[media presentation below] GospelThink Sunday, February 18, First Sunday of Lent MARK 1:12-15 I was tempted just like you. Prayerthoughts a. It is the Spirit leading Jesus into the desert. The “temptations” were part of his preparation to preach the Kingdom. What are the principal temptations that I have? Do I look at them as part of my preparation for a good spiritual life? b. The Lord was protected as he was tempted. The Lord protects me as well. It is something for me to remember as I struggle with the different things that bother me. In what way have I seen the Lord’s protection in my life? c. “Gospel” means “good news.” Is the Gospel “good news” to me? In what way do I show this in my life? d. Among Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of Mark are “Repent and believe.” Notice what is first. If we repent first, we will acknowledge that we are sinners, and therefore have a need for a belief system. Do I sufficiently acknowledge my sinfulness every day? e. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will read Genesis 9:1-17, and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE MOMENT OF REFORM           This is the story of Linda. I had given a talk about leadership in one of the high schools of Kansas. They gave me an excellent reception, and after the talk, I was speaking to the principal and a couple of teachers in front of the auditorium. Suddenly, the door to the auditorium swung open with a loud crash, ceasing our conversation immediately. Linda (I later found out her name) came rushing right up to me. All I could think of was that this lady was older and too old for high school, and I was more than a little afraid. The teachers were not, and that reassured me. She came right up to my face—I remember her beautiful eyes—and she asked me my name.           They had told everyone my name, of course, but I repeated it for her. She said “Thank you,” and turned around and walked away. The principal asked me if I wanted to know what that was all about. When I answered “yes,” he said that he would tell me if I would tell the story to others. I have told it many times.            It is the story of someone who understood reform. Her name was Linda. She had come over from their middle school system in that small town with very high marks and excellent recommendations. She immediately showed great potential. As a freshman, she was a leader, cheerleader, great athlete, elected to leadership positions, a good student who had high intelligence and she used it quite well.           Toward the end of that year, she met a senior young man whom the principal told me “knew more about cars than anything else.” Suddenly, Linda’s life changed—almost overnight she became just the opposite of what she was before. She became pregnant, bragged about it, taunted the Administration, dropped out of school, went to a near-by town, had the child, left the child with an agency because she simply did not care. Then lived with boyfriend, and literally did not care about very much at all.            Then the accident happened. It killed the boyfriend instantly, and Linda ended up in a coma for seven months or so. The principal was very honest with me, and told me that he had very mixed feelings about her life. But she did come out of the coma with only a border-line intelligence. She could not pass any courses, and so the principal set up tutors for her so she could eventually graduate.           After she had worked with the tutors for a while, she came back to the principal, telling him that she wanted to go back to school. The principal explained to her once again what the problem was. Her reply was that she knew all of that, but that she wanted to be in the same place that she was in before so that others could see what she was and what became of her. I asked the principal whether she would get a diploma, and he said that he would definitely work something out, but what was really important was that she was in the school where everyone could see, and she was teaching us all, he said, “what we should be.”           Linda’s moment of reform was a tragic experience. My plea to young people when I use the story is: why does reform happen only after a tragedy. Why does it take a suicide, a drug death, an alcohol accident, any death to make us understand that we must reform? Why do we understand what we have done only after a tragedy?           It seems as though Jesus is saying in the Gospel today that right now is your moment of reform:           This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. These few lines in Mark’s Gospel are called the miniature Gospel because they capture the essence of Jesus’ life and mission. There seems to be an urgency about the words, almost like: this is your last chance. Applied to us today, the Gospel and liturgy says: we all must have moments of reform and they should happen soon.           In terms of the opening part of the Gospel, there are many wild beasts in our world that are waiting to devour us. They go by various names—like thirst for power, love of too much money, selfishness, and the like. But there are also angels who minister to us—like the grace of God that will direct and guide us along the path of the Gospel if we are open to it, leading us to our moment of reform. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Water Under the Bridge” — Adele NOT WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE The Gospel MATTHEW 6:7-8 Jesus said: “In praying do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Gospelthink: You pray in order to make yourselves better, not God. Do I need to correct my view of why I pray?

“If you’re gonna let me down, then let me down gently.” The lady in the relationship has good reason to believe that the man is going to let her down because he does not seem to be responding to her: “It’s so cold out here in your wilderness. I want you to be my keeper, but not if you are so reckless.” She does not want to say that their love is just water under the bridge, and she begs him, “Say it ain’t so.”

It is relatively easy to compare the love of people of faith speaking to God the Father in prayer and the romantic love of a couple who are thinking about their relationship. Jesus reminds his followers that when it comes to love as expressed toward God, one should not use a lot of words. Instead, we are led to believe that we are to be very direct in our approach. Since your Father knows what we need before we even ask, one should spend time with direct speech rather than with lengthy prayers. In Adele’s song, “Water Under the Bridge,” even though the lady in the relationship seems to want the relationship to continue, she is quite direct in telling him that one does not become “reckless” in the relationship. She tells him directly that she does not want their relationship to be “water under the bridge,” begging him to “Say it ain’t so.” It seems as though she is willing to give up the relationship if the man is not able to say directly to her that their relationship will last. The situation is common in relationships that are beginning. The couples do not know each other well enough to determine whether one wants the relationship to grow into something more than “casual.” And often, rather than being totally honest in their discussions, they spend time merely thinking and wondering where their relationship will last, and are simply afraid to ask. In people’s love relationship with God the Father, Jesus reminds his followers that direct thought and prayer is what matters. Prayers than merely recite words is not real prayer. Likewise in our love relationships with one another, whether we are speaking in a romantic way or otherwise, our communication with the other should be straightforward and honest.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son reminds us to speak to You directly as we ask for Your help in this life. It is a good example for all of us as we try to communicate with others. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We must face all love relationships, romantic and otherwise, with honesty and directness.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What is your understanding of prayer? (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers  2558-2565.) 2. Text analysis: “It’s so cold out here in your wilderness.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 3. What are some ways that young people become “reckless”? 4. What is best way to assure that love will continue in a relationship? 5. Why is direct communication between man and woman so difficult? 6. Is it true that most beginning relationships are not honest? Yes or no and why? 7. In your opinion, is prayer really important to all Christians? Yes or no and why? 8. What does the song “Water Under the Bridge” teach young people?