[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, October 31 LUKE 13:18-21 The Kingdom is like a mustard seed that begins small, and like yeast that permeates the whole world. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus explains the Kingdom by stories.  As I study my life, there are no doubt times when I did not proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus as I  should have. I should take some time to pray for forgiveness. b. In Jesus’ comparison, the Kingdom began very small, that is with Jesus and his Apostles. From my knowledge of Jesus’ teachings, what are the most important teachings for me? (This is the task of the meditation.) c. The Kingdom of God is meant to extend to everyone without exception. Do I find myself “excluding” certain people from my consideration of God’s people? Perhaps I should take the time to pray for those whom I have forgotten. d. The Kingdom of God was to develop throughout the world as yeast goes throughout    the product. Am I promoting God’s Kingdom in my own small world? (Look at yesterday with that thought in mind.) e. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will carry out letter b. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THY KINGDOM COME  + The theme of Jesus’ preaching throughout his public ministry was the idea of the Kingdom of God             – a primary petition of the Lord’s Prayer that he taught to his followers was very simply: “Thy Kingdom come”                         – what did Jesus want to do with this idea                                     – the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that it was more or less a general attitude                                                 – an attitude that was to embody gradually all of life and culminate in the final coming of Jesus at the end of the world                                                             – that attitude can be best described as the “accepting the teachings of Jesus”—what he talked about when he was here, what he wanted people to accept             – one of the characteristics of that Kingdom as Jesus wanted it to be—as we see in the Gospel—is that it will be small at its beginning—namely the individual band of Jesus’ followers in the first century                         – and will gradually become a true force in the world  + Such is the understanding of the Kingdom on a global scale             – but there is a personal understanding of the Kingdom as well                         – the way that the global picture is to be accomplished is by individual people—you and me                                     – if we profess ourselves to be Christian, we are called to take the understanding of the Kingdom and make it our own—it will start small because we have to come to understand it gradually in our adult thinking                                                 – and then it should be like yeast that permeates the whole batch of dough—that is, the attitude of Jesus must overtake our every thought, word and action  + It is a great challenge to Christians             – we are to take the principles of Jesus Christ—the things that he said about love of God and love of neighbor, about forgiveness of others, about peace in the world, and so forth                         – and make them our own                         – and that is difficult given the way our human natures want to be satisfied                                     – it is the reason that there is not a perfect fulfillment of the idea of the Kingdom yet                                                 – we do not like to change our way of thinking to Jesus’ way of thinking  + Paul speaks of hope to the Christians of Rome             – for him at that time, the hope of the people as they were persecuted was the fact that they would eventually see Jesus             – it is our hope as well                         – and the fulfillment of that hope begins right now as we live our Christian lives—by accepting Jesus totally into our thought, thus bringing about his Kingdom with us. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “The Peanut Butter Falcon” — beginning session THE INFLUENCE OF ANOTHER The Gospel MARK 1:32-34 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Gospelthink: I want people to be healthy and I make it possible for them. Do I show others help and care as much as I can?

Tyler had led a life that consisted of satisfying himself throughout his young life. His work was “stealing” from the different crab traps around his native North Carolina home. Eventually he ran into the people who owned the crab traps, and after an immature act of destroying their property, he fled in one of their boats. On board unknown to him hiding was a Down’s Syndrome young man by the name of Zak who had run away from his care facility. Tyler’s interaction with Zak was what Tyler needed in order to recognize who he really was, and although the movie does not describe his future life, one is led to believe that he chose a different lifestyle.

One of the remarkable facts about Jesus’ ministry was how many people he influenced in some way. There are some passages of the New Testament in which great crowds are influenced by what he had to say and do. In all of them, one must be struck by the good that he did and how people were actually changed because of him. One must be led to believe that there were many “conversions of heart” simply because the people met this Jesus. One person therefore can change the life of another. It is proven time and time again in Jesus’ life. We can learn from that in our lives. Tyler in the movie “The Peanut Butter Falcon” learned it when he met Zak. It was obvious to Tyler that Zak was somewhat handicapped. Zak even made sure that Tyler knew that he was a “Down’s Syndrome” person. But Tyler needed someone in his life to make him aware of what he was like, someone who could prove to be a guide that he desperately needed. When Tyler saw how Zak was driven by a dream that he had, Tyler finally learned that maybe in his life he should find a way to do some serious thinking. Who is the person in our lives that we should imitate and learn from? It is the question of everyone of us as we learn how to behave in our lives. People choose significant others to direct their thinking all the time. Young people choose parents, students choose teachers, adults choose other adults who have the same calling that they have. We learn from others if we want to. People tend to imitate great personalities. Ultimately, the Christian must learn from Jesus. As he was the focal point that led so many people to change their lives, so he must be for those who profess to follow him as a Christian. It turns out to be a lifelong task.

PRAYER Good and gracious God Your Son must be an influence on us if we are to be the people we should be. Give us the grace to truly choose Him to be a guide in our lives. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Sometimes conversion of heart begins with an encounter with another person.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 45 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. What are the common forms of selfishness in young people? How can they be addressed? 3. In your opinion, what is most striking about Jesus’ personality?  4. In our lives right now, who is most influential and why? 5. Who do you think is the most influential person in the world and why? 6. What is the most important Christian virtue that we should follow and why?