October 19 [media presentation below] GospelThink Thursday, October 19 LUKE 11:47-54 I say strong words of criticism to the religious leaders. I wanted them as I want you to look carefully at what you are doing. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they properly honor the early prophets, but that they were responsible for killing them. Who are the prophets in my day that I should listen to, and have I tried to follow them? b. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the Scriptures predicted the martyrdom of prophets whose death they brought about in the sense that they would have participated in killing them. I have not taken part in “killing” the prophets, but have I put their teachings into my life? c. Jesus addresses the scholars of the law directly telling them that they have taken away the key of knowledge, that is, the law which brings people to God. What is the law that brings me closest to God, and am I following it right now in my life? d. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they will not enter the place of God and that they are leading others away from God, strong criticism of people whose very being should have brought people to God. As I study my life, how well am I leading people to God? e. The  Pharisees and scholars of the law sought revenge. Is revenge part of my thinking and words and actions? f. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Romans, chapter 3, and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy   THE TRUTH OF THE “PRINCIPLE OF FAITH”  + Luke’s Gospel today continues Jesus’ tirade against the religious leaders of his time           – almost embarrassing language as a follower of Jesus looks at it                      – why would Jesus, the God-man, be so insulting to a group of people?                                – the only reason: the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees were not what they claimed to be in the area of religion, the area of a relationship with his Father, something very personal to Jesus                                          – they claimed to have a knowledge of God, knowledge that Jesus had                                          – they should have been true followers of God, his Father                                                    – and they weren’t                                          – they had the key of knowledge, as he said                                                    – that is, they had the truth, but refused to let it influence them  + The passages against the Hebrew religious leaders in the Gospels should have an effect on us, especially as we choose to reflect on the idea of truth           – all Christians because of Jesus, possess the truth, the key of knowledge and therefore it should influence us who are his followers                      – and often it does not           – but especially those who try to get close to him—we who go to Mass daily and the religious                      – since we are in a comparable situation to the Hebrew religious leaders   + What we are called to—the truth—is the purpose of Paul’s letter to the Romans in one way or another           – in the reading today, Paul says: We “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus whom God set forth…”                      – the truth about Jesus in particular is the primary focus                                – and the letter is literally full of great meditation possibilities                      – right here at the beginning of the letter, Paul points out that Jesus was set forth by God the Father and that this principle of faith guides us                      – our faith is that we have been redeemed through Jesus                                – and therefore we have the opportunity of eternal life                      – and that faith is what you and I have chosen as Catholic Christian people                                – that means that the most important meditation book for us is the book of the Gospels (importance of it symbolized by carrying it in solemn procession) where we discover what the principle of faith is—how Jesus talks, acts, and especially try to get into his thinking process  + Getting into his thinking about the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, we can see that it was a personal thing—it was personal for Jesus, and they were only acting like it was personal for them and that was pure hypocrisy           – we know the truth, based on the principle of faith—we can’t only act like we know it           – it has to have an effect on how we live. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Feel It Still” — Portugal.The Man GOOD FEELINGS, PAST AND FUTURE The Gospel JOHN 1:47-50 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Phillip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”

Gospelthink: I saw that Nathanael was a man of true integrity. Do I try to be a person of integrity, not fake in anything?

“Can’t keep my hands to myself, think I’ll dust ‘em off, put ‘em back up on the shelf in case my little baby girl is in need. Am I coming out of left field? I’m a rebel just for kicks, now I been feeling it since 1966, now might be over now, but I feel it still. Let me kick it like it’s 1986, now might be over now, but I feel it still. Is it coming? It’s time to give a little to the kids in the middle.”

Nathaniel was a pretty good man. Jesus himself said that he was someone who had no duplicity in him, that is, that he was not fake or someone who pretended to be more than anyone else. No doubt, Nathaniel felt good about his life and relished the pleasant feelings that he enjoyed. But he knew that he had to move on. Good feelings in the past cannot be the deciding factor of a future life. He heard Jesus call him, and he had to change his lifestyle to include a future that was built around Jesus, one that also would give him a good feeling. Past feelings are good to recall, of course, at least the feelings that made us feel good, but we cannot allow them to dominate our lives. The group Portugal.The Man in their song “Feel It Still” sings about a man who had been a “rebel,” and he had a good time in the past. He had some “kicks,” some real happiness in his life, and his “now–back then” were great feelings, and he wants to feel it still. But he realizes that he has to leave those good feelings, and “give a little” to other people, especially his “little baby girl” so that his future will be as good a feeling as his past. God has allowed us to have good feelings in our past, and we can rejoice in them because feeling satisfied is important as we grow. But we also understand that we need good feelings in the present and the future. We cannot live in the past, and therefore we must work at making that future as happy as it was in the past. Nathaniel was not only interested in the past in his life, but once Jesus came into his life, he became very interested in his future as well. We can learn from him, and we can likewise learn from Portugal.The Man’s song that even though our past was good, our present and future can be happy as well. For the Christian, such a happy feeling begins with acceptance of the ways of Jesus.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, You have given us good feelings in the past even though sometimes we may have been hurting for some reason. Help us learn from Your Son so that our feelings in the future will be happy. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Past good feelings are important, but we must work to bring about those good feelings in the present and future as well. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In your opinion, what does it mean to say that someone has “no duplicity”? 2. How would you define a “rebel” in today’s world? 3. In your opinion, is being a “rebel” good or bad? 4. What are the principal good feelings that we have had when we were younger than we are now? 5. What is the most important thing that we can “give” to another? 6. What are the ways that most people make themselves “feel good” about their present? 7. The meditation says that Christians must gain their good feeling from the ways of Jesus. Do you believe that Christians spend enough time trying to do this? Yes or no and why?  8. What does the song “Feel It Still” teach young people?