[media presentation below] GospelThink Thursday after Ash Wednesday, February 15 LUKE 9:22-25 I remind you that the salvation of your soul is more important than anything you can accomplish on earth. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus tells of his redemptive action in the future. Do I show my appreciation of the Lord’s action by thanking him often for his gift of eternal life? b. The classic definition of a disciple of Jesus is given here: “deny himself”, “take up his cross daily” and “follow me”. Which of these three directives am I not doing well? c. Do I deny myself certain things that I like every now and then, and think of the Lord  during that time? d. Do I accept the situations of my life as they occur? I need to change the things that I can, but accept the illness, old age or things that I cannot change. e. The following of Jesus means reading the Scriptures, especially the Gospels. Have I made the thinking of the Scriptures to be part of my daily routine? f. We can get wrapped up in the things of this life without the Lord (“saves” his life) or we can choose to lose our life for the Lord’s sake, that is, give ourselves to the Lord more and more in our living. Do I see evidence in my life that I am choosing correctly? g. We do not want to fall into the pattern of working only with material things. We need to “forfeit” them by turning more and more to the Lord by making God part of our living. h. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will write a prayer expressing my thanks for the Lord’s action of redemption. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy   FOLLOWING JESUS  + The passage from Deuteronomy is one of the most quoted Hebrew Scripture passages for pro-life people because of its statement to choose life           – the life that Moses wanted his people to choose is the path of God in a three-fold manner:                      – loving God, listening to and heeding his voice, and staying close to him  + That God is, of course, not only the God of Moses, but Jesus whom we believe is God’s Son           – and therefore our guide as our Lord and Savior                      – here in the liturgy today, St. Luke’s Gospel reminds us right away at the beginning of Lent of the overall goal of Lent                                – we are reminded that the Passion, Death and the Resurrection of Jesus is a priority of ours                                          – as if to say: during Lent, keep your focus on this and don’t lose its perspective                      – then the Gospel gives very practical advice for personal meditation                                – namely how to allow Jesus to be our guide                                          – again there are three ways that have a little more bite to them than Moses’ ways of following God, but they are similar           – 1 – in Luke’s Jesus’ mind, there must be a denial of self                      – we want what we want                               – Jesus is saying that an element of denial of self is necessary to follow him           – 2 – Jesus says that we have to take up the cross                      – suffering must be understood and accepted as part of the Christian scheme of things                                – whether it is the physical pain of age or disease or the mental pain of psychological crises                                          – Jesus says that taking up the cross is the way of following him           3 – and to be a follower, we must discover his steps and walk in them                      – discover the words he said, the actions he did, and the thoughts he had and try to follow them  + God is present in our lives through Jesus, who calls us to deny self, take up his cross, and walk in his steps           – or in the words of Moses, choosing life. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “News of the World” — final session LIVING AS A FAMILY The Gospel LUKE 2:39-40 When [Mary and Joseph] had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Gospelthink: I grew up in a normal way with my family. Am I growing in a truly Christian way as I live?

Captain Kidd set out for Kiowa territory to take Cicada to her parents. They are met with many problems as they try to make their way, but gradually they come to Cicada’s family home, only to find that her parents have left. In their place is Cicada’s aunt and uncle who agree to keep Cicada. Kidd leaves Cicada there, and with thoughts of his own family, namely his wife, he visits his wife’s grave, leaving his wedding ring and locket at her grave. The thought of his family moved Kidd to go back to Cicada since she had become his only family now. Kidd agrees to take responsibility for her, and she becomes his adopted daughter, his new family.

The Scriptures are sparse when they talk about how Jesus grew up. No doubt, because he was fully human, his life was the normal life of a son in a family of first century Palestine. The Scriptures simply say that he “grew and became strong.” Then, as now, the parents were essential for the young person in order to grow well. The family then becomes very important for people beginning their lives. Captain Kidd in the movie “News of the World” had lost his wife and therefore his family, noting how lonely it made him feel. Recognizing how he had felt with Cicada as he was trying to get her back to her parents, he naturally thought of his relationship with the young girl. Since he knew that she was the closest person to family now, and understanding how important family was to him, he decided to adopt her as his daughter. In the culture where we live, families play an important role. This is true not only for the young people as they grow, but for all the members of a family. Consequently, every family must work as a unit to bring about a healthy atmosphere in which the individuals of the family can contribute to a healthy environment for all. Younger members of a family must be open to the direction of Moms and Dads, helping them in whatever way to give themselves the best possible beginning of their adult lives. Those who are older must continue to be interested in what is best for the family and for the health of the environment in which they live. Unfortunately, there are many possible negatives that can creep into family life. Family members must be especially observant of any possible problems with their families and be aware that there are many helps for families in distress.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, my family must be important to me as I live my life. No matter at what stage of life I am living at the present time, help me continue to contribute to be a good family member of my family right now. Be with me, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: There are obligations in life, especially toward our families.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 55 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. What does the movie “News of the World” teach young people? 3. In raising a family, what is most important for young people before the age of 18? 4. Is there anything that a young person can do to help another young person who is experiencing difficulty with their family life? 5. In your opinion, what is the one “rule” that every family should follow? 6. The presenter may want to refer to the songs “Daughters” and “Unsteady” in these meditations. 7. What is the best way for grown children to treat their elderly parents? In particular, should those who are older be placed in nursing homes? 8. What is the greatest negative that can creep into a family, and what can we do about it?