[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, October 24 LUKE 12:35-38 As you live your life, you must be always prepared for the end of your life. Prayerthoughts a. The evangelist Luke is reflecting on his understanding of the end times. Does my death fill me with fear? b. What do you think is the meaning of the word “vigilant”? c. The imagery is truly liberating: Jesus actually will serve the people who are vigilant. It is an extremely hopeful vision of eternal life. In general, am I hopeful in my attitude toward life? d. In what ways am I preparing for my meeting with Jesus at the end of my life? e. My prayerthoughts….   Today I will write a prayer that I could say one hour before my death. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  BEING READY  + Paul reminds the Romans in the first reading that Jesus has redeemed us             – and now, because of that redemption, we have the grace of God always present in our lives  + Paul was not only talking to the Christians of Rome, but to you and me as well: we also take part in that grace right now: grace has “overflowed all the more”, he says             – therefore, we should understand fully the effect of grace or God-energy in our daily lives  + Part of the effect of grace should be that it makes us ready, prepared to meet our God when God calls on us, the message of the Gospel today             – and according to that Gospel, being ready or prepared means a couple of things: 1 – the idea of accepting him without delay             – we often would prefer our own ways of doing things                         – with the way that we want things to be             – but being ready implies immediate acceptance of the way God wants things to work out                         – realizing that the way things happen are all part of God’s plan                                     – that the grace of God is indeed at work in our complicated lives                                                 – and we accept the working of that grace, no matter what we may think, and accept the grace, immediately 2 – the idea of constantly being wide-awake             – wide-awake to what God wants             – that Jesus is not a stranger to us                         – no matter when he calls, we are there to answer                                     – the call for help of someone that we can help                                     – the call to carry through with the Christian way of action no matter what the situation                                                 – in the workplace or at home                                                             – we know that there are truly Christian ways of action                                                                         – we must determine what they are and choose them in our lives 3 – recognize that when we work with the grace of God, things will go well             – which is basically an attitude                         – there may be moments when the feeling that things are well, is not there                                     – but accepting that things are going well is more than a feeling                                                 – we actually work toward the attitude of being well                                                             – that is, recognizing that the grace of God is truly at work with the type of conviction that Paul wanted the Romans to have  + We are called to be people who have allowed grace to govern our lives             – and if we do, then we are truly prepared to be real followers of Jesus. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Wildest Dreams” — Taylor Swift SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME The Gospel LUKE 22:14-20 When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” … Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”

Gospelthink: I set up a way in which I would always be remembered: the Eucharist. Do I show as much reverence for the Eucharist as I should?

“He said ‘Let’s get out of this town, drive out of the city, away from the crowds.’ I thought heaven can’t help me now. Nothing lasts forever, but this is gonna take me down. He’s so tall and handsome. I can see the end as it begins. My one condition is: say you’ll remember me standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, red lips and rosy cheeks. Say you’ll see me again, even if it’s just in your wildest dreams.”

A thought that is important to dwell on for people involved in serious thinking about life is the rather deep consideration of how we want to be remembered after we leave. It is a thought that can guide how we act and what we say during the situation itself, whatever it is. If say, I will not be part of the particular set of circumstances in which I am currently involved, how will people talk and think about me after I leave? Jesus had the thought as he neared the end of his life. He knew that his Apostles and followers would want to stay in contact with him somehow, continue to make him part of their lives, continue to look to him for guidance. At the Last Supper, when he knew that the Apostles would very shortly be completely lost with regard to what to do, he wanted to say to them that he would always be present to them. All they had to do was remember that they could celebrate his presence by a simple act, what many religions have come to call the Eucharist.   It is an interesting thought when one applies it to a love and dating situation, as does Taylor Swift’s song “Wildest Dreams.” Let’s say the situation is not working out, and the person knows that he/she will move on as they try to discover further romantic love in his/her life. How does a person want their present “significant other” to think of them when they leave? Is it a good image that they have? The lady in the relationship has broken up with the man, and she is thinking about how he is going to feel about her when she leaves, saying that she wants to be remembered a certain way. The application of the song to real life includes romantic involvement. Stated as a fact, it reads that if we want to be thought of in a good way after we leave, we will be very concerned about what we do before we leave. If we want to be thought of well or spoken of well after we leave, we must try to be the type of person who is good and decent during the time we are present. Jesus knew that those who loved him would want him to remain with them. He was remembered well because he cared for people during his time with him. Such is a lesson that all of us should learn.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son has remained with us in our belief of His Presence with us now. Give us not only the grace to respect Him for this gift, but the grace to also learn how we want to be remembered when we leave a situation. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT   Theme: How we want to be remembered in the future can direct how we act right now. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Why is the doctrine of the Eucharist so important to religion? 2. In your opinion, why have some churches decided not to include the Eucharist as part of their belief system? 3. Analysis: Why does the lady in the song sing that heaven cannot help her? 4. Analysis: The lady in the song seems to have accepted the fact that the man is leaving. Why do people want to “hang on” to relationships? 5. In general, what do most people want others to remember about them? 6. What is the best way to assure that a person will remember them in a good way? That is, what qualities are most important as a person works in a relationship? 7. How does a person truly “care” about another? 8. What does the song “Wildest Dreams”  teach young people today?