[media presentation below] GospelThink Thursday, January 5 JOHN 1:43-51 I know you just as I knew Nathaniel. Prayerthoughts a. You and I have also “found” Jesus in our lives. Is it clear that we have chosen Jesus as the most important guide in our lives? b. “Can anything good come from Nazareth.” Most people consider this an insult. In our language do I find myself insulting other people for whatever reason? c. Nathanael was a “true Israelite,” understood in the sense of no deceit or honest. Am I trying to deceive people by my words or actions? d. The fig tree may be a symbol of peace, saying perhaps that Nathanael was a peaceful man. Am I a strong advocate for peace as I live my daily life? e. Nathanael proclaims Jesus to be the Son of God. If the occasion arose, would I make this same profession? f. Nathanael believes in Jesus. An act of faith might be in order as part of my meditation. g. Angels in some form are mentioned often in the New Testament, mainly as messengers of God. Do I thank the Lord for the graces that I have received from the Lord through angels or otherwise? What are the most important “graces” that I have received in my life? (This is the task of the meditation.) h. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will carry out letter g. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN  + The readings are chosen because of the references to Nathanael/Bartholomew           – 1st: one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb;           – Gospel: the only history that we have of Nathanael/Bartholomew                      – from tradition, we think that he was martyred for the faith, in fact, martyred in a brutal way  + The readings present some characteristics of applying Christianity to our daily lives           – characteristics that represent a continuous attempt by the Christian to improve his/her spiritual life           1 – follow the invitation to accept Jesus                      – here in the words of Philip to Nathanael/Bartholomew: “Come and see for yourself.”                                – the only way to determine a spiritual life, of course                                          – our own involvement with the Lord, involving two steps:                      – Come                                – that is, a real desire to come to the Lord’s directions, what the Lord wants of us                      – See                                – for Nathanael/Bartholomew, to experience Jesus                                – for us, to read the Scriptures, understand as best we can exactly what the Lord wants of us by studying the Scriptures           2 – that we be without duplicity, the way Nathanael/Bartholomew was                      – without duplicity, that is, with openness and sincerity                                – not controlling what I want the Scriptures to say                                          – but studying what they actually say, with the desire to follow them           3 – with Nathanael/Bartholomew, we acknowledge Jesus to be the Son of God, and be willing to acknowledge it with conviction                      – in our words and actions, to be sure                                – but especially in our attitudes                                          – so that others just “know” that we are Christians by the type of attitude that we develop and portray           4 – (from the first reading) we seek the reward of the Twelve Apostles—heaven—that is not the reward that the world seeks                      – our reward is not here on earth with the material things that the world values so much, but in heaven  + As usual, the liturgy tells us quite directly: we can be better Christians if we want to be. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Uptown Funk” — Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars DON’T BELIEVE ME, JUST WATCH The Gospel MATTHEW 11:2-6 When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to [Jesus] with the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf here, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

Gospelthink: My followers told John that all they had to do was see to understand that I am the Messiah. Do my words and deeds show that I am a Christian?

“Come on, dance, jump on it; if you’re sexy, flaunt it; if you’re freaky then own it. Don’t brag about it, come show me. Don’t believe me, just watch.”

It is true that Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ song “Uptown Funk” is a dance song. A dance song that repeats words over and over often does not have much meaning when it comes to living well. Of course, that is not to say that dancing itself is not a good thing. It is. Often it is the perfect way to relax and just as often, to show a deeper love between two people. It is also true, however, that a dance song does not usually have many deep thoughts that can direct life. But every once in a while, some of the words–few as they are–of such a song say something from which Christians can learn. Such is Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ song “Uptown Funk.” In words spoken to someone who is only observing the dancing, they sing in effect: don’t just believe or brag about something, do it! The man basically tells others that they do not have to believe that he can dance, but that they should watch him actually do it. Incidentally, the music video is an excellent dance video. The idea can be expressed in Scriptural terms by saying that sometimes we have to do more than believe. Sometimes we must look at the facts which will speak for themselves. So, Jesus tells John the Baptist’s messengers in Matthew’s Gospel to look and listen to what he is doing. The facts are not merely a “belief” that show he is the “one who is to come.” His words and actions give him away. Jesus certainly wanted people to have faith, but he also knew that at at times one needed more than faith. Christians are people rooted in a belief system, a vision that covers everything they say, do and even think. But part of that belief must include action. For example, If all we do is believe that we should “love our neighbor,” it will accomplish very little. But if we not only believe it, but show it at the same time in our words and actions and thoughts, then and only then have we honestly captured the message of Jesus. In effect, Jesus is saying to his followers: “Don’t just believe me, do it!” Only then will we discover the life Jesus wants.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, your Son wanted us to believe in him, and certainly that is part of our spirituality, but he wanted us to follow him in our lives as well. We must learn from our belief in him, carrying out that belief in actions. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Sometimes we must show our belief and not merely talk about it. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. John the Baptist may have expected Jesus to be a Messiah who would establish an army who was going to punish people who did not believe. Why do you think that Jesus did not use force to bring about his Kingdom? 2. Text analysis: “Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” What is the meaning of the sentence?  3. Text analysis: “If you’re freaky, then own it.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 4. Why is “bragging” not a good idea when among friends? 5. Often when a person asks another to “believe” something about themselves, they may not be entirely honest. Do you agree with the statement? Yes or no and why? 6. What is the meaning of the title of the song, “Uptown Funk”? 7. Do most people think that “dancing” is a good thing? Yes or no and why? 8. Do most adults think that the “dancing” that young people do is a good thing? Yes or no and why? 9. What is your opinion about “dancing lessons” for couples? 10. The meditation gives one example showing that action is important. Give another example showing that faith and action are important. 11. If you had to choose the most important action of a Christian, what would it be? 12. What does the song “Uptown Funk” teach young people?