[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday after Ash Wednesday, February 16 MATTHEW 9:14-15 Your fasting should lead you to understand your spiritual life a little more. Prayerthoughts a. As we think of Jesus’s departure and his return on the final day, we are in that interim period now.  How do I fast?  Fasting can be more than fasting from food.  Do I fast from food, television, Internet, etc., by treating them with moderation in my life? b. Jesus refers to his own death with the thought that the bridegroom will be taken away, and then it is time to be mournful and to fast.  When I am sorrowful in my life, do I try to remember the positive thought that the Lord is directing what is happening? c. As I listen to the Lord speak of his death, I think of my own death.  As I study my life right now, am I preparing for my death by trying to correct my faults?   d. Considering my life once again, what are the central events in my life so far? How do I see the Lord’s action in each of them?  (This is the task of the meditation.) e. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will carry out letter d. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  FASTING—A REMINDER  + The obvious topic coming from both readings today is fasting           – Isaiah calling for a fast that seemingly has nothing to do with bodily fasting           – Jesus saying that when he is gone, then his disciples will fast                      – but our belief is that Jesus is always with us                                – and so Jesus is calling for a new understanding of fasting  + Jesus’ idea of fasting, it would seem, should be defined much like the Isaiah reading           – more as a deliberate reminder                      – and might work this way:                                – fasting is a means of self-denial and when we deny ourselves and we feel it, we are reminded of the things that we can give and do for others                                – of course, fasting by itself is a means of denying self, and we need to do that in our lives, as well                                          – we have too much of everything                                – but, the important thing to see about fasting is that both Jesus and Isaiah seem to say that fasting is not an end in itself  + With Isaiah’s fasting as developed in that first reading, the self-denial should lead to the understanding that people are hurting           – with our fasting or our abstaining or our denying ourselves something                      – it should remind us of people or situations that could use our help                                – in the sense that we can help make the situation more Christian, or more holy or simply better                                          – our denial of self can lead us to see for example:                                                    – what we can do better at home                                                    – what we can do better where we work                                                    – what we can do better when I’m doing the things of day-to-day living  + Fasting has been looked at as one of the means of renewal, as pointed out by Jesus in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount           – along with giving alms and praying, all three of which we heard on Wednesday, all three of which Jesus points out can be done with the wrong intentions                      – the fasting that we have in our Church today                                – the result of Isaiah’s and Jesus’ perspective on fasting,                      – is that it is not an end in itself, but reminds us of the amount of good that we can do. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Wish You the Best” — Lewis Capaldi WISHING THE BEST The Gospel LUKE 6:27-28

Gospelthink: You must learn to love your enemies and forgive them their wrongs toward you.

“I miss knowing what you’re thinking and hearing how your day has been. Do you think you can tell me everything? But leave out every part about him. Right now, you’re probably by the ocean while I’m still out here in the rain. Maybe it’s supposed to be this way. But oh, my love, I wanna say, ‘I miss the green in your eyes’ and when I said we could be friends, guess I lied. I wanna say ‘I wish you never left,’ But instead, I only wish you the best. I wanna say, ‘Without you, everything’s wrong’ and you were everything I need all along. I wanna say ‘I wish that you never left’, but instead, I only wish you the best.”

Marriage was very different in Jesus’ day. Therefore, Jesus never spoke about past love relationships the way we think about them. He never had the occasion to give a high school or college course on discovering romantic love and what it means in light of his teachings. Consequently, he did not speak about one of the most common situations that young people must experience as they grow, namely a romantic breakup.   It is generally known that people will not marry the first person that they “love.” Granted that there are a few exceptions, but for the most part, the fact means that people will have a “falling out” with people that they once liked, even loved. This is the definition of a breakup. Many times the breakup is hostile and angry, and burdens people for a long time.   Jesus may not have said anything about breakups, but he had much to say about forgiveness. In Luke’s Gospel, he even alludes to the fact that one cannot pray properly if such a person cannot first forgive. Such a directive would include people that we had a relationship with at one time. Lewis Capaldi’s song “Wish You the Best” is a statement of what usually happens at a breakup. The man who has experienced the breakup is angry, upset, and lets her feelings known to her once-upon-a-time girfriend.  But he seems to understand that that is a wrong approach, and says that he wishes her well. In doing so, he is following the directive of Jesus, namely that no matter what the situation, we must work with a spirit of forgiveness. In a sense, the song is asking forgiveness for the man’s jealous behavior, eventually wishing his friend “the best.” Jesus’ words that direct us to forgive others are never easy because his words cover every situation of our lives, even when others have hurt us in some way. Young people must be especially aware of his words when they are recovering from romantic breakups; every Christian must be aware of them throughout their lives.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, it is not easy to follow your Son’s law of forgiving others. Too often we are hurt, and want to get back at someone. Help us recognize our need to forgive everyone, no matter what the circumstances. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We may express our disappointment at the actions of another, but the Christian will always wish the other well. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “Wish You the Best” teach young people? 2. Why is it true to say that before any prayer can be offered to God, a person must be able to forgive another? 3. When is forgiveness most necessary in relationships? Why? 4. Do you think that most Christians have totally accepted the idea of forgiveness into their lives? Yes or no and why? 5.  Although Jesus did not say anything about “romantic love” in his teachings, if there were one statement that you believe Jesus would say about beginning romantic love, what would it be? 6. Why is “revenge” so disruptive in relationships? 7. What is most difficult about a “romantic breakup”? 8. Is jealousy always bad for a relationship? Yes or no and why?