[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, April 26 JOHN 6:35-40 I speak to you the most encouraging words that I spoke while I was here on earth: I will not reject anyone who comes to me. Prayerthoughts a. I have received the “bread of life” many times. Has that bread of life made my life any better since I have received him? b. I believe that the bread of life is Jesus. He also tells me in another place that other people are Him as well (Matthew 25:35-45). Do I treat others the way I treat Jesus in the Eucharist? c. The Lord tells me that he will never reject me. That should give me great confidence in my life. What effect should that have on my life? d. The Lord repeats that he will never reject me because this is what the Father wants of Him and he will accomplish it. Saying the same thing twice ought to move me to see how much He truly pays attention to me. Do I thank the Lord as often as I should? e. Jesus does what the Father wills of Him. In general, given my way of life right now, what spiritual works does God want me to do? f. Jesus reiterates that God wants everyone to have eternal life. Everyone. Do I find myself judging that some people should not have eternal life? g. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will spend some time in quiet prayer simply thanking the Lord for the different things in my life. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  SEEING THE SON AND BELIEVING IN HIM  + We hear a lot about the bottom line in business dealings           – usually translated into money           – here Jesus gives the bottom line in spirituality: described as his Father’s will:           That everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.                      – two things are important in that statement:                                – one: seeing the Son                                – two: believing in him  + Seeing the Son involves knowing what he is all about           – truly listening to the Word as the people in the city of Samaria were listening to Philip in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles                      – knowing what the message of Jesus really is                                – delving into it, spending time with it, analyzing what Jesus means and why he said and did the things that he did           – and then determining what it would mean for each of us                      – that is, taking it to heart                                – saying, for example, if I really knew the mind of Jesus, this is what it would mean for me, for my specific situation  + Then, not only seeing the Son, but truly believing in him           – taking what we have intellectually reasoned to, our knowledge of the Scriptures and what it means for us                      – and then actually doing it                                – allowing Jesus’ directives to take us to great joy (Acts)                                          – that is, letting his ideas and thoughts be a guide that we wholeheartedly accept                                                    – and molding our actions after the manner of how we believe Jesus acted in his life  + There are two parts to the bottom line of the Christian religion, both of which are absolutely essential for the Christian           – both of which are difficult, and take real effort to carry them out           – but, when either or both are not carried out well, the Christian life will be non-existent                      – seeing the Son, that is, knowing him                      – and believing in him, that is, making him the guide that he wants to be for us. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “That’s What I Want”–Lil Nas X WAY TOO ALONE The Gospel LUKE 2:36-38 In the temple, there was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

Gospelthink: When I was presented in the Temple in my early years, Anna prophesied about me. Do I show Jesus to be important in my life?

The Media — “That’s What I Want” (Lil Nas X) “These days I’m way too lonely, I’m missing out, I know these days I’m way too alone, and I’m known for giving love away but I want someone to love me, I need someone who needs me, ‘cause it don’t feel right when it’s late at night and it’s just me in my dreams, so I want someone to love, that’s what I really want.” [Lyrics adjusted]

According to the evangelist Luke, Jesus was presented in the temple of Jerusalem at the beginning of his earthly life, and one of the people who witnessed it was the prophetess Anna. It is the only time in the Gospels that we hear of her. Like all holy Hebrew women, she was waiting for someone who would fulfill her life and enable her to die with the satisfaction of having found what she wanted in life. She was lonely, longing for the redemption of her race. She realized that her wait was over as she gazed on the child Jesus.  Loneliness is one of those realities that must be experienced before it can really be understood. The person in Lil Nas X’s song apparently has experienced the reality. He knows loneliness up close and personal, it seems, and he tells us the problem. He wants someone to love, someone who needs him, someone who will care about him in the same way that he cares. Loneliness continues to be a problem for all of us who can often find nothing to do but occupy ourselves with trivialities designed to waste time. Furthermore, it is even a problem for those who are “busy,” because when the sports are finished or the activities are over or the studies are done, the feeling of boredom can set in. Loneliness can be understood as a disease that can cause great harm and even lead one to question the importance of life itself. What brings such loneliness about? One answer might be the fact that we often become so wrapped up in ourselves that we believe that there is no one who loves us or who cares for us. And perhaps one of the ways to overcome loneliness is to realize how much we are cared for by others. We are all hoping that someone will find us, as the person in Lil Nas X’s song desires, and for the person of faith, for the “Anna’s” among us, we have such a person in Jesus Christ. The person who manages to turn to him can never be lonely.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we believe that your Son will interact with people who turn to him. In times of loneliness in our lives, give us the grace to turn to him in prayer, and realize that together with so many others in our lives, he truly cares for us. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Everyone of us must feel that someone loves us or else we will be lonely. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “That’s What I Want” teach young people?   2. In your opinion, who are the greatest witnesses to Jesus? 3. What is the difference between loneliness and being alone? 4. In your opinion, are there people who need no one to love them in this life? Yes or no and why? 5. What are some signs that loneliness has taken over a person? 6. The meditation gives one reason for loneliness, namely being too focused on ourselves. What are some other reasons for loneliness? 7. The meditation gives one remedy for loneliness, namely turning to our faith. What are some other remedies for loneliness? 8. It is true that we are all cared for by God. How can a person convince another that this is true?