[media presentation below] GospelThink Thursday, June 16 MATTHEW 6:7-15 I teach you how to pray by suggesting the thoughts of what you have come to call the “Our Father.” 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 at the end of 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  JESUS TEACHES US HOW TO PRAY  + A portion of the Book of Sirach is suddenly inserted in the Liturgy as the first reading           – it is placed there to sing the praises of Elijah and Elisha whom the first readings over the past couple of days have been speaking of           – both of them were strong prophets in Israel                      – whose primary claim to fame was to follow Yahweh completely                                – their speech to God and on behalf of God was real                                          – it was not fake or put on, or simply babble as a number of specifically pagan prayers were  + Jesus probably didn’t have Elijah and Elisha in mind as he spoke about prayer, but he wanted the prayer of his followers to be real as well           – he wanted his followers to pray to God for what they wanted with the assurance that God knows what they want and need already                      – that is no insignificant statement                                – because God knows what we need in our lives, it really doesn’t matter what we say                                          – we are phrasing our prayer for our sakes, not for God’s  + And Jesus tells us in the Our Father exactly how we should be thinking as we address God in prayer           – there must be praise of God                      – God is more important than we are, and we must humbly and intentionally acknowledge God’s importance up front                                – not easy since we want to dictate to God what should be done           – we should petition God for the things that we think we need                      – primarily spiritual, that is, for the Kingdom of God to be alive in our hearts                      – we say “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done”—that is, we are open to whatever the Lord gives to us because it is God’s will                                – and we understand that God will give us only good things                                – such is the first petition                      – then, we must ask for daily help for ourselves and deliverance from the evil around us                                          – we are the ones who lead us into temptation and we know that and so we ask the Lord to keep us from going that way                                          – with the implicit statement that we will avoid that evil           – as we pray, we must remember the Lord’s directive to love others                      – Jesus places the forgiveness idea both in the prayer itself                                – and then reiterates it afterwards, as if to bring home the point  + As he talks about prayer, Jesus reminds us of what is really important in prayer, namely,           – that we pray with meaning           – and with the idea that we really want the Lord’s Kingdom to come into our personal lives                      – and only then, do we ask for the things that we think we need. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “First Man” — beginning session COMMUNICATION IN STRESS The Gospel LUKE 2:41-50 Jesus’ parents used to go every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, and when he was twelve they went up for the celebration as was their custom. As they returned at the end of the feast, the child Jesus remained behind unknown to his parents. Thinking he was in the party, they continued their journey for a day, looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances. Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him. On the third day they came upon him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at his intelligence and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him: “Son, why have you done this to us? You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow.” He said to them: “Why did you search for me? Did you not know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not grasp what he said to them.

Gospelthink: Even at a young age, I explained to my parents that I had to do my Father’s business. As I live my life right now, am I following the Lord’s wishes?

Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. But before it happened, there were many trials and failures and adjustments that had to be made. Armstrong was by nature a quiet man, and given the string of failures and loss of friends, he became sullen and was often close to depression. It was especially evident when he was home with his family. He had already lost a daughter to cancer, and his two young sons began to be affected by his “secretness” concerning his missions. Recognizing his distancing from his family, his wife Janet told him directly that he had to communicate better with his family, especially when he became one of the pilots of Apollo 11, the first moon mission. She forced him to tell his family that he might not return and to say goodbye to them.

As one studies this portion of Luke’s infancy narrative concerning Jesus, and taking it at face value, one must be struck with the thought that there was some lack of communication between Jesus and his parents and relatives. It is a common enough experience in families. The situation itself is likewise common, an experience in which there is real anguish felt on the part especially of the parents. It was truly a moment of stress, and that which would have taken away the stress, even easily taken it away, was some type of communication. The lesson is a good one for every family. Janet Armstrong, Neil’s wife understood the concept very well as her astronaut husband was engaged with both sorrow over a child’s death and his work. Neil’s personality easily lent itself to keeping quiet about his life, and even though good in some situations, it was not good when it came to his family. Janet had to remind him of that. It is a lesson that everyone should know, whether involved in parent and child relationships, adult relationships, and especially marriage relationships. We must be able to communicate with one another. It becomes especially necessary when there are moments of stress. In a family, it is often easier for example, not to tell the children what is happening, but it is certainly not what should happen. People freely choose some situations such as being a family or working in a relationship with another. It is up to them to make the relationship to be the best that it can be, and communicating with each other is the primary way of making their lives better.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we all know that communication is absolutely necessary in any close relationship. You showed that in your life with your Son and Spirit. In our lives, give us the grace to communicate with the people that we must. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Communication with a person’s immediate family is absolutely necessary during moments of stress.        DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 66 minutes) 1. What scene during this session is most striking and why? 2. The principal reason for Luke’s narrative in the Gospel passage was probably Jesus’ statement that He had to be in His Father’s house. In our own day, do we have enough reverence for the Lord’s house. Yes or no and why? 3. There are many people who have the personality that Neil Armstrong showed. If people are naturally shy or reserved, what should they do to learn communication better? 4. What are some stresses that families must suffer during which there must be communication? 5. Some critics of family development have said that with certain jobs people should not be married or start a family. Do you agree or disagree?