[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, May 19 JOHN 16:20-23 I speak of the world and the joy of eternal life. Prayerthoughts a. Here the “world” is looked at as a negative. The world, that is the evil of the world will win, and we the Christians will “lose,” but it will end in rejoicing for us. There are many negatives in my life, and often I dwell too much on them. What are the most positive things in my life right now? b. With the birth image, Jesus is probably referring to the new age which will be accomplished in Jesus, but with suffering. Can I begin to see the negative things more as a part of the positive things that can be accomplished? c. We are “in anguish” as we suffer, and the ultimate suffering is our deaths. Do I look at my death as a good thing, that is, an entrance into eternal life? d. The Lord refers to the joy that we will have after we have suffered the negatives in this life and especially death. In general, do I consider myself to be a joyful person? e. What are some areas in my life where I can be more joyful? f. The Lord reminds me that he will answer my prayer, but I must always remember that the Lord has more knowledge than I do. He will answer my prayer with only the good that he will always give me. Do I pray with this in mind? g. My prayerthoughts…  Today I will write a prayer asking the Holy Spirit  to make me a more joyful person. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  LIVING THE WORD OF GOD + In the first reading, Paul is on the so-called Second Missionary journey—           – we don’t know exactly how many there were           – here Paul is in Corinth, with whose people he will have some difficulty later, writing them letters which we know as First and Second Corinthians           – during his time there, he had a vision or an assurance of some type with important words:                      – if you are speaking the word of God, do not be afraid, I am with you                                – and no one will attack or harm you                                          – Paul did continue to speak the word of God, of course  + The vision or assurance was only temporarily correct           – there were 1½ years of quiet           – even after that time, there was peace every now and then                      – for example, the whole Gallio incident in Acts, and even one of Paul’s persecutors was turned on by the Gentile crowd—Sosthenes           – it was exactly what Jesus promised in the Gospel                      – joy and peace, mixed in with some persecution:           You will grieve, but your grief will become joy.  + For our reflection as specifically people striving to be more spiritual, we can look at the idea of speaking the word of God:           “Go on speaking…”           – not in the same way Paul did obviously                      – but define it differently                                – perhaps understanding “speaking” as the idea of living the word of God, that is, living as truly spiritual people                      – so that the directive that we would hear is:                                – if you are really trying to live the word of God, do not be afraid, I am with you                                          – and no one will attack or harm you           – true as that is—no person will attack or harm us, especially given our country and way of living                      – living the word will bring some time of persecution and some time of peace                                – again, not the same type of persecution as Paul received, but                                          – the “persecution” for us may come in the form of our own human natures—the way we feel, what we want, and not feeling as good about life as we think we should, the desire to give up, give in to despair, etc.  + The road to a truly spiritual life is not easy           – there will be the problems of human nature,                      – but there also will be the joy here and hereafter. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “The Lion King”–beginning session THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YOUNG The Gospel MARK 9:35-37,42 Taking a child Jesus placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who send me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

Gospelthink: I felt strongly about the way adults deal with young people. Am I showing the respect for young people that I should?

Young lions like young children, are vulnerable and must be taught many things if they are to survive. Consider Simba, the son of the lion king Mufasa in the story, “The Lion King.” Even lion-kings-to-be must learn the art of being a lion in the “circle of life,” the world. At the same time, those who would be king must also learn of those who refuse to be governed. They must learn of treachery and manipulation, of jealousy and amoral ambition. In short, they must learn the negatives of life in order to become positive. Mufasa’s brother Scar and the hyenas show the negatives of learning to govern and live in the society of life.

Jesus felt strongly about love for young people. He wanted his followers to have the same innocence usually connected with children to be their own. He also knew how difficult it was for children to grow, considering the problems that adults might cause them. “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me” he said. But, realizing the child’s vulnerability, Jesus goes into exaggeration as he often does when something is so personal to him: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Jesus knew well that young people have difficult things to learn in life, and therefore they need strong guidance. If they are deprived of such guidance, the adult who deprives them is the guilty of a grave sin. The story of “The Lion King” is told with human beings in mind. Human beings are the ones who must be concrned about young people. The world is a complex place and young people must experience many difficulties. They must find a way to integrate those difficulties into their growth. They must have the help of concerned adults to do it. Such is the burden of a parent or adult mentor. But there is another side to the burden of growth. That side concerns the young people themselves. Young people must be willing to accept the advice and the direction of conscientious adults. If they are not open to their directtion, the young person’s future life may be scarred and perhaps ruined during her/his time on earth. Jesus meant for everyone to benefit from his teaching about the Kingdom. He spoke mainly to adults, but he knew that if people would learn about that Kingdom in their younger years, the more they would be able to function as true followers of Jesus all their lives.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, the young are vulnerable, whether they be animals or human beings. Direct them to be willing to listen and follow the advice of concerned adults, and help those of us who are older to always be people who show concern for those younger than we are.  Be with us, we pray.

+++++GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT: Theme: Young people are important and must be taught about the problems of gowing up. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 55 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. In general, do the people of our world treat those children under 5 well?  5-12?  teens? 3. In your opinion, what is the principal reason why Jesus said that we should be like children? 4. What virtue do young people need most from the adults of this world? 5. What lesson should a teenager in particular learn from concerned adults? 6. What most proves that young people have learned the lesson of maturity? 7. What can a teenager do if he/she judges that an adult is harming another young person?