[media presentation below] GospelThink Saturday, September 9 LUKE 6:1-5 The religious leaders were not at all interested in my new way of life. Prayerthoughts a. Our Sabbath day is Sunday. In general, have I kept holy our Sabbath Day, refraining from unnecessary work and giving myself to prayer?   b. Jesus could see that an exception was given in the past to accommodate people, showing that people were more important than law. Have I shown a sincere love for all people in my immediate circle? In what area can I do better? c. When Jesus tells me to love everyone, are their some whom I have deliberately excluded? Perhaps I should take the time to pray for them right now. d. Jesus is lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees had many laws about things that were not permitted on the Sabbath. Jesus has his own law. In your opinion from the Scriptures with which you are familiar, what are Jesus’s three most important laws for me right now? (This is the task of the meditation.) e. In general, what does Jesus mean when he says that the Sabbath was made for man? f. My prayerthoughts…. Today, I will carry out letter d. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE LAW  + The Gospel gives us one of the common points of disagreements between Jesus and the Pharisees, namely the law           – and how important is the law                      – in this case, it is the law of the Sabbath                                – and in particular, what can be done on the Sabbath                                          – we know from our study of Hebrew literature at the time of Jesus that the laws of the Sabbath were quite extensive                                                    – hundreds of laws, telling the Israelite men and women how they were to behave, how many paces they could walk, and exactly how much work could be done                                                               – one of those laws dealt with eating and the activity which led to eating, the case in today’s Gospel           – today, Jesus points out to the Pharisees that eating is more important than the laws of the Sabbath                      – and in Jesus’ scheme of things, as he talks about the Kingdom of God that he was preaching,                                – he, Jesus, the Son of Man as he frequently calls himself, will put the law of the Sabbath into the proper perspective  + As we search for an application of that Gospel in our lives today in the twenty-first century           – probably that ideal is something that we should consider—we have to place law into the proper perspective           – unfortunately, our own Catholic history and heritage has imitated a stress on law that has been too strong                      – and immediately, we have to say that law is important as a guideline                                – Jesus did not do away with all law                                          – he just said that sometimes some things are more important than law, like people, and in particular ourselves, and our eating, the topic of today’s Gospel           – the same with our Catholic tradition—some things are more important than the laws that we have come to know such as the Ten Commandments or the Canon law of the Church  + When is something more important than the law?           – usually the Gospels will suggest that situations involving people can be more important, like our eating, in today’s reading                      – that is, taking care of self           – in the first reading from the letter to the Colossians, the apostle of Paul says that we have to be firmly grounded and stable in the faith                      – faith—and the carrying out of that faith—is more important than law   + Even if law is most important as we live our Christian spiritual lives, there are things that are more important than the law           – Jesus reminds us of that today           – we have to have a healthy respect for what the law says, but we have to understand also that people—in today’s Gospel, ourselves—sometimes take precedence over the law. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Skyfall” — final session A STUDY OF REVENGE The Gospel MARK 3:1-6 Again Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remain silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out you hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Gospelthink: The religious leaders were looking at a way to silence me and I was all about compassion to others. Do I show the proper compassion to all people?

In the movie “Skyfall,” Former MI6 agent Raoul Silva had given into the evil of revenge. It had ruled the major part of his life. It had governed his actions since he had decided to act beyond the rules of his employment and his director had abandoned him. He spoke of a change of his nature, comparing himself and Bond to rats who only ate other rats. And in his mind, the two of them were the last rats standing. In a sense, revenge changes one’s nature, especially if it is so strong that it occupies a person’s every-day thinking. Unable to forget the harm that he perceived had been inflicted on him, Silva’s revenge took him far beyond the normal thinking of living. It invaded his very psyche. He could only think of one thing, and in such a state, his final days would be determined by the revenge he sought.

Every religion has a moral code that includes the discussion of revenge. Is it a good or an evil? Some consider it to be a good since revenge can be a deterrent to prevent further crime. Jesus is quite clear in his approach, however.  In his opinion, there is to be no revenge: “To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic” (Luke 6:29). In Jesus’ mind, one not only does not seek revenge, one actually gives more to the person who does the wrong. The ideal of no revenge is often foreign to the human mind. Jesus saw how revenge would motivate his enemies, leading eventually to his death. He could easily see how his actions were affecting the people who did not understand his ministry since they “took counsel…against him to put him to death.” In the thinking of human beings, revenge is usually part of every answer to a wrong. In general, we do not like to be hurt, especially if our families are involved, and we will want to “get back at” or “teach a lesson” when we can do it. In the movie “Skyfall,” the agent Raoul Silva allowed revenge to dominate his life. His one thought was to harm the person who had wronged him. It became an obsession, and he was willing to hurt anyone who got in his way in order to accomplish his goal. A very high percentage of our media speaks of revenge in one form or another, many times presenting it as a good solution to “make one feel better” or to give someone “what he/she really deserves.” Our Christian voice is often only a feeble whisper against the loud roar of our desire for revenge. But, whisper though it be, it is the message of Christianity. Our world will be much better when we finally hear the whisper.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we often want to be people of revenge. We want to get back at the people who harm us or our families. Help us truly listen to your Son’s message against revenge, and give us the courage to put it into our thinking. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Revenge is an evil that can destroy us.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 66 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. Project: the presenter may want to make a presentation on the importance of the Sabbath in Jewish theology. Do you think that most Christians think that “going to Church on Sunday” is important? Yes or no and why? 3. Text analysis: In your opinion what is the meaning of the phrase “hardness of heart”? 4. Project: the presenter may want to explain the difference between the Pharisees and Herodians in Mark’s Gospel. 5. Why can one consider the action of the Pharisees and Herodians to be “revenge.” 6. What are some cases in which “revenge” can be considered a good? 7. If every Christian actually followed the message of Jesus concerning revenge, what would the world be like? 8. Analysis: “In the thinking of human beings, revenge is usually a part of every answer to a wrong.” True or false and why? 9. In your opinion, are there some people whose lives are “dominated by the thought of revenge”? Yes or no and why? 10. In your opinion, does the frequency of “answer by means of revenge” which occurs in our media affect people in an adverse way? Yes or no and why? 11. Dialogue analysis: Silva tells Bond that M has sent him out even though he has failed all his re-entrance tests. In your opinion, why did M do that? 12. Scene analysis: Severine evidently has been beaten and Silva kills her with no feeling at all. Why do some people  treat other people this way, with no respect? 13. Analysis: Given M’s job, even though Silva had done what he had done, do you think that M should have abandoned him? Yes or no and why? 14. Dialogue analysis: M’s speech at the Ministry: she says that the world we are in is a “frightening” world. Why is it a true statement? 15. Dialogue analysis: M’s speech at the Ministry, a quote from Tennyson’s Ulysses: ““We are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” What is the meaning of the quote? 16. Analysis: the killing at Bond’s old homestead. In your opinion, is such a presentation harmful to young people who watch it? Yes or no and why? 17. Analysis: what is the significance of M’s gift to Bond, the white china bulldog with the Union Jack? 18. Analysis: Bond evidently continues his work under the new “M.” Should a person who is “older” be given the responsibility that Bond takes upon himself? Yes or no and why? 19. Analysis: the film marks the fiftieth anniversary of the James Bond movies. In your opinion, what type of impact have the films had on the people who have watched them? 20. What does the movie “Skyfall” teach young people?