[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, December 20, Special Advent LUKE 1:26-38 My earthly Mother said “yes” to being a Mother for me on earth. Prayerthoughts a. An angel of the Lord has probably not spoken to us directly, but the Holy Spirit has inspired us to certain actions. Where have I seen the Holy Spirit acting in my life directly? b. Mary was troubled by the angel’s greeting. What troubles me the most in my life right now and what can I do about them? c. The angel’s statement to Mary, “Do not be afraid,” is a statement that Jesus would make often in his ministry. I must remember that the Lord is always with me, no matter what the circumstances of my life, and therefore I have no reason to be afraid. Do I find myself too afraid at times? d. The angel tells Mary that Jesus’s Kingdom will have no end. What is most important about Jesus’s Kingdom for me at this time of my life? e. As Mary, we do not always understand how the Lord is working in our lives. In what area of my life do I need to understand more how the Lord is working? f. Where have I seen the Holy Spirit most at work in the world? g. The angel tells Mary about Elizabeth. Who among my acquaintances right now should I reach out to in some way? h. Mary says “yes” to God. In my life, where have I made a commitment to God, and how am I following through on it? i. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will read Isaiah chapter 7 and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  GOD’S INTERVENTION AND MARY’S ‘YES’  + The Church has always taken Isaiah’s famous prophecy in the first reading to be a prophecy involving the Son of God             – as Christians interpret it, it is an early announcement of God’s intention to intervene in the salvation of the world             – this beginning of God’s intervention in the world is an incredible thing for us to consider                         – God actually taking the initiative to ask a human being whether she will begin the redemption process             – the kind of God we have is a God who is totally interested in us                         – a truly giving God  + And the example of Mary is a tremendous thing to consider as well             – she did not understand the things that were happening, but she did know that initially there would be all kinds of questions and accusations             – and yet she said an unqualified “yes”—“May it be done to me according to your word.”  + Both ideas from the readings today—God’s initiative and Mary’s “yes”—are important in the spiritual life             – the spiritual person will study them, and be led to two things in particular:                         – one is to say “thank you” something that comes up often during this season of God giving to us                         – and secondly, imitating as much as possible this person whose birthday we are celebrating                                     – saying “yes” to accepting whatever God wants in our lives                                                 – choosing the direction that we feel is God’s call                                                             – and doing our very best to carry it out                                     – saying yes to what it means to be redeemed                                                 – doing what is contained in the Scriptures that we read every day, telling us the ways that we should act, speak and think  + We are redeemed because of God’s initiative and Mary’s “yes”             – it should move us to true God-like action. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Perfect” — Ed Sheeran HOW TO BE PERFECT IN OUR LOVE The Gospel MATTHEW 5:48 Jesus said, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Gospelthink: I want you to try to be as perfect as you can in what you do. Am I trying to do that?

“I found a love for me; just dive right in and follow my lead. I found a girl, beautiful and sweet. I never knew you were the someone waiting for me ’cause we were just kids when we fell in love, not knowing what it was. I will not give you up this time, your heart is all I own and in your eyes you’re holding mine. When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath, but you heard it, you look perfect tonight.”

Our English dictionary uses the word “complete” to explain what the word “perfect” means. When something is perfect, it is complete in the sense of absolutely nothing lacking in that which is described to be “perfect.” So, Jesus, in chapter five of Matthew’s Gospel, having given the Beatitudes and an introduction to the Christian life, goes through six of the moral beliefs of the practicing Christian. The verse at the end of the chapter says in effect that another way of describing what must be done is to say, “Be perfect.” Understood through the prism of our English definition, it means that if one is a complete human being, that person will follow all the laws of morality that Jesus has given to us. The problem, of course, is that we are humans and in no way can we be “just as your heavenly Father” because we are not divine. So, in effect, the Lord is directing us to be as close as possible to becoming a complete human being who will not permit any fault in his/her person. Such is the wish of every commitment song between people in true love. They want their love to be perfect, to be complete in whatever circumstance they find themselves. The love relationship described by Ed Sheeran in his song “Perfect” is exactly that way. The man in the relationship believes that his friend is complete in every way, and so he describes her as perfect. It is a lesson for every love relationship in our world, and an ideal that every relationship will try to approach. We are called to be “complete,” with nothing being held back, as we finally tell someone that we “truly love” him/her. That is the only way a human being can be perfect.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son gave us the ideal of being perfect in the way we live our moral lives. We cannot be totally perfect because of our humanness, but we ask your grace to help us be as totally dedicated to the other as we can be. Be with us, we pray.

+++++GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: In order for a love relationship to be perfect, the love they have must be “complete.”DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What is your description of someone or something that is “perfect”? 2. Generally speaking we do not “fall in complete love” with the first person that we “love.” It has been suggested, therefore, that people should marry later in life. Do you agree and at what age should a person get married? 3. In the song, the man in the relationship told the other person that she was perfect. In general, do men and women communicate enough as they begin their relationship? Yes or no and why? 4.  In your opinion, can there be “perfect people” in our world? Yes or no and why? 5. Read chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel. What is most striking to you about the reading? 6. What are the biggest faults that we have? 7. In your opinion, have most young people reached a “perfect love relationship” when they get married? Yes or no and why?    8. What does the song “Perfect” teach young people?