present ourselves in a different light from what we really believe and feel. We say certain things that we really do not mean. Or our actions are not expressing how we are thinking on some subject. Such is the case in Alex Clare's song. The man in the relationship wants to be honest to his woman friend. He reviews how he is feeling at the time, and concludes that he is not ready for the commitment yet. So being "true to himself," he ceases the relationship. At times, the action is very difficult, because often everything else seems to be going well. Being true to oneself necessarily implies that the feelings and desires we have are true, and if they are not, of course, we need to bring them into line with what we know to be true. The Christian, for example, will be governed by the principles of Jesus Christ. Once we know that our thinking and feelings are accurate, then we should be true to them. Being true to ourselves means following what we know to be true, no matter what. Jesus gave us the example in his life; we must learn it as we grow. |
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PRAYER
Good
and gracious
God, your Son taught us that we must be true to what you want us to do.
Give us the grace to form our thinking around your thought, and then
help us truly follow it in all we do and think.
Be with
us,
we pray.
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+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We must always be true to ourselves in any situation. THE GOSPEL 1. Jesus often went to deserted places to be by himself and pray. In your opinion, do people pray enough? Yes or no and why? 2. The scene of the Gospel takes place in Capernaum where the people do not want him to leave. In Nazareth, they chased him away. In your opinion, why did Jesus have such different effects on people? 3. Jesus declares that his purpose is to preach the good news. As we look at our Christian life right now, what is our purpose? THE SONG 1. Even though the man declares that he does not want to hurt the other, he does hurt the other by leaving. What is the guiding principle involved in allowing another to be hurt? 2. Text analysis: "You're still my best friend." What is the difference between being a "best friend" and "sharing romantic love"? 3. Text analysis: "I'm just too close to love." How can this be a true statement? 4. Text analysis: "I can't lie no more." Given the context of the song, what do you think he means? THE MEDITATION 1. In your opinion, what is the definition of "salvation"? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 599-609. 2. In general, do you believe that most people are "true to themselves"? 3. We often present ourselves in a different light than what we really feel. Why do we do such a thing? 4. In general, when is a person truly ready for a permanent commitment? 5. In particular, when is a person truly ready for the permanent commitment of marriage? 6. Is it true that most Christians are governed by the principles of Jesus Christ? Yes or no and why? 7. What is the best way to learn to be true to oneself? 8. What does the song "Too Close" teach young people today? |
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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