[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, November 9, Dedication of the Lateran Basilica JOHN 2:13-22 I chase the money traders out of the Temple because the Temple should be a house of prayer. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus followed the traditions of the Jewish religion. Am I trying to follow the rules of  the Christian Church to which I belong according to my conscience? b. Jesus saw that some of the people were making a profit on what was necessary for sacrifice in the temple. Do I find that I may be too interested in money and profit? c. Jesus shows “justifiable anger.” When I get angry, am I certain that it is “justifiable,” that is “absolutely certain” that I have a right to be angry, and not just my selfishness? d. Jesus is very concerned about the sanctity of the temple. When I am in my Church, do I show the reverence that I should? e. There are all kinds of signs that I should remember about the Lord. What are the most important signs that God exists around me? (This is the task of the meditation.) f. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will carry out letter e. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR WORLD THROUGH US  + Today’s feast is the celebration of one of the magnificent Churches of Rome, St. John Lateran          – we celebrate these feasts of dedication of Churches because it is essentially a celebration of the presence of God in our world  + The Gospel of today’s feast—the cleansing of the temple in John’s Gospel—is portrayed in a striking way in the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar”          – Jesus comes into the temple–actually an open space in the movie, signifying that not only is the temple a place of God                   – but the whole world is          – and he sees in that world a vision of the 20th and 21st centuries                   – present in the temple are all forms of money which Jesus also saw in the temple of old                            – but there are also guns, ammunition, clothes, drugs, enticements to travel, gambling, money hoarding, and sex exploitation          – in the movie, Jesus grows very angry and he pushes over all the tables and cabinets,                   – and at one point, takes the barrel end of a gun–and I believe that is significant–                            – and destroys the weapons of war that were there          – and he screams at the top of his voice: “Get out, this is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”                   – the people were using God’s sacred place for worldly profit and Jesus simply could not tolerate it  + We celebrate today that God is present in our world          – in the first reading, life-giving water flows from the synagogue, from the Church, and makes everything new          – in the second reading, God’s sacred place is our body          – in essence, we have the same problem that Jesus had with the people who were treating the synagogue as a place to earn money  + We are people who have taken God’s presence in our world and used it for our own profit  + The zeal that consumed Jesus was an understanding that God is present in every place          – God must be seen to be part of everything that happens                   – our zeal must involve bringing God back into our own lives in a measurable way where people can see that we really mean what we say  + If Jesus were to come into our synagogue, our Church, this one, right now, and look into our hearts          – would he find the zeal to take the presence of God that is here, and take it out there?                   – a good question to think about as we go about our day. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Brighter Than the Sun” — Colbie Caillat BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN The Gospel JOHN 15:9-11 [Jesus said:] “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

Gospelthink: I want you to remain in my love. Do I show my love of God by the way that I am acting now?

“I swear you hit me like a vision; I wasn’t expecting, but who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it. Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart. It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun. Oh, we could be the stars, falling from the sky, shining how we want, brighter than the sun. I’ve never seen it, but I found this love; I’m undefeated; you better believe, I’m gonna treat it better than anything I’ve ever had.”

Colbie Caillat’s song “Brighter Than the Sun” is a happy song about romantic love: the lady in the song has finally discovered it, and it has changed her whole life. She feels “brighter than the sun.” Any couple who are deeply in love will have similar feelings. When we apply those feelings to life itself, although we will not experience the intensity of romantic love with everyone, we should experience love with everyone. Every religious leader will give such a directive in some way. Jesus, as he was speaking to his disciples at the Last Supper in John’s Gospel tells all of his followers that there is a general rule for life concerning love. We must have a love of others, Jesus tells us, that can be compared to his love for God his Father. Viewed as a pattern for life, love of others will be the “general” statement, and a particular love of another in romantic love will be part of the “general” love. Consequently, there is a close relationship between romantic love of another and love of others in general. In fact, a person interested in leading a good life based on the teachings of a religious mentor like Jesus can learn some things from romantic love. Maybe the most important is that we will learn to treat people with the same care that a couple in romantic love will show toward each other. If every Christian would learn such a lesson, their lives and the lives of everyone they meet would feel “brighter than the sun.”

PRAYER Good and gracious God, your Son has told us to love one another, and to base such a love on his love for you. May we learn from the love songs of our day to truly care for the people whom we meet. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: True love will make us happy, enabling us to be people who care about others. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does it mean for a Christian to “remain” in Jesus’ love? 2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, treats love of others by going through the fourth through tenth commandments. Make a presentation on these commandments and show how “love of others” is portrayed. 3. Jesus speaks of “joy.” Why should a Christian be a “joyful” person?  4. Colbie Caillat sings of “fate” that directs a person’s falling in love. Why do religious authors say that there is no such thing as “luck”? 5. Colbie Caillat sings of the feelings of love in her song. Explain the difference between “feeling love” and “being in love.” 6. In what ways does “falling in love” change a person’s life? 7. Project: study some other religions and show how “love of others” is part of their doctrine. 8. In your opinion, do most Christians have a love of others than can be compared to Jesus’ love for his Father? Yes or no and why? 9. What does the song “Brighter Than the Sun” teach young people?

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike ©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America