[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, May 29, Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church John 19:25-34 My mother Mary is a very special person. Prayerthoughts a. One of the ways of deeper spirituality is to picture myself with Mary and the two other Mary’s beneath the cross of Jesus, trying to think what I would think in that circumstance. b. Some Christians, including Catholics, have a devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as we should. Have I tried to include the example of Mary in my spiritual thinking enough? c. Someone showed an act of kindness even as Jesus died. Do I show kindness in my actions and words? d. In John’s Gospel, the words “It is finished” is a statement of the accomplishment of the work that the Father had given him to do. How would I sum up my life’s work so far in my life? e.  They broke the legs of the criminals. Many times cruelty is described “lightly” in the Scriptures. I should never excuse any “cruelty” that I show toward others? f. When the soldier thrust the lance into Jesus, blood and water flowed out. In John the evangelist’s theology, “blood” stood for the Eucharist, and “water” stood for Baptism, that is my redemption came from Jesus. Am I thankful enough for what Jesus has accomplished for me? g. John the evangelist wants his audience to “believe” in Jesus. Do I show the “belief” enough in my life? h. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Genesis, chapter 3 and write an important thought from it. Monday after Pentecost (Gn 3:9-15 or Acts 1:12-14 / John 19:25-34) Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH  + In establishing the feast in 2018, the Church said this, quoting Pope Paul VI: “Venerable Brothers, this concerns a title by no means new to Christian piety; indeed, the Christian faithful and the universal Church choose to invoke Mary principally by the name of Mother. In truth, this name belongs to the genuine nature of devotion to Mary, since it rests firmly on that very dignity with which Mary is endowed as the Mother of the Incarnate Word of God.”  + The liturgy uses two very familiar references to the Blessed Virgin           – Genesis 3:15, saying that God will put enmity between the devil and the woman, always interpreted in the Church to be speaking of Mary           – Jesus giving Mary to John as Mother, again interpreted by the Church as Jesus giving Mary to all of us as Mother  + Quite naturally, we are drawn into what in the Church is called “Mariology” or the “Theology of Mary”           – which is based, as Pope Paul VI said on the fact that Mary is the Mother of the Incarnate Word of God  + What should it mean for us?           – a mother will be someone who both helps a child and acts as a perfect example for the child                      – two things for us to consider there  + First, Mary helps us           – the Church has believed from early on that Mary will intercede for us, much the same way that Mary interceded for the wedding couple at Cana in John’s Gospel                      – on behalf of the couple, asking her Son to relieve their distress, and then one of the ten most important lines in Scripture, I believe: saying to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you”                                – Mary will help us                                          – saying to us to follow the directives that Jesus gives us                                – we don’t know how, but our faith tells us that what we ask of God will have Mary’s endorsement  + Secondly, Mary serves as a perfect example for us as we live our Christian lives on earth           – she recognizes what God wants of her, and in her famous words at the Annunciation, understands that she is called by God —“Let it be done according to God’s word,” – yes, I will do it           – and she followed through with her “yes”                      – once she had said that she would follow what God wanted of her                                – without knowing what that meant, she followed through being present for her Son in everything           – a lesson for all of us when we say “yes” to our faith, no matter what happens  + Mary is truly our Mother as well as the Mother of Jesus. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Concussion” — beginning session THE FAULT OF “GIVING UP” The Gospel LUKE 19:12-26 Jesus said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ … But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Gospelthink: I tell the story to make you understand that you must use the talents that you have. Do I find that I am too lazy when it comes to spiritual matters?

Dr. Bennet Omalu is a brilliant doctor pathologist who recognized a problem with National Football League football players who had committed suicide. The movie “Concussion” is his story. He did not know what the problem was because he was not aware of what football and the NFL was. But as he became more aware of the sport, he began to see the problem. He still did not understand why people would allow hits to an unprotected brain, but even more he could not understand the animosity toward him simply for pointing out the problem. He had a decision to make with regard to his future actions, and was ready to give up. But his wife Prema pointed out to him that he had to speak for the dead because no one else would. He had made a discovery that people had to be made aware of.

Jesus wanted his followers to use the gifts that they had been given. In one of his stories, he told them that if they use the gifts and talents that they had, they would receive a reward. Likewise he said that those who did not use those gifts would be punished. For Jesus, it was not enough for his followers to know that they had been created by God with certain abilities. In his mind, those followers had to use their gifts for the good of humankind. Dr. Bennet Omalu was a gifted man, a brilliant pathologist who respected the dead people that he worked with in such a way that he believed each of them had a story to tell. His job was to discover that story, and then “speak for the dead” as he and his wife phrased it. He loved America but he did not understand the sport of football. As his dead patients “spoke to him,” he had  discovered the condition known in the medical field as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a condition caused by too many blows to the brain area. After he tried to publicize it, he was met with such strong opposition, and he was ready to give up. His wife, in effect, told him what Jesus said–you must develop the gifts that you have, and let the consequences fall where they may. Each of us have talents. We have been given a human body that we are to take care of as best we can. Part of that humanness deals with the gift of using the talents that we have. We study a person like Dr. Omalu in the movie “Concussion” or we call to mind Jesus’ story of the gold coins, and we soon discover that we possibly could do so much more than we are doing now. One of the problems with our humanness is the possibility of doing little with the gifts that we have. Perhaps we should be more aware of our abilities to help ourselves and our world.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, You call us to use the talents that You have given to us. May we have Your grace to make us more aware of how we can help ourselves and others. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Each of us has something special that we can do on behalf of humankind.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 55 minutes) 1. What scene from this session of movie is most striking and why? 2. What is most striking about Jesus’ story in the Gospel and why? 3. Money was obviously a “topic” in Jesus’ day as is clear from his story. In your opinion, why is money so important in our world? 4. Why is it true that everyone of us has something special to give? 5. In your opinion, how can an autopsy “speak to people”? 6. What is the ultimate reason that Dr. Omalu could not influence the NFL at first? 7. It has been suggested that human beings are basically lazy, that is, not using the talents they have. Do you agree with the statement? Yes or no and why? 8. Scene analysis: What could have helped Mike Webster and Justin Strzcelczyk and the other football players pictured in the movie as they suffered? 9. Analysis: Why did Dr. Omalu “talk” to his patients? 10. Dialogue analysis: Omalu explains to his future wife Prema that sometimes in America, you have to “fake it”? What does he mean? 11. Analysis: Were the criticisms of Dr. Omalu by the NFL justified? Yes or no and why? 12. Analysis: Will this movie make any impact on the game of football in America?