TGIMMhunger1

	THE EVIL OF POWER

The Gospel

MATTHEW 14:4-12

John [the Baptist] had said to [Herod], "It is not lawful for you to have [the wife of Philip]." Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; they went and told Jesus.

The Media -- "The Hunger Games" (beginning session)

In the movie "The Hunger Games," the leaders of the Capitol ruled North America after a catastrophe had destroyed the country. They managed the country with an iron hand, dividing the land into twelve "districts," keeping the peace by force. In fact, having crushed a rebellion early on, the Capitol had determined that each district must select one boy and one girl by means of a lottery to participate in The Hunger Games, a time in which the twenty-four young people, two from each "district," were forced to fight to the death, leaving one survivor. In essence, it was nothing more than a reality TV stage which the Capitol sponsored in order to entertain themselves. Caught in the drama of the spectacle, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark from District 12 had to fight in the Games. Katniss, volunteering to take part in the Games in order to keep her younger sister from having to participate, gave up her dream of making a new life for herself and her family. Instead, controlled by the Capitol, with an inherent hatred for those in charge, she prepared herself for the fight.

Evil is part of our world. We know that, and unfortunately, sometimes we can do nothing about it. John the Baptist and his followers were at the mercy of an evil king. Herod himself seems to have had a conscience because he wondered about killing John, but in the end, his immoral life dictated his actions. In the movie, "The Hunger Games," Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark could do nothing about the evil designs of the Capitol, although they held a hatred for it in their hearts. As one studies Herod in the Gospel and the Capitol in "The Hunger Games," we see that evil was in control, and all anyone could do was to suffer the consequences.

Many places in our world have the same difficulty. Evil regimes control lives, and the only thing that can be done is to suffer the consequences brought about by the evil. Most of us do not live in such a condition, but, as we live and work and play in our own world, at times we are aware of some evil which we should study and in some way address if we want to be truly Christian in our approach to life.

First, we must understand that even if we are in the circumstances in which evil is controlling us, there is a truly Christian way of acting. The disciples of John the Baptist respectfully bury the dead body of their leader. Katniss and Peeta have to fight in The Games, but they do not lose their basic respect for the people they are fighting.

There is another set of evils as well. This is the evil that we can address--the words that are spoken, the small actions of jealousy, the thoughts that we could label "evil." When we see that there is something that we can do in order to eradicate the evil, our Christian duty is to try to understand the problem and then do something about it. With both John the Baptist's disciples, and Katniss and Peeta in the movie, one senses that both will work to overcome the evil in whatever way they can.

Yes, there is evil in the world. But we are here in the world as well. If we can make the world better by getting rid of whatever evil we can, our world will be better because of us.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, the evil of our world is always a problem for us. Give us the grace and courage to address the problem of evil when we see it, and especially to do something about the evil which we may be causing. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Part of the evil of our world is the abuse of power that often comes from the people who are in control, and we must deal with it.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 43 minutes)
1. What scene during this session is most striking and why?
2. Project: make a presentation of Herod and his family as we know it. See Wikipedia or for a more complete history, The Catholic Encyclopedia.
3. What is the greatest evil in our world today? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2850-2854.
4. Herod arrested John because of John's statements about Herod's action of taking the wife of another. In our world today, do you believe that most Christians choose a good sexual morality? Yes or no and why?
5. From your study of the world right now, what are some evil regimes among the countries of our world? Do you think that the citizens of those countries have a different lifestyle because of the evil regimes? Yes or no and why?
6. In the world today, who are some people who have the courage to stand up to the evil?
7. John the Baptist was a martyr. What is your definition of a martyr? What do the modern martyrs of our world teach us?
8. As you study your own locale right now, what could be considered an "evil" undertaking? Is there anything that anyone can do? Yes or no and why?
9. The meditation says that Katniss and Peeta did not lose respect for the other young people who were fighting in The Games. How is this a true statement?
10. Analysis: The saying "May the odds be ever in your favor." Why is the use of the statement so evil?
11. Analysis: There is a strong fear as the people in District 12 gather for the "Reaping." What are the ways to overcome fear in our lives?
12. Dialogue analysis: Seneca Crane says "The Games knits us all together." Why is it an evil statement?
13. Scene analysis: Katniss volunteers to take Prim's place. Where in the real world do you see such courage?
14. Scene analysis: Katniss talks directly to her mother. Her mother has obviously been affected by what has happened in her life. In general, what is the best way to help parents who have had major difficulties?
15. Analysis: Why do you think that Haymitch Abernathy is the way he is?

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