[media presentation below] GospelThink Sunday, March 12, Third Sunday of Lent JOHN 4:5-42 I meet and influence the Samaritan woman. Prayerthoughts a. What is the most important part of the Samaritan story for me at this point in my life? b. Jesus was “tired.” Jesus shows his human nature here, assuring us that he was one of us. What does Jesus’s humanity mean to me? c. Jesus says, “If you knew the gift of God…” What are the greatest gifts that God has given to us? To me in particular? d. Jesus knows our sinfulness as he knew the sins of the Samaritan woman. I should take the time to ask for forgiveness once again. e. “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me.” At this time, what is the most important work that I should do with my life? Why do I say that? f. The Samaritan woman “left her bucket” because there were more important things in her life. What is the most important thing in my life right now? What should it be? g. They began to believe in him. What are the most important beliefs for me right now? h. My prayerthoughts… Today I will read Romans, chapter 5, and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  LEAVE YOUR BUCKET            The Gospel presents the magnificent story of the Samaritan woman, showing the thought of conversion and a gradual acceptance of Jesus. Jesus first of all approaches her, saying in effect that he wants to help with her salvation. She begins with polite protocol: “Sir, you do not even have a bucket…” The second “sir” suggests that Jesus has more status and more respect: “Sir, give me this water.”            Then, it gets a little difficult, because Jesus enters into something that she did not want to talk about—“Go call your husband,” he says. Then she calls him a prophet, a religious title: “I see that you are a prophet.” Finally she calls him the Messiah as she describes the kind of knowledge that Jesus is showing, saying “I know that the Messiah is coming.” Jesus discloses his identity to her, using the most sacred name for God found in the Scriptures: I AM—           I am he, the one speaking with you. The woman went from complete ignorance about Jesus to becoming a disciple, symbolized by leaving her bucket at the well, that is leaving her old way of life, and rushing back to the city to give testimony on behalf of Jesus.            The story calls us to choose a deeper spiritual life that Jesus offers to us, to accept him a little more into our lives. He calls us, always calling us to be deeper spiritual people, and he gets difficult with us—asking us the deep questions that we do not like to think about. What we are called to do is what the Samaritan woman chose to do: in light of Jesus’ words and actions, to study our lives with the deeper questions. What am I doing with my life right now? Should I be doing things a little bit differently? That is, we must study our spiritual growth and see if for some reason it may be lacking right now. And if it is, we must be converted to a life that is more in line with what Jesus wants.           What we are talking about is what can be called “Conversion of the Baptized.” That is a re-conversion of all of us who have accepted the whole idea of Catholicism already, and are now trying to live it a little better. There are some important thoughts that go together with that idea.            We are all called to a “second conversion” or “re-conversion.” All of us, clergy and laity—we are all in need of purification, but we have to be convinced of it—really convinced—that we need to do better than we are right now.            What we absolutely must have is something called a “contrite heart.” A “contrite heart” means someone who really wants to do something about the fact of evil in his/her life. Evil is real, especially in our thoughts, and a contrite heart will address the fact that we have evil in our thinking.            All of which means that we must have an “interior conversion.” Interior conversion is what all external penances are directed to. The fact that I give up something, or say some prayers, or do something external means absolutely nothing unless I change inside and become a better person to people in my family and around me. We have too many examples of people who pray a lot and are not very nice people. If we do external holy things, it should affect our internal lives and make us holy in thought.            The Samaritan woman teaches us what we should do. We should listen to Jesus’ words, and become so impressed that “we leave our bucket at the well”—we turn to what is really important. And we tell the world the good things that we can all bring about if we want. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Unbroken” — final session HELPING OUR DETERMINATION The Gospel JOHN 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Gospelthink: I was determined to take care of my earthly mother. Am I am concerned enough about my close relatives?

The incredible determination that Louie Zamperini showed in the movie based on his story, namely “Unbroken,” was the result of his own strong personality. As mentioned in the first part of this meditation, it began with the help of his family, and in particular his brother. But as he suffered through the different parts of his difficult journey, those feelings were strengthened by a personal desire that built on itself. He would not allow himself to ever be knocked down without getting up no matter what the circumstances. But something else that helped him was the motivation that he learned that came from none other than a devotion to his God. It was a devotion that led him ultimately to even forgive those who had treated him in such an evil way.

We speak of Jesus’ determination in his human life to accomplish his Father’s will (the subject of the first part of the meditation on the movie “Unbroken”). At the same time we should consider the determination of Mary as Jesus lived through his human life. It has been said that a mother will suffer the same emotions as her child as he/she grows. Mary understood in her own way what her Son was to accomplish; she knew that it had to do with the salvation of humankind. She was committed early on to help in whatever way she could. As a young mother together with her husband Joseph she realized how she had to begin again and again. No doubt throughout Jesus’ young life her motivation to help as much as she could inspired the young Jesus to follow through with his own vocation. Studying the determination of Louis Zamperini, the subject of the movie “Unbroken,” one could not only see his desire to be determined early in his lifetime, but it carried over into the second part of his life as well. His desire to “bounce back” after every set back truly “fed on itself” in the sense that he gradually became more and more determined even as he met hardship after hardship. It was enhanced also by his understanding that God was with him throughout his ordeal, allowing him to forgive even his enemies. It is an easy application for us as we live our lives in this world that often is full of surprises and setbacks. But the application is only easy to talk about. It is much more difficult to live well within the context of the surprises and setbacks in our lives. The lesson we should learn from a man like Louie Zamperini and a woman like Mary the mother of Jesus, is that we can enter the “fight” with determination to get through it. We can “feed off of” our own determination, making us stronger, and at the same time allow the motivation that God is with us in our endeavors be a true guide in our thinking.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we study the determination of people that we admire, people like your servant Mary, the earthly mother of Your Son Jesus. May she guide us to be determined in our desire to follow Your will. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Being always ready to begin again and choosing the proper motivation are invaluable helps to becoming more determined. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 64 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why? 2. At the cross of Jesus in the Gospel, why do you think there were more woman disciples than men? 3. The Church has interpreted the action of Jesus’ giving of his mother to the disciple that Jesus loved either literally or symbolically. The symbolic meaning has various views, one of which is that Mary is a symbol of the Church, and here is given the role of mother of Christians. Why is Mary such an important part of Christian thought? 4. Project: the presenter may want to spend some time discussing the identity of the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” See any commentary on John’s Gospel. 5. Give your own definition of “being determined.” 6. What do you think was Mary’s biggest help to Jesus during his life before his ministry? 7. What do you understand by the saying that something like determination “feeds on itself”? 8. Louie Zamperini kept his promise to God that he would dedicate his life to his religion if God helped him. Do you think that like promises are made very often? Yes or no and why? And if they are made, do most people keep them? Yes or no and why? 9. In what ways is “living in the world” like a “fight”? 10. Character analysis: Mutsushiro Watanabe, the “Bird.” Why do you think he was so mean? Why do you think he chose Louie in particular to torment? 11.  Dialogue analysis: Watanabe tells Louie that “he is nothing,” a statement that Louie himself made as a young person. When do such statements hurt us? 12. Scene analysis: Louie refuses to say that he applauds Japan. Given the circumstances, do you think that most American prisoners would respond the way Louie did? Yes or no and why? 13. Scene analysis: As his fellow prisoners are forced to punch Louie in the face, one can sense the absolute hatred the men have for Watanabe. How should we think of the evil people in our world who continue to hurt innocent people? 14. Scene analysis: Louie and the steel beam. What is most striking about this scene? 15. Analysis: In the previous scene, it seems as though Watanabe broke down when Louie Zamperini would not break down. Why was it so important for Watanabe to “break” Louie if he could? 16. Analysis: In your opinion, why do you think the Japanese did not execute the Americans at the close of the concentration camp? 17. Analysis: In your opinion, why do you think Watanabe would not meet with Zamperini after the war? 18. What does the movie “Unbroken” teach young people?