[media presentation below] GospelThink Saturday, May 6 JOHN 14:7-14 I have shown you what God the Father is like, and I advise you to do the works that I do. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus has just said that he is the way, truth and life. Is it evident from may actions, say, yesterday, that Jesus is central to my life? b. Knowing the Father is the same as knowing Jesus. God therefore speaks to me through these Scriptures. What are Jesus’s most important words that he said to me? (This is the task of the meditation,) c. Jesus’s works are those also of the Father, he says. From my knowledge of the Scriptures, what are the most important works of Jesus? What can I learn from them? d. Jesus says that I can do works even greater than what he did. In what area of my life can I do greater good than i am doing now? e. Once again, Jesus says that if we ask in His name, that he will do it. As I pray the prayer of petition asking for the Lord’s help, do I always ask “in his name,” that is, am I following the direction that the Lord is giving? Yes or no and why? f. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will list the 5 most important words or phrases that the Lord has given to me. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  WE MUST DO THE WORKS OF JESUS  + In yesterday’s Gospel which takes place at the Last Supper, Thomas asked the question about what was Jesus’ way           – it showed a lack of understanding which should have been there, it would seem                      – Thomas should have known that Jesus’ way was the way of God, the way of eternal life           – in a similar manner here, at the same time immediately after Thomas’ statement in John’s Gospel, Philip makes a statement that he should have known the answer to           “Show us the Father.”           – Philip had been with Jesus a number of months                      – he had no doubt heard Jesus talk about him and his Father                      – and should have easily figured out that there was a real closeness between them           – not having that understanding though, Jesus patiently explains to Philip:           I am in the Father and the Father is in me.  + Jesus, however, not only answers with the theological fact of the unity of the Father and him           – he also says further that the person who believes this way will do the works that Jesus does                      – and he says that the person who believes in Jesus’ name will be assured of an answer to prayer           – therefore for the believer in Jesus, there is an obligation and a privilege   + The obligation is doing the works of Jesus           – that is, what Jesus says to do in the Scriptures                      – there is a very good example in what Paul did on his first missionary journey as seen in the Acts of the Apostles reading:                                – willing to be quite direct in his acknowledgment of Jesus                                          – no matter what the consequences, no matter what the cost  + There are a number of privileges to being a follower of Jesus           – among them is the assured answer to prayer           – not to any prayer, however,                      – to a prayer in Jesus’ name                                – which means not only through the intercession of Jesus, but also in accord with God’s will                                          – Jesus says that we will be assured of an answer to prayer only if it is in accord with God’s will, that is, in Jesus’ name                                                    – any time we pray, we pray in Jesus’ name                                                               – that is, with the understanding that God knows more than we do                                                                         – many times we do not want to pray in that way                      – so, even the privilege has a sense of obligation connected to it                                – we pray as we do the works of Jesus  + Jesus tells Philip and us today that he and his Father are one, and that if we believe it,           – we must do the works of Jesus, and if we do, we can look forward to the privileges of Christianity, among which is that the fact that we can be assured of the answer to our prayers which are asked in his name           – our meditation should revolve around how well we are doing the works of Jesus                      – it is the proof of our faith. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper “FALLING” AND THEN LOVE The Gospel JOHN 15:14-17 [Jesus said:] “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

Gospelthink: I have chosen you to help this world by love. Am I being faithful to my call?

“Tell me somethin’ girl,” the man sings, “are you happy in this modern world or do you need more? I’m falling.” And then the lady sings, “Tell me somethin’, boy, aren’t you tired tryin to fill that void? I’m falling.”

When Jesus spoke specifically about friendship in the Gospel of John, it was with the idea of being close to his Father. Since he had told his Apostles everything that the Father had revealed to him, the Apostles had a special place in his heart. Jesus called it a place in which everyone was equal, a place in which the Apostles should consider themselves “chosen” to be friends of Jesus. Within the friendship, the guide was “love.” “This I command you,” he says, “love one another.” As they ministered to the world, their mission was to move everyone to search for love. Love, as these songs speak of, is romantic love. Two people attracted to one another are discovering whether their love is one that turns into a commitment for life. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing of that search in the movie “A Star is Born” and in the song “Shallow.” Their love may be “shallow” at first as they discover that love, but it gradually grows into a real commitment the more they interact with each other. They both feel that they are “falling” and they need someone to help them in some way. The lesson is relatively simple to say–search for love, and when you find it, make a commitment to another. But it is immensely difficult to carry out. For most people, it may take years to be sure of the love they feel. They must work at finding it even as they are “falling” as the song describes it. That takes time and energy and real effort even as they must live their lives with all the different directions their lives take them. They truly are searching for the love that they desire. Something should be said also about love which is not romantic in its origin. Jesus wanted his disciples to preach his message of love to everyone. It is true that we are all “falling” in one way or another, and we need the help of others who honestly love us just as we must honestly love them as they fall.  Jesus’ directive is of immense importance for the salvation of our world–love one another, and keep searching to understand how we can truly love everyone.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son taught us the importance of love. Many of us desire it as we are involved romantically. Help us understand also that we must search for ways to show love to all. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: In life, romantic and otherwise, we must try to search for love. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song Shallow”teach young people today? 2. What is your definition of “friendship”? 3. It is obvious that we do not all love each other as we should. What is the best way for us to learn to truly love another? 4. Most of the songs we listen to, whatever genre, are love songs. What is the most important part of the virtue of love? 5. Why at times do many young people feel as though they are “falling”? 6.  At what age is the best age to commit ourselves to a permanent commitment such as marriage? 7. Is it asking too much of the Christian world to truly love one another? Yes or no and why?