[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, April 18 JOHN:3:7b-15 Referring to my future death, I tell Nicodemus and you that you have now been given eternal life through me. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus tells me how Baptism works: I am born in the Spirit. Was it clear by my actions yesterday that I am born of the Holy Spirit? b. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he is speaking about “heavenly things.” In my life, how much of my time is spent on “heavenly things” in contrast to earthly things”? c. When I do not understand something about Scripture, am I willing to look up the meaning in a Commentary or the like? d. At God’s direction, Moses lifted up the image of the serpent in the desert so that everyone who looked on it would be healed. As I study my thinking where do I need most healing? e. Having eternal life is what I want. How do I best prepare for my death? f. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will read the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4:32-37 and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  BORN FROM ABOVE + The statement that Jesus made to Nicodemus in the Gospel is an important one for the Christian:           Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.                      – Jesus refers to the Israelites who needed some consolation when they became disgusted with their travel through the desert after the Exodus                                – it was not an easy life                      – not only was their little food and water, but they were infested at one time or another with diseases and troubles, and one time with snakes                     – they needed something                                – so God directed Moses to make a saraph serpent and mount it on a pole.  And if anyone who had been bitten by a snake looked at it, he/she would recover           – whenever you do that, you form a cross                      – the cross which was to become the means for our redemption as Jesus tells Nicodemus  + In order to achieve anything spiritual, we needed what Jesus did—Jesus dying on the cross, and his rising from the dead, as we celebrate this Easter season           – if we really believe that, then our lives will change                      – such is the message of Jesus to Nicodemus                                – if we are “born from above” as Jesus tells him, “born of the Spirit,”                                          – then we will be the type of people that we should be  + That is, the type of people that the early Christians became after the Resurrection of Jesus           – they became people who cared for one another, people so dedicated to each other, that they would go out of their way to help one another, becoming people of one mind and one heart (Acts reading)                      – no doubt with difficulties, but they worked them out + The application of the readings is very straightforward:           – if we look on the cross, what Jesus has done for us, the fact that he died and rose                      – then we will accept the Baptism of being born from above                                – and having accepted it, we will become people who care, who realize that others are important           – thus making our world better because of us who believe in Jesus. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “When I Was Your Man” — Bruno Mars WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE The Gospel JOHN 17:9-13 [Jesus prayed:] “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely.”

Gospelthink: What a privilege for Jesus to pray for me–those who are in the world. May I be worthy of his prayers.

“It all just sounds like I’m too young, too dumb to realize that I should have bought you flowers and held your hand, should have gave you all my hours when I had the chance, take you to every party ‘cause all you wanted to do was dance. Now my baby’s dancing, but she’s dancing with another man. Although it hurts, I’ll be the first to say I was wrong. Oh, I know I’m probably much too late to try to apologize for my mistakes, but I just want you to know that I hope he buys you flowers, I hope he holds your hand, gives you all his hours when he has the chance, take you to every party ’cause I remember how much you loved to dance, do all the things I should have done when I was your man.”

Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John’s Gospel is an interesting study. He prays specifically for his apostles. They have been special to him, people that he truly loved, and so he prays that they will have what they ultimately desire, that is, to share the joy that Jesus will have. Because he loved them, he wanted to give them what they desired. The pattern is important to imitate when we love someone. If we truly love another, we will generally speaking do what the other desires. Modern songs often speak the same idea, usually in the context of romantic love. Such is Bruno Mars’ song “When I Was Your Man.” Young men especially should study the song closely. Ultimately, it is a sad song because the man has lost his girlfriend. But why he lost her is the important point to study. He lost her because he did not give her what she wanted. He was “too young” and “too dumb,” satisfying his own wants and needs, and completely missed what she wanted. Granted there are some times that we should not give to another what they want, but for the most part, the general rule holds that loving others requires us to give on their behalf. Whether we are speaking of romantic love as the song is or love of others in general as Jesus is, a person who truly loves must understand this fact: if we truly love another, we will usually do what he/she desires. We will discover what the other really wants, what his/her deepest needs include, and then try to satisfy them as best we can. The man in the relationship of the song did not do that, and he paid the price. The song has a further lesson about love of another as well. When we have not satisfied the other’s wishes or desires and is rejected, such a person could turn bitter or angry. But the person who truly loves will not forget the other’s needs. In the song, thinking of his friend’s new boyfriend, he hopes that he–the new boyfriend–will give her what he did not do. We live in a world that is in need of love, both from a personal point of view–what we want in life, and from a general point of view–what people need. One of the elements of such a love in whatever circumstance is that the person in love will determine what the person to be loved truly desires, and attempt to give it.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, your Son loved the apostles he had chosen to help him in this world, and therefore he wanted to give them what they truly desired. As we learn to love, help us imitate his example of what we should do. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: When we truly love another, we will usually do what he/she desires.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In the Gospel, Jesus’ high priestly prayer is a prayer of petition for his apostles. What is the prayer of petition? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2629-2636. 2. In your opinion, what should people pray for most of all from God? 3. Jesus prays that his apostles will have complete joy. What is the greatest joy in your world right now? Why? 4. What makes us “too young and too dumb to realize” the things that we should learn? Why? 5. The person in the song says that he was wrong. Why is it so important to say that we are wrong? 6. The person in the song “apologizes.” What are the most important characteristics of a “true apology”? 7. Text analysis: “all the things I should have done.” In a love relationship, what are the most important “things” that a person in love should do? 8. As you study the relationship between Jesus and his apostles, what do you think was the most important part? Why? 9. Analysis for young men in particular: what can you learn from the song? 10. When are some times when a person in love with another should not give the other what he/she wants? Why? 11. Why is selfishness such a strong feeling among people? 12. How does one go about discovering what another really desires? 13. What does the song “When I Was Your Man” teach young people?