[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, February 20 MATTHEW 6:7-15 I have given you the “Our Father” as a primary prayer. Prayerthoughts a. There are no doubt many prayers that I “read” or “recite by heart” and I do not pay attention to the words that I should—what might be called “babble.” I should review the formal prayers that I pray and determine to pay attention to the words that I use. b. Our God knows what we need. When we pray to God, we are the ones that change, not God. Our prayer in every instance is something that should help us understand that God is working for us. c. Our prayer should include praise of God. For what things should I praise God most of all? (This is the task of the meditation.) d. I pray that my place on earth be made into the kingdom in heaven. What should I do in my life to make it more in tune with the heavenly kingdom? e. I pray for what I need daily. What are the daily needs that I must have? Do I thank God   enough for them? f. I pray the word “forgive.” The Lord even reminds me after he teaches the prayer. Who should I forgive most at this time of my life? g. I pray that my life may be free from evil. What are the evils that surround me most that  I should avoid? h. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will carry out letter c. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  PRAYER  + Both readings speak of the idea of the word of God           – God’s word in Isaiah is to be listened to and responded to and is true, achieving the end that God intended           – our word to God—prayer—is presented by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount of Matthew’s Gospel   + With any consideration of the prayer that we know as the Our Father, there are many conclusions for the spiritual life           – three of them in particular strike me           1 – with prayer, we have to know what we are saying                                – “do not rattle on”, as if that is the way to please God                                          – being aware of what we are praying is an important consideration for formal prayer            2 — prayer is for us, not for God—your Father knows before you ask                                – we are not “placating” God by our prayer as if “God will get us if we don’t pray”                                – we are not “forcing” God to do anything—we do not have that power                                          – God knows our circumstances and is always working for our good anyway, whether we ask or not                                                    – Jesus tells us to ask because we must know that we depend on God           3 – with prayer, there must be action in the form of forgiveness of another                      – it is no mistake that Jesus doesn’t stop with the statement of asking for forgiveness in the Our Father                                – he reiterates it again immediately after teaching the Our Father                                          – as if to say: this is an important point                                – prayer only makes sense if you are doing the things of God                                          – you cannot pray the Our Father and still not forgive someone                                          – you cannot pray the rosary and still tear another down                                          – you cannot pray a formal prayer and hold a grudge or be prejudiced  + Prayer is a common activity for us           – we are at prayer now                      – we must concentrate on what we are saying, and want to reform our lives as we pray. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Meant to Be” — Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line NO TIME FOR FAKE LOVE The Gospel LUKE 3:1-3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Gospelthink: Jesus proclaimed a baptism of repentance. I must continue to ask forgiveness for my sinfulness.

“Lay on back and relax,” the man in the relationship says, “No need to go nowhere fast, let’s enjoy right here where we at. Who knows where this road is supposed to lead? We got nothing but time. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. So won’t you ride with me, see where this thing goes.” The reason why they need some time to see where the thing goes is given by the lady in the relationship: “I don’t mean to be so uptight, but my heart’s been hurt a couple times by a couple guys that didn’t treat me right. I’m tired of the fake love.”

When something is important, we often try to pinpoint the time, as if to say, it is necessary that we remember when this happened because it is something that is of value. Such seems to be the evangelist Luke’s reasoning behind his dramatic beginning of John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ public ministry. It is almost like a solemn proclamation that begins with “Hear ye, hear ye.” Actually this Gospel passage still does not contain enough information to pinpoint when Jesus’ public ministry began, and there are some questions about some of the people he mentioned, but his introduction says that in Luke the evangelist’s opinion, the redemption of humankind is of great value and it deserves a solemn introduction. The proper understanding of time is one of the most important concepts that can be learned as we grow. Allowing ourselves time to develop important things as we mature is a must. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s song “Meant To Be” is an illustration of that thought. They sing of a woman who wants real love and not “fake love.” The way to accomplish it, as they say, is time. The man in the relationship encourages the lady who totally agrees with her by saying that they have “nothing but time.” Allowing time to help accomplish something of importance is not only necessary in a romantic relationship. It is part of any maturing process. If we have a desire to learn about life, we must allow ourselves time to study the ins and outs of how to live in this world. If we want to develop a career, it takes time to learn how to do it well. If we have a desire to learn about faith, we need time to determine the way we believe and why we believe the way we do.  Jesus knew about the importance of time as he began his ministry. The evangelist Luke tells us such in his own way by announcing the time that Jesus began his ministry. The song “Meant To Be” reminds us of the importance of time in a romantic setting. The application of their thoughts means a true understanding of the importance of time if we want to bring about anything worthwhile in our lives.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, You have given us time to accomplish wonderful things in this life. Thank You for what You have given us, and help us to use well the time that we have left here on earth, so as to merit your presence forever.  Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: One must give any relationship time to work out.  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1.What are the most important accomplishments in your life so far? In what way has the Lord helped you accomplish them? 2. In your opinion, what is a “baptism of repentance”? 3. Give an example of “going nowhere fast” in our world today. 4. In our opinion, what is “fake love”? 5. What are the best indications that one has real love and not “fake love”? 6. In general, what is the most important thing in any person’s life? How much time is necessary in order to do it well? 7. What does the song “Meant To Be” teach young people?