January 29

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, January 29

MARK 4:1-20

A Hundredfold

Prayerthoughts

a. If I consider the seed to be the Word of God spoken to me, how often do I truly listen to the Word of God in the Gospels? Should it not be “daily”? [In other words, am I cultivating my life to be “rich soil” for the Lord to act?]

b. Considering my life, when do I not listen to the Word of God at all?

c. Considering my life, when do I listen and promptly forget about the Word?

d. Considering my life, when do I listen to the “world”—my own cares and situations—and thus miss any spiritual conclusions to what I should be doing?

e. Is it a true statement to say that “Often I prefer to have the Word of God choked by the world in which I live”?

f. Jesus’s statement that I ought to hear if I have ears is a statement of how important this story is. Why is it so important for my spiritual life?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will write a short reflection on the importance of listening to the Word of God.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE WORD OF GOD

+ The Gospel lends itself to an easy meditation on how we listen to the Word of God

- according to scholars, Jesus’ parable of the sower is as close as we have to the actual words of Jesus

- Jesus, using an image that people could easily identify with, says that people listening to the word of God fall into four categories: the footpath people, the rocky ground people, the thorns people, and the rich soil people

+ The parable is about how we listen to the Word of God

- and it is probably best to look at the four situations of the parable as four different ways that all of us listen to the Word of God and put it into practice in our lives

- we interact with God in various ways at various times

- at certain times, our attitudes toward God may be-----

- totally non-committal and we do not listen to what should be in our lives, what should be as the Word of God describes it—the footpath in Jesus’ parable

- or sometimes the pressure of day-to-day living waters drown our approach to God, and we lose sight of the importance of God—the rocky ground in Jesus’ parable

- or sometimes the anxieties, especially wealth and cravings of modern society—materialism—make us forget about God and what God wants—the thorns in the parable

- or sometimes we really do listen to God, and take what God says to heart and even change our ways—the rich soil of the parable

- this is the desired end of the spiritual life

- what you and I should be striving for

+ The spiritual person will be a person who wants religion and God to be part of his/her life

- because we realize what God has done for us, as the letter to the Hebrews has been saying: we have the law of God in our hearts and therefore have conquered sin

- we want to listen to the Word of God as if it really were the direction we want to go.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "The Help" -- final session

COURAGE TO SAY THE TRUTH

The Gospel

MATTHEW 16:21

MATTHEW 16:21

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Gospelthink: I wanted my disciples to know exactly what would happen to me--I would die and be raised. Jesus speaks of my redemption. Am I as grateful as I should be?

One of the facts of history is that it takes courage to bring about change for the good. When a person undertakes it, he/she can expect rejection, anger and the possibility of death. No one likes to be told that they are wrong, and if they have authority at the time they are told, they will not accept the possibility of change easily. In the movie, "The Help," as Skeeter Phelan interviewed Aibeleen Clark and Minny Jackson about the treatment the black maids received in Jackson, Mississippi, all three understood one thing--they were disturbing the status quo. And such a disturbance could hurt them. Skeeter could be shunned by her friends; Aibeleen and Minny could lose their livelihoods. It took real courage to write about the truth, but they were convinced that it was the right thing to do, no matter what might happen to them.

What is the right thing to do? What would God want me to do in this situation? These are common enough questions when some difficult decision is about to be made by a dedicated Christian. The questions become more poignant when a person's livelihood depends on it. Jesus knew what the city of Jerusalem would mean for him. He knew that his human life as he had lived it up to that time would be completely changed. But he also knew that it was what was right. If he was to accomplish what he wanted, he had to go to Jerusalem. His was truly a courageous decision, but more than anything else, he knew that if he wanted to be true to himself and his cause, he had to do it.

In a sermon that Aibeleen Clark had listened to earlier in the movie "The Help," the minister had encouraged his black community to show courage, to work for what was right. When she listened to it, Aibeleen did not yet understand that she would have the opportunity to show it in a striking way. Skeeter Phelan, fresh from the university, did not completely understand what she wanted to do in her young life. Minny Jackson and the other black maids were aware that they could change things, but they were afraid to do it. Then Aibeleen with Skeeter's help was brave enough to say what was right. Aibeleen, Skeeter and Minny gradually came to the knowledge of what was the right thing to do. They knew that it would "shake the system" and it might even mean the loss of their jobs, but they refused to back down.

It is almost a cliché to say that we should do what is right. Many people have said it in various situations and in various ways. It remains an important directive for living well. Every one of us should have the courage to say and do what is right. If we do not, our lives will be lacking, and our world will not be as good as it could be.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son had the courage to carry out what he knew to be right and true. He gives us a tremendous example as we go about our lives which could be so much better if every one did what is right. Give us the grace to imitate him. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We must have the courage to do what is right.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 68 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. In he Gospel, Jesus shows determination to do what he thinks is best for him. In general, what should people be most determined to do as they live in today's world?
3. The human Jesus realized that suffering was going to be part of his life in the very near future. What is the best way to work with the suffering that human beings may have to endure in their lives?
4. As one looks at how he/she should behave in the world, what is the fundamental "right" thing that people should do? Why did you choose the way you did?
5. What is the best way to determine what God wants us to do?
6. What is your definition of courage?
7. In what areas will a true Christian show courage in today's world?
8. In our world today, what are some instances in which a person would lose his/her job if people would do the "right" thing?
9. Who are the most "courageous" people in today's world?
10. Scene analysis: the women shun Celia. What would you do if you were Celia?
11. Scene analysis: Elizabeth slaps Mae Mobley. What is the best discipline for a young child?
12. Scene analysis: The women talk about their sexual actions when they were in high school. Do you think that high school young people are too free with sexuality in their lives today? Yes or no and why?
13. Analysis: Hilly's mother is angry at Hilly because Hilly placed her in a home. What is the best way for children to treat their parents when they are old?
14. Scene analysis: Skeeter talks to her mother about their former maid Constantine. What should her mother have done once she realized that she was wrong?
15. Scene analysis: Minny leaves her abusive husband. What are the possible ways to help a family who has this problem?
16. Scene analysis: Skeeter's mom understands what her daughter has done, telling her that she is proud of her for her courage. Why do more parents not show more appreciation to their grown children?
17. Dialogue analysis: Aibeleen to Hilly: "You are a godless woman." Who are the "godless" people in today's world?
18. Dialogue analysis: Aibeleen says at the end of the movie that in order to love your enemies, you have to first of all know the truth. Why is this a true statement?
19. What does the movie "The Help" teach young people?