January 30, 2011: Gospel Reflection II

The Sermon on the Mount | Matthew 5: 1-12

Reflection Questions/Discussion Starters

-Have you ever been happy/glad that you did something without feeling happy? When?

-Which of the Beatitudes is most challenging/uncomfortable for you? Why?

-Do you think it is possible to be truly happy if you don’t have a relationship with God?

-One way that I can put into practice the Beatitudes is by…

Beatitudes via music...

  Chant style (from Ireland) and Acoustic version

Beatitude Reflection Video...

Midweek Inspiration

"You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope." -Thomas Merton

What we do in Religious Education, CCD, or Faith Formation every week does make a difference. It's difficult to believe because we don't have a tangible outcome to point to. We often don't see visible progress in the same way we see roads or buildings go up around us. Catechesis is more like planting seeds than pouring concrete. It requires faith on our behalf in the possibility that what God does through us during an hour and fifteen minutes once a week will take root. It is a challenging task, but one that we joyfully and courageously undertake. God is always with us! And so let us never lose hope in the task at hand.

January 30, 2011: Gospel Reflection

The Sermon on the Mount | Matthew 5: 1-12

    Today’s Gospel recalls one of the most popular teachings of Jesus: The Beatitudes. The word beatitude means happy, and in this sermon Jesus gives us a ‘how to’ guide to being happy. For Jesus happiness means both happiness on earth and happiness in heaven (being in heaven is often called the Beatific Vision-Vision of Happiness).

     True happiness on earth has less to do with a feeling than it does a state of being. Amid family, work, and school sometimes being busy and challenging we can reflect that we may not always feel happy all the time, but that we are truly happy about who we are and what we are doing. Following Jesus will make us truly happy both now and forever.

     So what is Jesus’ guide for ‘how to be happy’? Be poor in spirit, mourn, be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, show mercy, be pure of heart, a peacemaker, and be persecuted for doing the right thing. This list doesn’t make for a good advertising campaign, but it does tell us a lot about Jesus’ life and who we are called to be.

    In the Old Testament God gave his people (Jews) laws and commandments to help them be faithful to their covenant (pact with God). In Jesus, God establishes a New Covenant (Testament) that doesn’t abolish the law, but fulfills it (Matt. 5:17). Jesus still intends his followers to still be faithful to the 10 Commandments, but goes a step further; Jesus isn’t simply telling us “Thou shalt not kill”, but that we are called to be peacemakers and show mercy. Instead of tablets with 10 ‘to do’s” on it, Jesus life and words are the New Law.

     Jesus teaches us to not just be ‘law abiding’ people, but to imitate him or as St. Paul says, to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14) so that we will be truly happy and bring God’s Kingdom of Happiness “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

Sex, Drugs and Teen Actors: MTV's Skins

MTV's new teen sensation TV show Skins debuted mid-January with strong ratings and lots of controversy. After watching an episode to see what the big deal was I agree wholeheartedly with this writer/youth worker who details the danger of Skins presenting dangerous/illegal activity with no hint of accountability.

It is most important that we engage young people (teens and those for whom teens are role models) in reflection about what we absorb through media and discernment about whether what we watch/listen to/play is good for us.

Fisher of Men/Walk on Water

Walk On Water, Audio Adrenaline

"Simon Peter won't you put those nets down.

Follow me i'll lead you out of this town

to a place where no boat has ever been.

I will make you a fisher of men."

January 23 2011: Gospel Reflection for Families II

Read this Sunday's Gospel... 

Family Discussion Starters

-What are some things/people/situations in my life that encourage me to be a better listener to God’s call?

-What are the things in my life that add noise/distraction and make it more difficult for me to hear God?

-What does God’s voice sound like?

-One thing I feel God is calling me to this week is…

Family Activity

Aristotle says that 

“where your gifts and the needs of the world cross there lies your vocation”. 

-As a family talk about what needs exist for others around you and what gifts/blessings you have to help meet the needs of others in a concrete and measurable way.

January 23 2011: Gospel Reflection for Families

Matthew 4:12-23

     Today’s Gospel recalls the story of Jesus’ call of the first disciples; today’s Gospel is all about the call. Jesus approaches Peter and Andrew as well as James and John and they ‘at once’ and ‘immediately’ drop what they are doing and follow Jesus.

     This part of the story does not relate to our experience of God’s calling. Jesus does not seek us out at work/school to talk to us and if/when we hear God calling we tend to not go ‘at once’.

     Part of hearing the call is about being open to answer the call. The lives of the early disciples had cultivated the soil of their hearts to make it fertile for planting; they didn’t know what they were looking for, but when Jesus called they were able to respond immediately because they were open. Everything in our life, every decision, either helps us to hear God’s voice or creates noise in our life that makes it more difficult to hear.

     In order to be open like the disciples we need to take a page out of Jesus’ playbook. The Gospel begins with Jesus withdrawing from the place he was; Jesus needed time to reflect and pray after hearing the awful news that his older cousin was arrested. Throughout his life Jesus often retreated to be alone with God and to discern what he was called to do.

     We too are called to reflection, discernment, and prayer. Jesus does not come talking to us on the beach as we fish, he speaks within us every day in a whisper (1 Kings 19:12). We are called to always practice being better listeners to the invitation of God within us and near us. We can hear God’s voice in our conscious and in the voices of those in need around us.