[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, December 1 LUKE 21:29-33 Know for certain that these things will come to pass, and my words will last forever. Prayerthoughts a. The Lord goes to nature in order to talk about eternal life., and in particular, trees here. Do I have a proper reverence for nature and what God has created? Perhaps a prayer of thanksgiving for creation is in order here. b. The Lord points out that if people can read the signs in nature, they should be able to the signs of the coming of spiritual happenings (i.e. The Kingdom of God). Am I developing a strong spiritual life as I live my life? c. “This generation” can refer to the generation as Jesus was speaking, thinking of “these things” to be the Jewish revolt which happened between 66 and 70 AD or a timeless reference to the end of the world which is always imminent. What is the best way for me to prepare for my death? d. The Lord’s words will never pass away. Do I read from the Scriptures as often as I should? e. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Daniel, chapter 7:1-14, and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE  + If one were to ask what the central doctrine of Jesus in the Scriptures would be,           – Scripture scholars will tell you that it is not love, or forgiveness, or peace                      – all of them are part of the central doctrine           – the doctrine that is central is the third mystery of the mysteries of the Rosary proclaimed by St. John Paul II called the mysteries of Light                      – the central doctrine of Jesus is the idea and concept of the Kingdom of God                                – all of his doctrine fits into this one idea in one way or another  + In the Gospel today, as Luke thinks of what Jesus said in his lifetime, apparently Jesus in his human form thought that the Kingdom of God was going to come relatively soon in or shortly after his life           – saying in the Gospel that the Kingdom is near                      (perhaps he was referring to the Jewish revolt which happened between 66 and 70 AD, and some of the people there would be present for it)           – also that Kingdom was understood to be proclaimed by the Hebrew Scriptures as well                      – in the first reading from the book of Daniel, as one studies the kingdoms that Daniel was referring to                                – they are not modern references at all                                – but the four beasts symbolized the human kingdoms of Babylon, Medea, Persia and Greece                                          – and the significant part of the reading for us is that those kingdoms—and you are led to believe—every human kingdom no matter where                                                    – must remain subject to the kingdom of the Ancient One—God and the one to whom the Ancient One gave dominion, namely, the son of man sitting on the clouds of heaven—Jesus  +Obviously, since this doctrine of Jesus is central for him, a whole course of Scripture and applications can be built around it           – for our spiritual lives, it is simply important that we are living within the Kingdom of God right now                      – trying to develop ourselves and our world according to the concepts that Jesus taught about the Kingdom           – perhaps there are two principal ideas about the Kingdom that we can think about today:           1 – that it is open to everyone                      – and therefore everyone is important in the Kingdom                                – giving rise to our doctrine of concern for others and the importance of love of enemies that is such a major part of the doctrine of Kingdom of God as Jesus taught it           2 – it is not for the hypocritical                      – the principal difficulty Jesus had with the religious leaders in the Gospels, as evidenced in so many chapters of those Gospels                                – was that the religious leaders above all should have understood religion, and they did not                                          – because they made it a show                                                    – they only acted like it was important                      – in terms of the Kingdom, if we are part of the Kingdom—and we all are—then religion must be real and not just something we talk about  + The doctrine of the Kingdom of God is very simple for us right now           – we are living within it                      – and therefore our actions should show it. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Spider-Man: No Way Home” — beginning session THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP The Gospel LUKE 5:4b-11 Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Gospelthink: Jesus calls all of us to be his followers, even to the point of giving everything to him. Obviously, I cannot give away everything, but have I shown by my actions that I am a follower of Jesus?

After Peter Parker, known as Spider-Man, was framed for a murder he did not commit, Peter, his girlfriend MJ Watson, best friend Ned Leeds and Peter’s Aunt May are interrogated. Eventually, Peter’s charges are dropped, but the group grapples with strong negative publicity. After a number of negative things happen to them, they decide to ask Dr. Stephen Strange for help that would make everyone forget that Peter was Spider-Man. Strange obliges, but during the spell, Peter realizes his friendship with MJ, Ned and May, and interrupts the spell. Strange’s spell is corrupted and his spell works only partially. It accomplishes its goal, but brings other people from the multiuniverse who prove to be a challenge for Spider-Man. In fact, all the specific enemies of Spider-Man return.

Since Jesus was a human being, maybe even the perfect human being, he knew the value of friendship. He knew the importance of having people close enough to him who could feel the same joys and sorrows that he did. Peter and the apostles gradually fulfilled such a role. When Jesus saw them, he no doubt realized that they would prove to be good friends to him, even if at times there would be some misunderstandings. But, in the end, Peter and the disciples would see how much of a privilege it was to be acknowledged as Jesus’ friends.The theme of friendship runs throughout the movie “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It is clear at the beginning of the movie when Peter’s insistence of having his friends remember who he was “corrupted” the spell which caused the problems. MJ, Ned and May were special to Peter and he knew that he wanted them to be part of his universe. Then, at the close of the film, the friendship of him and Peter-Two and Peter-Three from the multiuniverse was the means that Spider-Man could save the world. Perhaps there are two lessons here for the Christian. One is the spiritual one that insures that Jesus will be a friend of ours, one of the teachings that comes from the Christian Gospels. Jesus not only called Peter and the disciples, but through them, he has called us to be his followers and therefore his friends. Secondly, Jesus teaches us how to be friends by showing his close disciples what a friend really is. If we choose to be friends, we will accept our friends as they are, even as they choose to accept us. Then, too, maybe there is a lesson for the Christian from the movie itself. In the movie at its close, in order to rid the world of countless people from the multiuniverse, Peter had to request Dr. Strange to erase even his close friends’ memories from a knowledge of him. One gets the feeling that having experienced real friendship, one could “fight evil” in a personal way forever. Here, we see our need for friendship in order to live better in life. Just as Jesus’s human friendship with his Apostles could help him through the experience of his Passion and Death. Friendship is indeed a privilege in the human realm of things. We must value it, and work at being better at it.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we believe that your Son has chosen us as true friends just as He chose His disciples in His human lifetime. Give us the grace to study the friendship He shows us, and make it an example for our friendships with others. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We all need real friendship.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 69 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why? 2. In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a good friend? 3. Given that we are friends of Jesus, what effect should that have in our lives? 4. What special “obligations” do we take on when we choose someone else to be our “best friend”? 5. There are people in our world, and some we may know, who seem lonely because they have no friends. What are some ways that I can help them if I want? 6. The meditation says that it is a “privilege” to have friends. In what ways is this a true statement?