[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, November 27 LUKE 21:1-4 Giving of yourself for a serious reason means giving of everything you have. Prayerthoughts a. A thought that crosses our minds a lot is money or wealth. Do I tend to judge in jealousy those whom I think are rich or have more than I do? b. The thought with Jesus’s story is that we should give of what we have to good causes. Do I consider this a true necessity in my life? c. Do I see myself giving of my “surplus wealth.” (That should be a given in my life.) But do I give a certain percentage of the rest of my income as well. (Realizing that we need money for living.) d. An alternate thought with this passage is that Jesus was very upset that this poor widow had become poor because the scribes and Pharisees used their laws to demand money from the poor (“devouring the houses of widows” (Luke 20:47)). Do I spend too much time thinking about having more money? e. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will read Daniel, chapter 1 and write an important thought from it.  Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  TRUE DEDICATION TO GOD  + The first readings of the last week of ordinary time in this cycle are taken from the prophet Daniel           – a book that introduces Daniel and his three companions                      – it is written about a negative time in Israel’s history with Daniel and companions showing courage as the faithful few tried to keep Israel dedicated to God  + That thought about being truly dedicated can lead to some fruitful meditation for people seeking deeper spiritual lives           – being a truly dedicated person means a number of things                      – studying these Scriptures today, two things stand out  + First, from the Gospel, being dedicated to God means generosity in giving to God           – as Jesus pointed out, the widow was completely generous in her approach to God                      – she was able to give everything that she had                                – the person dedicated to God in our time should be one who can give of him/herself generously           – it naturally leads us to very personal questions:                      – what is the percentage of our money and energy that we give to God in prayer, the church or charity?                                – we obviously have to spend more time and money on other pursuits in our lives—family, job, etc.                                          – we have to, but do those things “own” us?  + Secondly, from the first reading, the person who is dedicated to God is going to be one who is able to sacrifice some of the good things that he/she would normally have           – Daniel and his companions sacrificed the good food of their captors                     – one of the marks of a person dedicated to God in our age is the idea of sacrifice                                – giving up what we could legitimately have                                – it is a fact that we can sacrifice things that we could have to bring God into a clearer focus  + Dedication to God, according to our liturgy today might mean two things to think about:           – 1 –generosity in giving to God, and 2, the ability to sacrifice some of the good things of life. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “Jack Reacher” — final session DRIVEN BY TRUTH AND FREEDOM The Gospel JOHN 8:31-36 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free?'” Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free.”

Gospelthink: I tell the disciples and you that the truth will be the means by which you can truly live. Am I committed to the truth all the time?

In the movie named after him, Jack Reacher set out to find a soldier by the name of James Barr because he wanted to punish him for killing innocent people. But, as he studied the situation, even though he wanted to convict Barr, Reacher began to see the truth. He finally concluded that the man was innocent and “set up” for a crime that he did not commit. Driven by a desire for the truth, Reacher discovered the evil of people who wanted control and were willing to destroy anyone in their way. The circumstances were even more complicated since it involved people who had promised society to seek the truth, but who had been forced to follow evil.

In one of the scenes of the movie “Jack Reacher,” when Reacher was trying to determine whether Barr was innocent or not, he had a discussion about freedom with Helen Rodin, Barr’s attorney. Viewing people who were doing their day-to-day boring work, he asked the question about who was truly free. The truth is that people are really not truly free because their lives are “determined” by circumstances, and only when people comprehend that fact, and want to do something about it will they grasp the truth about life in general. During his lifetime in one of his discussions with his Apostles, Jesus spoke of truth and freedom as well. He pointed out that freedom is only freedom when we choose a guide for our behavior, namely, himself, the son of the Father. Once they had made the choice, then they would be free, and they would possess the truth. As he said, “The truth will set you free.” Jesus was speaking of religious truth, of course, which is part of a general category of truth. For a person of Christian faith, the truth spoken by Jesus is truly a guide. In general, every one of us, Christian or otherwise, is called to truth. Our task is to know the truth before we make any judgments about the situation. It is not an easy task because we tend to make judgments about situations, and believe that it is “the truth” without knowing all the facts. We are called to be truthful people. Before we can achieve such a goal, we have to be willing to work at what the truth really is. Jack Reacher knew that he had to find it in order to act well. It is an important lesson to learn for all of life.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we believe that your Son has given us the truth that will guide us. Give us the grace to honestly seek the truth in the way that we interact with others. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We must know the whole truth before we make any judgment.    DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 62 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. In general, why does the truth make us free? 3. When Jesus says in the Gospels, “Amen, amen, I say to you…”, it is a way of saying that we must really listen to what is said. In general, do most Christians truly listen to the word of God? Yes or no and why? 4. Analysis: what is the meaning of a “slave of sin”? 5. Analysis: The meditation refers to the discussion on “freedom.” In your opinion, are Americans “really” free? Yes or no and why? 6. In what way are people “determined by circumstances”? 7. Christians have made the choice to choose Jesus as their guide in their behavior. At times they do not show it. What Christian doctrines are the most difficult for Christian people? Why? 8. Why do people often make “judgments” about situations without knowing all the facts? 9. “Knowing the truth” is a principle of a good life. What are some other principles that every good person should follow? 10. Analysis: Reacher cannot be forced to stop his investigation. In society today, what are some examples of people trying to “force” others into doing something? 11. Scene analysis: Reacher is “set up” for the death of Sandy. The real crime is that Sandy is killed so easily, as if she were not important. Who are the “not important” people in today’s world? How can we treat them better? 12. Scene analysis: the Russian members masquerading as legitimate business people. Obviously there is some of this dishonesty in the business world today. Do you think that it is a common problem? Yes or no and why? 13. Analysis: As usual in movies such as this one, there is much killing. Does this type of movie affect young people in an adverse way? Yes or no and why? 14. Scene analysis: Helen Rodin is about to give up because of all the people being hurt. What is the best way to motivate ourselves to keep on doing good? 15. Analysis: Reacher carries out “justice” without going through the courts. Why is this wrong? 16.  What does the movie “Jack Reacher” teach young people?