[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, December 29 LUKE 2:22-35 Simeon saw me and saw salvation for the world. Prayerthoughts a. Mary and Joseph tried to follow the law for Jewish people as best they could. Do I follow the law of the Church as I try to live my life as a Christian? b. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon. Do I recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work in my life? In what way do I sense the Spirit at work in me? c. Death is, of course, a necessary part of our living. Have I accepted death as a true part of my living, welcoming it and praying for a good death? d. Simeon recognized that Jesus was the source of his salvation. How can I show better my appreciation for the redemption that Jesus has gained for me? e. Simeon tells Mary that there will be difficult times in her life. How well have I accepted the difficulties that have happened in my life, and what can I learn from them? f. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will spend 10-15 minutes in a Church (or by myself) and think of what Jesus did for me and thank Him once again. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE REVEALING LIGHT  + The Gospel is the familiar story of Jesus’ presentation with Simeon’s words           – Simeon is thankful to God that he has seen the salvation of humankind in the person of Jesus                      – and at the same time, he predicts a future of both good and bad, the fall and the rise                                – because Jesus is a light to reveal, that is, the revealing light  + Jesus is a revealing light           – that is, people’s actions will be revealed in light of who Jesus is and how he thought                      – people will have to look inside of themselves, and think about what they are doing and why they are doing it  + As we attempt to do that—allow Jesus to be a revealing light to teach us what to do about our inner lives           – a phrase that is most helpful for a person wishing to grow in the spiritual life comes from the first letter of John in today’s first reading           – the author is saying that the way to assume union with God                      – is to conduct ourselves by walking “just as he walked”                                – that which made it a “new” commandment was the fact that Jesus is the light that we have to imitate                                          – not the Jewish law now, but Jesus Christ  + I believe that the basic spiritual approach to life is contained in that phrase           – what we are called to do is to walk just as he walked                      – and so we have to study the message of Jesus                                – and as far as possible, given the circumstances that we are in, imitate the way he acted, that is to follow through on his thoughts, words and actions  + That, of course, leads to many conclusions, especially the love of neighbor that is singled out in the first reading           – but it principally means that we will study our actions in light of who and what Jesus was  + As Christians, we are called to a good life, but a difficult one           – that way of life is to conduct ourselves just as Jesus did                      – to walk just as he walked                                – and in that way, we will discover what we are and who we are. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Used to be Young” — Miley Cyrus I TOOK ANOTHER ROAD The Gospel MATTHEW 6:22-23 Jesus said: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Gospelthink: The light of God should direct your whole life.

“The truth is bulletproof. There’s no fooling you. I don’t dress the same, me and who you say I was yesterday have gone our separate ways. Left my living fast somewhere in the past ‘cause that’s for chasing cars, turns out open bars lead to broken hearts and going way too far.  I know I used to be crazy, I know I used to be fun; you say I used to be wild, I say I used to be young. Left my living fast somewhere in the past, and took another road.”

During the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus becomes philosophical as he teaches what happens when we allow either the positives, the light, or the negatives, darkness, to govern us. Using the thought of our body’s eye, that which allows into our minds light or darkness, he tells his followers that we are responsible for what we do, and if we choose the negative, the darkness, it will have a profound effect on everything in our lives. He instructs us, then, to choose the light, to choose the positive. Singing that she is choosing the light, or in her words “Left my living fast somewhere in the past,” Miley Cyrus goes a positive direction in her song, “Used to be Young.” She says of the song: “This song is about honoring who we’ve been, loving who we are and celebrating who we will become. I feel proud when reflecting on my past and optimistic when thinking about the future.” So, the past for her is a good thing, and her future is likewise good. She will not look at the past as a negative. As she says, she simply “took another road.”  What is the place where life is always positive? Understood as a place that is located in our minds, it is an attitude of life. It is a decision on our parts–that we will enjoy the life that we have been given, no matter what that life consists of, the negatives as well as the positives. We will approach our lives with the overall conviction that we will be happy. In fact, we will pray to our God that we will be taken to that place, and that even though there are big and small problems, we will approach our lives with a smile and a belief that all is well. And it will indeed be well. The truth, she says, is bulletproof.  For her the truth is that she has chosen a different direction to her life. Yes, it was not the same as the past, when she was young, but the past was important for her, a positive in the sense that she realized that she had to go another road. Now, everything is positive as she lives in that road.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, you have created a world that is full of light, but which also contains darkness. We are responsible for much of the darkness. Help us choose a positive attitude in life, and dispel the darkness from our hearts. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Life is a positive experience. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “Used to be Young” teach young people? 2  What are the principal “darknesses” that take over a person’s mind in today’s world? 3. Text analysis: why do “open bars lead to broken hearts”? 4. Other than the obvious of choosing God, what are the “lights” that we should choose in life? 5. We have most probably done things wrong in the past. Why do some people “dwell on” those things and not “let them go”? 6. In your own word, define a good “attitude of life:” 7. What are the major “truths” that should direct our lives?