[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, August 29, The Passion of John the Baptist MARK 6:17-29 The death of my friend John. Prayerthoughts a. John the Baptist above all spoke the truth. Perhaps there are some “truths” which I should speak. (I must be careful with this thought; we could hurt other people.) b. Herodias shows revenge. In my life, have I been revengeful of others? Am I showing   revenge against anyone right now? c. Herod “liked to listen” to John, but did not follow through with what John was suggesting. Are there some areas in my life in which I should listen more to what is right? d.. Herod was obviously thinking out of his mind as he promised the daughter of Herodias some things. Do I ever get to a state of “non-thinking” as I live my life? Perhaps I should try to remedy this if there are some. e. Herodias carried out her revenge by using her daughter. Are there times when I “use” others to get what I want? f. Herod was too concerned about what others thought which led him to do evil. Do I find myself doing wrong things because others are watching? g. John’s friends did what they could do—they buried him. It is an example for me to do  the best that I can do in situations that are not good.   h. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read 1 Corinthians, chapter 2 and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  TELLING THE TRUTH  + The liturgy of the Church calls our attention to John the Baptist many times throughout the year           – today from Mark’s Gospel, we consider his martyrdom                      – a fact celebrated early on by the Church  + Although there are many things to consider in this story of the ending of John’s life,           – our concentration could center in on why he was martyred           – the reason is given by the evangelist Mark here:           John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”           – John spoke the truth even though it meant he might have to suffer severe consequences  + As we want to improve our spiritual lives, perhaps we should spend some time thinking about our own perception of the truth and how honest we are           – how important the truth is for us           – and how we work with the opposite of the truth, namely lying, or deliberately not telling the truth, not being honest with ourselves or with others  + We have to use the truth well           – in the sense that we speak it in such a way that we are careful about the feelings of another                      – but we have to always speak or think with the truth  + John the Baptist was an honest man           – and our feast today is a consequence of that honesty and truth           – sometimes we might have to suffer a little because we are honest and truthful. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Youngblood”  — 5 Seconds of Summer DO YOU STILL NOT UNDERSTAND The Gospel MARK 8:14-21 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. He enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Gospelthink: I wanted my disciples to understand that I was in charge of life, and that they should allow for my leaven to move them. Do I try to understand what the Lord wants for my life?

“Remember the words you told me, ‘love me till the day I die’, Surrender my everything ‘cause you made me believe you’re mine. Yeah, you used to call me baby, now you’re calling me by name. You push and I’m pulling away from you. I give and you take. Youngblood. Say you want me out of your life, but you need it, all of the time. Youngblood. say you want me back in your life, so I’m just a dead man crawling tonight ‘cause I need it all of the time.”

One of the problems that Jesus had with his disciples was their understanding of what He was doing. At one time in the Gospels, Jesus had warned his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees, leaven understood as hatred that had encompassed the Pharisees’ minds. That hatred was the opposite of the love that Jesus was trying to teach. He pointed out to the apostles that he had fed the crowds because he had pity on them and wanted to show his love for them. In fact, he had done it twice. The apostles could not comprehend this kind of love and Jesus calls their attention to it. In some of the love songs of our day, there is a comparable misunderstanding of love. The songs usually talk of romantic love, often in a young relationship especially, with the knowledge that somehow “love” is simply not understood. Such is the case with the song “Youngblood” by the group 5SOS. The song is probably a statement about “young love” by both young parties in the relationship. They want to have commitment, then they wonder whether they understand it. They back off, and then they get together again. It makes a person studying the song to say “Do you still not understand?” Do either of you understand what love is? The answer as with anyone who sees what Jesus was trying to do as he speaks of “leaven,”, was “no.” Neither of the couple in the song understands what love is yet. But this is understandable as well. They are both young, they do not yet fully understand the message of love. As they discover love, they are both wondering whether a permanent relationship would work. They cannot find the answer quickly. It takes time and energy on both of their parts to determine whether permanency would work. It is significant that the name of 5SOS’s song is “Youngblood.” If they are young and they are living, they will be seeking to discover some romantic love. It is as it should be. As they do it, they should realize that determining such love is a slow process.

PRAYER Good and gracious God,  Your Son taught us to love while he was here on earth with us, but we have been slow to accept it. It is especially clear in our “love lives” when we are discovering permanent love. Be with us as we try to determine what love is, both romantically and otherwise. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Young love can be very confusing and must be given time to develop well. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “Youngblood” teach young people? 2. Give your own definition of what Jesus means by the explanation of “leaven.” 3. In a relationship, when should a couple say to each other “I love you till the day I die”? 4. In general, do Christian people show by their lives that they truly understand what Jesus taught? Yes or no and why? 5. The very young obviously do not understand love. At what time in a person’s life do you think people begin to understand love? 6. Do you agree with the meditation that when younger people try to understand love, they cannot do it without time? Yes or no and why? 7. What age should people be married?