[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, June 13 MATTHEW 5:13-16 I address you specifically. You are salt and light to the world in which you live. Prayerthoughts  a. Jesus tells me that I am salt, the means to make others feel good about themselves and giving the ingredient of sincere faith to them. When I study how I interact with others, in general, am I person that wants to help them in some way? b. He also calls me the light of the world. I am not the light that Jesus was, of course, but what is the principal message that I am giving others by the life that I am leading? c. I give light to everyone I meet, whether I am thinking of it or not. Do I include in my prayers everyone that I meet?   d. Jesus calls attention to my deeds and making sure they are “good.” As I study my actions yesterday, would they be called “good” or “not so good.” (This is the task of the meditation.) e. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read 2 Corinthians, chapter 1:18-22, and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  GENEROSITY AND LOVE OF EVERYONE  + There are many virtues that “prove” that we are the offspring of God,             – that is, that we really want God to be part of our lives             – two of them are mentioned here in today’s liturgy                         – both essential to the spiritual life, both among the most difficult things to accomplish as we strive to follow Jesus’ directive to be…             …perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.                         – that directive is obviously an ideal since we will never reach it, but we can have it as a goal, something that we are always striving for, and realizing that we will never quite reach it  + Of the two virtues mentioned today, the first comes from the letter to the Corinthians: the Christian directive to be generous             – Paul writing about the churches of Macedonia: “they gave themselves first to the Lord.”             – giving of what we have                         – giving of time, talent and treasure to God who has given to us so much through the Son                                     – and the reason for this “giving” must be completely understood                                                 – we are giving of what we have, not because we are being kind or even generous                                                 – but because we are absolutely convinced that we are alive and well because of God, and therefore we must give back to God in some way, somehow, and in a significant manner                                                             – it is a matter of justice                                                                         – we owe God, and therefore we must be generous  + The Gospel gives us the second virtue of the Christian to consider today: honest love of others, this coming from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount—             – he has spoken of anger, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge, and now love of enemies                         – most of us can love those who love us                                     – that is easy enough, but it is not so easy to love those who don’t love us                                                 – those who would be categorized as “enemy”                                                             – people who do not agree with us                                                             – people who do not like our families                                                             – people who have spoken out against us                                                             – people upon whom our natural tendencies is to take revenge                                                             – people who continue to “not like” us  + Two virtues that deserve some serious meditation are presented to us today             – they might serve as a practical gateway to the way of perfection:                         – generosity and true love of everyone, even enemies. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Summertime Sadness” — Lana Del Rey SADNESS IN LIFE The Gospel LUKE 4:31-37 Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Gospelthink: Jesus’ words in the Gospel have authority. Am I listening to the Gospels the way I should?

“Kiss me hard before you go. Summertime sadness. I just wanted you to know that you’re the best. I got my red dress on tonight, dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight, done my hair up real big beauty-queen style, high heels off, I’m feeling alive. I feel it in the air, telephone wires above are sizzling like a snare. I’m on fire, I feel it everywhere, nothing scares me anymore. I’ve got that summertime sadness.”

According to psychologists, there are six basic emotions that we must deal with as human beings: happiness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust and sadness. The most difficult for us personally may be sadness. It is a feeling, a mood, that can completely overwhelm us. The worse form of sadness is probably depression, a disease that must be treated with professional therapy. Sadness is more of a general feeling that will eventually pass with time. But while it is part of our lives, it tends to dominate our thinking and acting. Sometimes it is good to be sad, as when we become sad about the evil in our world. Sometimes it is a feeling that comes from the circumstances of our lives. Lana Del Rey’s song “Summertime Sadness” presents sadness that comes as the result of a desired love which is not working out. She is losing someone that she loves, and her life will be difficult. At the same time, she is beginning to feel alive again. In the video, it is clear that the lady in the song is preparing to die. The song could also mean that she is overcoming the sadness and will live a happier life. How ever we interpret the song, people in sadness must have something to help them. Jesus looked at the people who were in a state of sadness when he walked on our earth. He saw people who were in need of something that would control evil spirits, both those who settled in individuals and in general. He spoke his word and gave hope to the sadness that inhabited the earth. Humankind at the present time must have the same hope. There are many “sadness-es” that engulf us. Jesus gives us his word, enabling us to have the hope to carry on. At the same time, our God has given us other means to help the sadness–the kind words of a friend, the gentle direction from a inspired leader, the fundamental understanding of what life really is, and other helps that are personal to every individual circumstance. We must have help to withstand the sadness in life; we are encouraged that God has given it to us.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, your Son sensed our sadness in life, and so he spoke with authority and power, giving us hope. Enable us to study the sorrows we feel, and help us realize that you will continue to help us. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT Theme: We must be prepared for sadness in life.     DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Jesus observed the Sabbath as all good Jewish people. Why do many Christians not attend Church on Sundays? 2. An “unclean spirit” in the Gospels is often a general description of some illness. In our world today, what do you consider to be the worst of all of our problems? 3.The Gospel passage makes a point about the power of Jesus’ word. In your opinion, do the Christians of our world honestly follow the word of Jesus as written in the Gospels? Yes or no and why? 4. What are some “summertime sadness-es” in the lives of people in our world today? 5. What are the ways to “feel alive” in our lives? 6. In the song, as mentioned in the meditation and is clear in the video, the lady may be preparing to end her life. What is the best way to help a friend who is thinking of suicide? 7. Project: go through each of the basic emotions, giving examples from every day living. 8. Do you agree that the most difficult emotion for us personally is sadness? Yes or no and why? 9. As you study the words of the song (without the video), what is your interpretation of the song? Why? 10. In what way did Jesus give hope to the people of this earth? 11. What does the song “Summertime Sadness” teach young people?