[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, November 3 LUKE 14:1-6 I try to explain by my action of healing that people are more important than law. Prayerthoughts a. The people were observing him carefully, looking for some punishable offense probably. Am I observing the Lord carefully as I study the Gospels so as to follow him exactly? b. Jesus went right to the heart of the problem, asking about curing on the Sabbath. In my speech with others, especially in arguments, am I honest and clear in my approach? c. Jesus is always interested in people and their welfare. Are there any people in my acquaintance to whom I do not show the proper respect? d. Do I study the laws that govern me with a true respect, but with an attitude of how they affect the people around me? e. Is there any law in my country right now which harms other people? I can certainly pray for the people, but is there anything else I can do? f. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Romans, chapter 9 and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy   THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE  + In the first reading, Paul writes to the Romans about his love for his fellow Jews          – saying that he really wants them to accept Jesus Christ and his teachings                   – going so far as to say—and this is a profound statement for Paul to make—                            – that he would even allow himself to be condemned and blocked from Jesus—that is something that he never wanted to happen to him                                     – but he would accept it if only his fellow Israelites would accept Jesus  + Paul desperately wanted his fellow Israelites to accept Jesus, and chapter 9 of Romans goes into a teaching about why they should accept him          – it brings up the whole question of how you and I have accepted Jesus in our lives                   – that is, have we completely accepted who Jesus is, and what he wanted to teach                            – have we made him the way, the truth and the life that every Christian is called to do?  + Because if we have truly accepted him          – we will have the same love of our fellow people as Paul had for his fellow Israelites                   – the same love that is exemplified in the Gospel today          – in Jesus’ view of things, people are very important                   – other people—whether neighbors or people who are sick or ill                   – he deliberately heals the man with dropsy on the Sabbath                            – saying to the Pharisees who were watching him very closely that people are more important than any law                            – the Israelite law did not allow medical activity on the Sabbath and Jesus points out how wrong that part of the Jewish law was  + And so, this idea becomes very important for us as you and I say that we have accepted Jesus and his teaching          – do we treat people with the respect they need                   – we look at the world outside                            – and we see a lot of negatives—the wars, the killing, the revenge, the hatred, the prejudice                                     – there are some people who are working for the betterment of humankind, but there are a number who are not                   – we look even within the Church                            – and we see people who have made the Church an exclusive club almost that will not allow certain elements of society to come into it  + But especially in this area,          – we have to be concerned about ourselves          – that is, if we have accepted the teaching of Jesus, we have to be concerned about how we treat those closest to us—our families, our fellow religious elsewhere and here          – the people that we know best in all the world are the ones that we live with  + There is an English idiom—saying—that familiarity breeds contempt          – that is, when you are so close to people all the time, the chances are that we will learn to hate them          – that could never be what Jesus wanted                   – for him, people were important, even more important than law                   – it should be the same with us. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Break Free” — Ariana Grande featuring Zedd LETTING GO AND MOVING ON The Gospel MARK 1:4-5 John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

Gospelthink: You must acknowledge your sinfulness also. Do I, and do I really want to do something better about my behavior?

“I should’ve said it before: I can’t pretend anymore. I only wanna die alive, never by the hands of a broken heart. Don’t wanna hear you lie tonight, now that I’ve become who I really are. This is the part when I say I don’t want ya. I’m stronger than I’ve been before. This is the part when I break free ‘cause I can’t resist it no more.”

The theme of romantic breakups is a common one in the media of today. Because of our Western custom of choosing romantic partners, we have forced our young and even older people into the possibility of making important choices that affect our future. As a result there will be many times when we are not sure about a relationship, and we will spend a significant amount of time invested in a relationship only to find out that it will not work out. Such is the case described in Ariana Grande’s song “Break Free.” It is a song initiating a breakup and the lady in the song feels good and stronger because she can do it. She realized that she had to let go of the past and then move on. We can generalize the thought into life relatively easily because life experience lends itself to studying what is right or wrong about a situation and then making a decision. Sometimes we must choose an entirely different path from the one we have chosen, admit our incorrect decision and change. It seems that the people “of the Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem” were in such a condition. No doubt an exaggeration, it is still a statement that the people realized the error of past ways and after hearing the preaching of John the Baptist, decided that they had to change. Given the nature of our humanity, it will often become clear that we should choose another way of acting that is different from what we have chosen. We can sense that what we are doing is just not the right thing. Someone may have mentioned it to us, or we hear it in the words of an inspiring person or an inspiring book like the Bible. However it comes, it becomes clear that we have to let go of the past. The difficulties of a romantic breakup are not pleasant, but they can serve as a lesson when we understand that we have to break with a former way of living and move on to something better.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we know that there is a necessity to change our life patterns at times. Your Son and servants like John the Baptist pointed it out to us. Help us understand when we must change and give us the courage to carry it out. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Sometimes we must let the past go and move on in life. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In your opinion, what is the sin in our world today about which we should be most concerned? 2. In your opinion, why did John he Baptist have such a great following of people? 3. At the present time, is there a person that the world follows the way the people of Judea followed John the Baptist? Yes or no and if yes, who would it be? 4. Text analysis: “I only wanna die alive.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 5. Text analysis: “Never by the hands of a broken heart.” What is the meaning of the phrase? 6. In what ways do people “lie” while dealing with romantic love? 7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of people choosing their own partners as we do in the Western world? 8. How can someone feel stronger after a breakup? 9. How difficult is it for a young person to change? How difficult is it for an older person to change? 10. What would cause a person to change in a radical way? 11. In your opinion, could something that a person says change a person in a significant way? Yes or no and why? 12. What does the song “Break Free” teach young people?