[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, November 21 LUKE 19:1-10 Zacchaeus was anxious to see me. Prayerthoughts a. As Zacchaeus, I should be seeking to see Jesus in my life. How am I seeking to see Jesus right now? b. Jesus says to us as well as Zacchaeus today: “Come down quickly because I must stay at your house.” As Jesus comes to be my guest, what can I change? c. I am a sinner as the people concluded about Zacchaeus, and therefore what are some actions that I should do by way of repentance? d. Zacchaeus deliberately makes himself a poor man. What are some things that I have in my possession that I should give away to the poor, that is, to a thrift store or the like? e. I want salvation, of course. What is the one good thing that I should continue to insure that I will gain salvation? f. My prayerthoughts…   Today I will determine what I will give away to someone. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy   ZACCHAEUS, ELEAZAR AND US  + Zacchaeus was a politician             – his political office was one of doing a legitimate job but at the same time it was cheating others                         – his “wrong” was what we now call the sin of extortion                         – in order to make his livelihood, he taxed his fellow Hebrews more than the Roman tax demanded so that he would be able to pay the Romans, and also enjoy a good life                                     – after his conversion, he changed his way of living  + I believe that the Zacchaeus Gospel story is both a fact and an allegory teaching us about what conversion to God consists of             – and together with the first reading from 2 Maccabees, it gives us a good meditation  + The first step to conversion is the climbing of the tree, that is, the necessity to see above the crowd             – many times we can’t see because of the crowd                         – the crowd can be interpreted to be the crowd of this world and what it wants—the desire for power, the desire to control others, the pleasure syndrome, the desire for money, the desire for the good things of life                                     – that crowd is pretty strong, and pretty tough to see over             – and so we have to climb the tree                         – that is, we have to make some efforts to control those things  + And once we have climbed the tree             – we move to the second step of conversion: we make amends                         – we do something                                     – Zacchaeus gave back one-half of his wealth to God, and four times what he had taken from others                                                 – which meant that he deliberately became a poor man                         – we are not called to make ourselves poor                                     – but we are called to do something significant, maybe even heroic  + A third part of conversion is to realize that others are watching and therefore we learn to always act with integrity to give a good example             – the way Eleazar did in the first reading from Maccabees  + Zacchaeus and Eleazar from our liturgy today teach us some things about conversion and what we should be doing with our lives. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “True Grit” — beginning session STRONG THE WIND The Gospel MATTHEW 14:24-33 The boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, [Jesus] came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Gospelthink: Peter here again exemplifying his human nature. He wanted the glory, but was not willing to look at himself. Am I too much like Peter?

The movie “True Grit” begins with the statement from Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when none pursueth.” The 40 year old Mattie Ross continues: “People do not give it credence that a young girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood. But it did happen.” The movie is the story of how it happened. Mainly it is the story of young Mattie Ross’ determination to reach her goal. She had to travel to a very difficult part of the country, work with some people who would rather cheat or kill than be honest, and convince someone whom she could trust to help her in her quest. There were so many obstacles to achieving her goal that any other person might have given up, but Mattie Ross knew what she wanted. Her determination meant that the obstacles were nothing more than temporary pauses before she accomplished her goal.

The Gospel stories of Jesus’ overcoming the powers of the sea have long been interpreted to mean Jesus’ power to control the obstacles and complications of life. In Jesus’ day, generally speaking, the people were afraid of what the sea held whether they be monsters or the power of evil. In the Gospels, Jesus was always in control of those problems. He also passed that power on to his disciples as they struggled with the same obstacles. At one time as recorded by the evangelist Matthew, Peter wanted the assurance of Jesus’ presence. Recognizing Jesus, he wanted to approach him by overcoming the obstacles of nature and the sea. Eventually, Peter was able to overcome the strength of the wind and his own problems only with the Lord’s help. In the movie “True Grit,” one cannot help but admire the determination of Mattie Ross as she set out to avenge her father’s death. Overcoming all of the many obstacles that kept her from achieving her goal, she was finally able to realize her desire, only by her sheer determination and refusal to give up. You and I may not have the individual determination to pursue a goal the way Mattie Ross did, but the good news of the Gospel is that we can accomplish what is good in life. Like Peter, we have the assurance of Jesus’ presence in our lives, and with the Lord we can overcome the “strength of the wind,” that is, the obstacles of day-to-day living. As we reach out to the Lord who will always help, we know that we can accomplish what is good for us and those around us.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we are imperfect human beings who are trying to accomplish good things in life. Give us the grace to reach out to your Son in order to accomplish the good goals in our lives. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: A person who is determined will overcome many obstacles in order to reach a goal.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 52 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. The meditation interprets Jesus’ control of the sea in the Gospel to be his control of the obstacles in life. What are the principal obstacles to Christian living right now, and what can you do about them? 3. The phrase “Do not be afraid” spoken by Jesus comes up often in the Gospels. What does it mean to not be afraid in our world? 4. As you study the actions of Peter in the Gospel passage, what conclusions can you draw about Peter’s character? 5. Jesus reprimands Peter because he “doubted.” In what ways do we doubt the Lord in our lives today? 6. In the movie, Mattie Ross set out to administer the strict justice of the law for her father’s killer. When is killing another justified? (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2263-2267.) 7. What are the goals that everyone of us should have? 8. In a Christian meditation, a Christian’s goal in life is to live a good life as mentioned in the meditation. What is your definition of “a good life”? 9. If you know a person who has given up because it seemed that God did not listen, what can you do as a Christian to convince such a person that God really cares? 10. What is the greatest good that you can accomplish right now in your life? 11. Analysis: “The wicked flee when none pursueth.” Explain the meaning of the proverb. 12. Dialogue analysis: Mattie: “There is nothing free [in this world] except for the grace of God.” True or false and why? 13. Do you believe that a 14-year-old could have the maturity that Mattie Ross shows? Yes or no and why? 14. Scene analysis: Brutal killing is portrayed in the movie. Does this type of presentation affect a person who watches the movie? Yes or no and why? In particular, how does this type of presentation affect a pre-teenager? 15. Dialogue analysis: Reuben: “This is like women talking.” What is the meaning of the phrase?