[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, February 24 MATTHEW 9:14-15 I am telling you today that fasting is not an end in itself. Your fasting should lead you to understand your spiritual life a little more. Prayerthoughts a. As we think of Jesus’s departure and his return on the final day, we are in that interim period now.  How do I fast?  Fasting can be more than fasting from food.  Do I fast from food, television, Internet, etc., by treating them with moderation in my life? b. Jesus refers to his own death with the thought that the bridegroom will be taken away, and then it is time to be mournful and to fast.  When I am sorrowful in my life, do I try to remember the positive thought that the Lord is directing what is happening? c. As I listen to the Lord speak of his death, I think of my own death.  As I study my life right now, am I preparing for my death by trying to correct my faults?   d. Considering my life once again, what are the central events in my life so far? How do I see the Lord’s action in each of them?  (This is the task of the meditation.) e. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will carry out letter d. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  FASTING—A REMINDER  + The obvious topic coming from both readings today is fasting           – Isaiah calling for a fast that seemingly has nothing to do with bodily fasting           – Jesus saying that when he is gone, then his disciples will fast                      – but our belief is that Jesus is always with us                                – and so Jesus is calling for a new understanding of fasting  + Jesus’ idea of fasting, it would seem, should be defined much like the Isaiah reading           – more as a deliberate reminder                      – and might work this way:                                – fasting is a means of self-denial and when we deny ourselves and we feel it, we are reminded of the things that we can give and do for others                                – of course, fasting by itself is a means of denying self, and we need to do that in our lives, as well                                          – we have too much of everything                                – but, the important thing to see about fasting is that both Jesus and Isaiah seem to say that fasting is not an end in itself  + With Isaiah’s fasting as developed in that first reading, the self-denial should lead to the understanding that people are hurting           – with our fasting or our abstaining or our denying ourselves something                      – it should remind us of people or situations that could use our help                                – in the sense that we can help make the situation more Christian, or more holy or simply better                                          – our denial of self can lead us to see for example:                                                    – what we can do better at home                                                    – what we can do better where we work                                                    – what we can do better when I’m doing the things of day-to-day living  + Fasting has been looked at as one of the means of renewal, as pointed out by Jesus in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount           – along with giving alms and praying, all three of which we heard on Wednesday, all three of which Jesus points out can be done with the wrong intentions                      – the fasting that we have in our Church today                                – the result of Isaiah’s and Jesus’ perspective on fasting,                      – is that it is not an end in itself, but reminds us of the amount of good that we can do. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “The Impossible” — final session JOY WITH SORROW The Gospel MARK 4:38-41 [During the storm,] Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet, be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

Gospelthink: I wanted the disciples and you to grow in faith in me. Do I continually put my trust in the Lord in all of my circumstances?

The Bennett family caught in the disaster of the Thailand tsunami of 2004 is the subject of the movie “The Impossible.” The movie portrays exceptionally well the destruction of the tsunami and the resulting tragedies of the thousands of people who were affected. People of faith must face some very important questions about a good God as they study the situation. There was unbelievable joy as the Bennett family were miraculously brought together again, but there was uncontrollable sorrow at the losses of family members that most of the people involved in the tragedy felt as a result of the calamity. As the movie closes, Maria Bennett is totally happy that her family is together, but looking at the devastation of the tsunami, she can only cry in sorrow. How and why is God working in such a way that some families will be happy while some will never feel happiness? It is a question that not only comes as a result of this particular tragedy, but every tragedy.

The question is the age-old question of evil in the face of a good God. How can a good God allow the evil things that happen? If one accepts the concepts of God and free will, it is a relatively short step to the conclusion that God must allow for evil if we have free will. But what of tragedies that are “natural” and destroy human lives and property, that is what about storms at sea, tornadoes, tsunamis, famine, lack of moisture and the like? This may be the atheist’s real “proof” that there is no God. Or has God simply set up the universe, and then said “Deal with it”? Or is there a deeper reason? In terms of the Gospel passage of the storm that the Apostles had to endure, why is the Lord sound asleep and not aware of what is happening? Jesus’ answer is his answer in the Gospel passage: “Do you not yet have faith?” That is, God is working things out, and we must have faith that God is involved in the answer. First of all, the person of faith must understand that even if this life is taken away in a tragic manner, we have the gift of eternal life awaiting us if we believe in God. Such a belief is “automatic” and the ultimate answer of why people must suffer death. Of course, while we are here on earth we want to live according to the Lord’s wishes as best we can. But, even as we are called to live well, when we die, our futures will be infinitely better than we have here.  But besides eternal life, there is also an answer in the here and now. Bad things may happen to good people, but out of the bad, something good always appears. St. Paul reminds the Romans: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Good will always come out of the tragedy. Often we are hampered by our own thinking as we say things like “I do not know of any good that can come out of this tragedy.” No, we do not. God might answer us: “Do you know everything?” The person of faith must listen to Jesus in the Gospel passage: “Do you not yet have faith?” Does our faith not guide us to the conclusion that something good will always happen even if we do not know of it? We are able to see the happiness of the Bennett family in the movie “The Impossible,” but the eyes of faith tell us that good came about in some way among the thousands of other families that suffered the same tragedy. We just do not know it.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, living with the evil of the world is always difficult because we would like to control it, but we cannot. Help us understand that even in the worst of cases, there is always a good that will come. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: God’s plan includes happiness and unfortunately tragedy.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: [This is the second part of the miracle as described by Mark; the first part is in the first meditation on this movie.] (session: approximately 53 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. For the experienced fishermen like the Apostles, to admit that they were perishing would imply real fear about what was happening. What are the most fearful things in our spiritual lives? 3. What is your understanding of “faith.” The presenter may want to present part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition about faith. See numbers 142-165. 4. What is the worst evil in the world right now? Is it man-made or “natural”? 5. Why is “atheism” considered an evil in our world? The presenter may want to make a presentation on “atheism.” See Catechism numbers 2123-2126. 6. The presenter may want to make a presentation on “eternal life.” See Catechism, numbers 1023-1029. 7. The presenter may want to make a presentation on “death.”  See Catechism, numbers 1010-1014. 8. Do you feel that the saying of St. Paul quoted in the meditation is true in every case? Yes or no and why? 9. Give an example of some good that came out of the Thailand tsunami. 10. Scene analysis: Karl helps Henry; an unnamed lady helps little Tomas. There were no doubt many random acts of kindness on the part of people connected with the tragedy. In general, are most people kind? Yes or no and why? 11. Scene analysis: Henry leaves Tomas and Simon by themselves temporarily. What other way could Henry have employed? 12. Scene analysis: Young Daniel, the person that Maria and Lucas helped, found his dad. It is yet another “miracle” that happened in the midst of the tragedy. What is your definition of a “miracle”? 13. Scene analysis: the family is all in the same hospital area, but they do not know it. The reunion is joyous when it finally comes. Do most families share this type of family joy with each other? Yes or no and why? 14. Scene analysis: the truck would not start, thus keeping Henry in the vicinity longer, and then finding his family. It is either the grace of God or “luck.” In your opinion, is there such a thing as “luck”? Yes or no and why? 15. Dialogue analysis: Henry to Maria without knowing the facts: “Everything will be fine.” Generally speaking, should a person always tell the truth in serious situations? Yes or no and why? 16. Analysis: Maria dreams horrible dreams. The presenter may want to make a presentation on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What do you think is the best way to work with PTSD? 17. What does the movie “The Impossible” teach young people?