January 23


[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, January 23

MARK 3:7-12

To Touch the Lord 

Prayerthoughts

a. The people in Jesus’ time came to him to listen and to be cured. Do I listen to the Lord’s directives even as I seek to be cured of an ailment? 

b. The people were “in pain,” some physical but mental as well. In my “pain,” do I try to “accept” that pain as what the Lord wants of me, even as I try to alleviate that pain in my life? 

c. The crowds were seeking to “touch” the Lord. Perhaps two applications here. First, do I seek to “touch” the Lord the way I should, by seeking a solution to my problems by reading what Jesus said and did? By reading something spiritual other than the Scriptures?

d. Secondly, do I allow others to “touch” me, by giving them the time that they want and need? 

e. Jesus did not wish notoriety. Do I want people to notice me too much? 

f. My prayerthoughts… 

Today, I will read Hebrews, chapter 7 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy 

RESPONDING TO OUR HIGH PRIEST 

+ The reading from the letter to the Hebrews today is in the heart of the letter’s theme:

          - Jesus is the High Priest

                    - who is infinitely above all the priests of the world

                    - and who is totally different from the idea of priests in the Hebrew Scriptures

                              - because he has offered one eternal sacrifice for the sake of all, namely the sacrifice of himself

                                        - and we have him for all time now as our intercessor in heaven 

+ It is because of Jesus now that we can function as redeemed human beings

          - the person who is responsible for our salvation continues to be and is always at our beck and call

                    - that should do a number of things for us personally and spiritually:

          1 – generate an attitude of thanksgiving

                    - we can look forward to real life with God because of Jesus

                    - there must be constant gratitude in prayer and in action

          2 – it should create a real desire to make Jesus part of our lives

                    - similar to the crowds that followed Jesus in the Gospel

                              - they really wanted to be with him because they had heard what he had done

                                        - you and I have heard what he has done

                                                  - we have the Scriptures letting us know of his Presence and his action

                                                  - we know what he has taught

                                                  - we know what he has said

                                                            - the desire then should be to make him real for us in prayer and in action

          3 – Jesus’ action of being our high priest should create a desire on our parts for healing

                    - yes, calling on him for help as the people do in the Gospel today

                              - but more a healing of life, a conversion to his way of thinking

                                        - which means admitting of the need to change and ask for his help as well as trying to heal others as much as we can 

+ Jesus is our high priest and is constantly open to us

          - that should do something to the way we conduct our lives.






MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Crawling Back to You" -- Daughtry

SWALLOWING PRIDE



 

The Gospel

LUKE 11:1-4

LUKE 11:1-4

[Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.'"

Gospelthink: I taught my disciples to pray saying praise God, ask for God's help, forgive us, and be aware of your final end. Lord, may I pray always with meaning.

"Lessons learned, bridges burned to the ground, and it’s too late now to put out the fire; tables turned, and I’m the one who’s burning now. Well, I’m doing alright, ‘til I close my eyes, and then I see your face, and it’s no surprise: just like that, I’m crawling back to you just like you said I would. I swallow my pride; now, I’m crawling back to you. I’m out of my head, can’t wait any longer, down on my knees. I thought I was stronger." 

There is little doubt that the most common prayer that is said in the Christian churches is what we have come to call the "Our Father." The shorter form of the prayer in Luke's Gospel is probably closer to Jesus’ words according to Scripture scholars. The prayer is significant for the Christian because of a number of reasons, one of them being the stress that Jesus places on forgiveness. As he verbalizes the prayer, Jesus says that a principal part of our prayer to God must be asking for forgiveness, and at the same time, saying to our God that we will forgive others. In Jesus' mind, forgiveness, both asking for it and giving it, is among the most important directives for a Christian.

Examples of forgiveness are easy to see when one studies the romantic songs of our day. In Daughtry's song "Crawling Back to You," for example, the man in the relationship who had hurt the other intends to go back to the person he had hurt and on his knees beg for her forgiveness. If she were to act as a Christian, she would forgive him, although she might not want to re-establish the relationship.

There are two important points of meditation here for the Christian. First, Christians must truly recognize that they make mistakes. Too often we tend to blame others or give excuses for the things which we have done, and we must be willing to tell our God and others that the sin or fault is really ours. It is truly a difficult action.

Secondly, as we recognize that we truly makes mistakes, we know that other people do too. As we would not want our God to hold our mistakes against us, we must not hold others' mistakes against them. Christians must understand their need to forgive other people, whether they ask for it or not.

Our lives on earth are complicated because too often we "burn bridges" in Daughtry's words where we should not. They could become a lot less complicated if we swallow our pride and learn to practice forgiveness.

PRAYER

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test. Be with us, we pray. 

 

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We must learn the virtue of forgiveness.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Project: make a presentation on prayer as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2623-2643.
2. What is your definition of prayer?
3. Project: make a presentation on the different ideas in Luke's rendition of the "Our Father"
4. In your opinion, why did Jesus put so much emphasis on forgiveness?
5. Text analysis: "Lessons learned."  What are the most valuable lessons that should be learned as we grow? Why?
6. Why do people often say that they are just "fine" when they are not just "fine"?
7. Text analysis: "I thought I was stronger." What are the ways to make us stronger when it comes to romantic love relationships?
8. What are the most common "hurts" that a couple give to each other in a love relationship?
9. In your opinion, do most Christians live out what Jesus directed about forgiveness? Yes or no and why?
10. It is an important point to make concerning asking forgiveness and re-establishing the relationship. Just because one asks for forgiveness does not bring the relationship back. In general, what would the man in the relationship of the song have to do to re-establish the relationship?
11. What is the most common excuse when we have done something that is wrong?
12. In what areas do you see the sin of pride being practiced in our world?
13. What does the song "Crawling Back to You" teach young people?  

 

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America