[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, December 6, Advent I MATTHEW 15:29-37 I want you to show pity to others. Prayerthoughts a. The evangelist Matthew often has Jesus “go up the mountain,” a sign that Jesus is the new Moses and the great teacher. In what way in particular has Jesus been a “teacher” to me? b. Jesus cured all that were brought to him. In what ways can I bring about a “cure” to   those around me today? c. They glorified the God of Israel. What is the best form of praise that I can offer God? d. In particular, the Lord fed them, a symbol of what the Lord does for us in the Eucharist. Do I attend Mass and receive Communion as often as I should? e. What is “satisfying” to me in my life? Does the presence of God make an impact on my life? f. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will write a prayer thanking God for some particular thing in my life. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  FOOD FOR LIFE  + Both readings today have the idea of the Lord providing food for people in need           – from Isaiah, the Lord promises that he will be a provider of food and a destroyer of death and reproach           – in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus is moved with pity for the crowd                      – and provides food for them, in fact, more than enough  + The thought of the Lord providing food is an important thought in a person’s spiritual life           – because of the obvious reference to the Eucharist which is contained in Matthew’s account here                      – using many of the same words and phraseology as the Last Supper account           – the Lord continues to provide food for us here in the Eucharist which is the central part of our worship                      – perhaps a meditation then about the Eucharist is in order                                – and as usual, our meditation should center around those who receive the Eucharist—you and me—and what it should do for us  + That close relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist should lead us to a couple things:           – 1 – it will lead us to destroy the negativism in our lives                      – as Isaiah’s Lord destroyed death and took away reproach                                – you and I as a result of the close relationship with Jesus should be becoming pleasant people who want to get rid of being negative           – 2 – the close relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist ought to move us with pity for the people who need help                      – offering money and our presence to programs that are actually helping people in need and in general, bringing ourselves to show compassion to people in need           – 3 – the close relationship that comes from this Eucharist should move us to a greater involvement with the Lord in his life                      – meditation, prayer, formal prayer, further spiritual reading that will bring more and more knowledge of the person we are so close to here in the Eucharist  + As Catholics, we celebrate the fact that the Eucharist is of immense importance to us           – and it ought to have a profound effect on us. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Kings and Queens” — Ava Max NO DAMSEL IN DISTRESS The Gospel   LUKE 23:55-56;24:1,10 The women who had come from Galilee with Nicodemus followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.

Gospelthink: Among my first followers were women who were not afraid at my Resurrection and served me well. Am I serving the Lord as best I can in my life?

“If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast to all the queens who are fighting alone. You’re not dancin’ on your own. Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t. Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own. I’ll show you how a real queen behaves. No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me. Once I start breathin’ fire, you can’t tame me. Disobey me, then, it’s off with your head, gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget.”

One of the characteristics of Luke’s Gospel is his attention to the women who were part of Jesus’ life. According to Luke, they accompanied Jesus as he ministered to the people, and they were the first to hear of the Resurrection of Jesus at his empty tomb. In the Roman society in which Jesus grew up and lived, women were not that important, but Luke’s Gospel account gives the picture that Jesus’s followers were both men and women. Even though there was some danger at being associated with Jesus, both men and women were willing to serve him in a way that would be helpful.  As we study the history of the human race, we easily recognize that women were often treated with little respect. They were often treated as chattel, sources of pleasure for men, and nothing more than what was necessary in order to continue our existence on earth. They were said to be part of “mankind,” often not recognized as anything except to be a helpmate to man. Thankfully, that human race is gradually coming to an understanding of not only the importance of women, but also the fact that they are equal to men. Often popular music will acknowledge women, teaching our modern minds some necessary knowledge about the sexes. Ava Max’s latest song does exactly that, saying that men “can’t run this show” on their own. Women are no longer damsels in distress because they are forces in their own right. Now, they can change the world into something that we won’t forget, a world that is good for men and women. Because of the way our world thinks as we move into relationships, women are too often “used” by men in order to bring about what men want in their world. We absolutely need reminders like Ava Max’s song to recognize that everyone on our earth should have the respect that God has extended to all.

PRAYER  Good and gracious God, thank you for making us part of this human race and for everything it means, both good and not so good. Give us the grace to recognize the importance of each of us, women and men, as we live in our world. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: Sometimes women do not receive the respect they deserve. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “Kings and Queens” teach young people? 2. The women who witnessed Jesus’s Resurrection were courageous as they carried out their love of the Lord. In general, do Christians show that the Lord is important to them in their actions? Yes or no and why? 3. Do you agree with the feminist movement in our world? Yes or no and why? 4. Why do you think women have not received the respect they deserve in our history? 5. In the society in which you live, do women receive the respect they deserve? Yes or no and why? 6. In the dating patterns in your locale, do women tend to be “aggressive” as the couples begin relationships? Yes or no and why?