[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, November 20 LUKE 18:35-43 When you cry out in faith to me, I will always hear you. Prayerthoughts a. We see many people who are begging around us. Should I do more for them than I am doing? b. The blind man’s words: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” We have many things that bother us in our lives. Have I taken the time to seriously speak to the Lord about  them in prayer? c. Jesus’s words: what do you want me to do for you? What most of all do I want from the Lord right now in my life? d. Obviously, the blind man asks that he may see. What are the things that I should “see” in this world that the Lord has given me? (This is the task of the meditation.) e. The most used spiritual word in the Gospels is “faith.” What are the most important parts of faith that I should have? f. The blind man and all the people gave praise to God. Do I call to mind my praise of God often enough? g. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will answer letter d. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE IDOLS OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY  + The first reading is from the historical book of the Hebrew Scriptures, 1 Maccabees           – telling of the falling away from God by Israel during the reign of Antioches Epiphanes                      – Israel abandoned their God, and violated what might be called the primary directive of the Old Testament                                – namely, belief in the one true God over belief in idols  + We don’t have a direct belief in idols in our little worlds here,           – but many religious commentators say that we too have given ourselves to belief in idols that have different names           – whether that criticism is totally true or not, we can listen to it, and allow it to help deepen our spiritual lives                      – the fact is that there probably have been areas in our lives that have been compromised by outside things, usually material things, whether it be money, TV, work or play, the idols of the twenty-first century                                – and we may have lost some of our original love of God and God’s action in our lives  + The answer to that situation is to open our eyes again to see Jesus and what he wants           – the Gospel given at the end of Luke’s Gospel in a sense summarizes Jesus’ ministry to the poor                      – and it says to us that it is only through faith that we can open our eyes to Jesus                                – and once we do, the only action is to follow him, as the cured blind person does in the Gospel  + The pattern of the Gospel is an important one           – we return to true spirituality and love by continually crying to the Lord, begging to be able to see more of what he wants of us                      – our faith guides us to Scripture and meditation on who Jesus is                                          – and then the only action once we have seen, is to follow                                – that following involves a giving up of a former life and setting up a new one which includes the thoughts and principles of Jesus  + The only way to get back to what is really important in life is to see and understand Jesus. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Wonder Woman” — beginning session …UNLESS YOU DO IT The Gospel JOHN 18:10-12 [After Jesus was arrested,] Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?” So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus, bound him, and brought him to Annas.

Gospelthink: Peter wanted to defend me, but I told him that this was something I had to do. Do I consider my redemption as important as Jesus did for me?

Diana, Princess of Themyscira, daughter of Queen Hippolyta, later known as Wonder Woman was raised on the island of the Amazonian warrior women who were created by Zeus to protect humankind. The god of war, Ares, Zeus’ son had to retreat from his father when he lost favor with his father but was prepared to return to cause war. Queen Hippolyta allowed her sister Antiope to train Diana as a rigorous warrior. In 1918, Diana rescued American pilot Captain Steve Trevor when his plane crashed off the Themyscira coast. A German ship pursuing Trevor invaded the island, attacking the warrior women. In the process, Antiope sacrificed herself saving Diana. Trevor was then interrogated by the Amazons, and revealed that he was a spy for the American forces. Both Diana and Trevor begged the Amazons to allow them to work against the evil which was called World War I. Diana looked at her role as a person who had to destroy the god of war; Trevor wanted to stop the war, and especially Isabel Maru who was producing a deadlier farm of mustard gas to destroy the Allied forces.

John’s Gospel presents an entirely different way of viewing the life of Jesus than the other evangelists. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is looking forward to his Passion and Death because that is what he is called to do. So he tells Peter to put away his sword, and then most importantly says his direct statement: “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?” In other words, he is saying that he must accept the challenge he is about to accomplish because it is exactly what the Father wants. In much the same way, Diana and Steve Trevor in the movie “Wonder Woman” look at their roles in settling World War I. Diana wants to conquer the god of war, and Steve wants to take the journal he discovered to the Allied Forces so they could stop the German army. Both are adamant, saying that they must do what they are ordained to do because no one else can do what they can do. In our lives, generally speaking, the world will not depend on us to save it in any way. But we do exist in our own little worlds. Each of us can do something to improve the quality of humankind. Author Charles Allen put it into these words: “Remember that you are truly needed. There is at least one important work to do done that will not be done unless you do it.” What it is that we do is up to each one of us. As we study our own worlds, what can we do to bring about what my little world needs most of all? Can we accept the challenge as Jesus did? As Diana and Steve Trevor did?

PRAYER Good and gracious God, your Son has taught us that we can accomplish things that very few can accomplish, especially in our locales with our personalities. Help us discover what we can do to improve humankind. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Sometimes in life, we discover that we must do something that no one else is doing.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. Find one other place in John’s Gospel in which it is clear that Jesus is doing exactly what the Father has given him to do. 3. Some scholars see in Jesus’ statement to put away the sword as a sign that he does not approve of violence.  What is your feeling about their opinion? 4. Analysis: Diana–“I used to want to save the world, this beautiful place.But I knew so little then. It is a land of beauty and wonder, worth cherishing in every way. But the closer  you get, the more you see the great darkness simmering within. And mankind? Mankind is another story altogether.” What is most striking about the quote? Why? 5. Analysis: as you study the world wars (I and II), was there good reason for your country to enter them? Yes or no and why? 6. Do you believe that there is something good that only you can do in the world in which you live? Yes or no and why?  7. What is most needed in the locale in which you live? Why?