[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, November 28 LUKE 21:5-11 There will come a time when the world will end. Prayerthoughts a. The apostles are in awe of the beauty of the temple. We have to be in awe of our nature and abilities and our technology that God has given to us human beings. Take the time to reflect on the abilities that we have been given without pride and thank the Lord. b. In Luke’s Gospel, the evangelist had the advantage of knowing of the destruction of the temple (which happened in 70 AD by the Romans). Jesus is calling us to understand that what is of more importance is the true worship of God. Take the time to consider what is truly important in our lives, namely God’s presence, and how much time we give to it. c. When something is foretold, we want to know when. Likewise the apostles.  Of course,  the end has not happened, and really is not that important since Jesus does not answer the question. What is important is my own preparation every day. Am I prepared for the end of the world (or my end in death) so that if it did happen today, I would gain eternal life? d. We must continue to be careful not to listen to “rapture theology” and the prediction of the end times. The Lord did not give it to us. Many say that because of what is happening in the world, the end times are upon us. I should take some time right now and pray for those who are suffering and the perpetrators. e. It may very well be true that we are in the beginning of the labor pains as Luke’s Jesus predicts. Am I doing my part of trying to alleviate the pain of the people around me whom I can help? f. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will spend some time in thanksgiving for the wonders of our world and technology. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE END TIMES LEADS TO CONVERSION  + Both readings talk of the end times today          – and our liturgy meditation probably should center around thinking about this end of the world          – and for a person interested in a deeper spiritual life, a couple of thoughts are in order:  + First, from the book of Daniel, the kingdom of God will encompass all others          – it should be a guiding factor for us who profess Christianity                   – you and I are surrounded by many kingdoms, so to speak, and we are not speaking about the kingdom of men and women, as the prophet was                            – one can call the desire for material goods to be a kingdom of sorts, in the sense that it can rule our lives                            – or we can talk about the kingdom of pleasure, which human natures constantly accept                            – or the kingdom of power—people wanting control of others in any number of situations                   – we have to listen to Daniel’s dream: there really is only one kingdom—the kingdom of God—and we ought to pay more attention to it in our lives  + Secondly, Jesus’ words that there will be wars and fearful omens          – evil is very much alive in our world                   – and part of our work as spiritual people is to fight that evil in the ways that we can                            – we can’t do much about the national and international crises                                     – except pray that the people involved use the grace of God to overcome the crises                            – but we can do something about the evil around us                                     – the situations that we cause                                              – the sinfulness which is engrained in each of us                                                       – if we try to do something about these things, then we will be contributing toward the prevention of evil  + The end of something always gives cause for thought and the possibility of conversion to something better          – obviously true of the end of the world or the end of our lives                   – but if we have worked with the Lord and tried to overcome the evil in our lives, we have nothing to fear. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Black Widow” — beginning session THE IDEAL OF A FAMILY The Gospel MATTHEW 2:13-15 When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Gospelthink: The family of Jesus had to react to the hostility of the world. Do I too easily give into what the evils of the world suggest?

The movie “Black Widow” opens with a man-made family, the husband, Alexia Shostakov and wife, Melina Vostokoff, and two children Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. The husband and wife are Russian undercover agents, and after they escape back to Russia via Cuba, Natasha and Yelena are sent to the Red Room for training from Russian General Dreykov. Then years past. Natasha managed to escape to SHIELD, the Avengers organization, while eventually Yelena is freed from the Red Room’s hold on her as well. They team up together and looking for the place of the Red Room and General Dreykov, they free Shostakov from prison and eventually join together with Vostokoff, whom Romanoff convinces to join them in overcoming Dreykov. Although they were not a real family, they wanted to have the feeling of being a family together.

The concept of family is of vital importance as we try to live well in today’s world. No matter what the situations of the individual members, being part of a family often is the glue that not only holds people together but gives its members a foundation from which one can function. Families, of course, are of all kinds, and in some cases because of human frailty and sin, families are a source of pain, but for the most part, being part of a family is good for human beings. The little family that the Church has chosen to call the Holy Family had many difficulties. Not even considering the fact that Jesus was divine-made-human, the family lived during a time and place in which most people were poor and hurting. Not only that, but there were special difficulties that arose because of the people who thought of Jesus to be someone special. The magi from their point of view saw him as a king which caused jealousy from the local king, and the family had to react to the insane hatred of that king. It is very interesting that in the understanding of the Marvel comics world, family is likewise an important concept. The made-up family in which the Black Widow was to grow lived a lie to begin with, but during and after the conquest of evil, the one thing that the original four member make-shift family desired was to be a family again. The understanding of family was important to their well-being. Whether we like it or not, we all can point to a family of origin. Even if the family is “messed up” because of whatever circumstance, each of us have can benefit from the good feeling that comes from being part of a family. We all should be aware of both how to help our families and how to interact with them.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, You have created us to be members of a family. Each of us are very aware of the gifts and needs of that family. Help us do the best that we can to make our families be better. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Even in the most difficult of circumstances, the appeal of being a family is strong.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 62  minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. In your opinion, why is a good family important in today’s world? 3. What can friends do when some of their friends are hurting because of family problems? 4. What causes jealousy among families? 5. In your opinion, what are the most important virtues that every family should have? 6. If there are problems in your own family, what is the best way to help solve them?