19

Here are some questions to tackle while warming up your grey matter for chapter 19 of Matthew's gospel.

1. A camel can get through the narrow gate, so an unladen poor man should matriculate through there handily. Is that how the Twelve see it?
2. Why do the Pharisees come back for more punishment, asking another question of Jesus and hoping to trap Him? Is there a "make my day" type of situation ahead for them... again?
3. Hardness of heart and divorce lie on one side of marriage, and on the opposite side is holding oneself unmarried. To hold oneself unmarried is not from hardness of heart -- but what property must the heart have in order to remain unmarried?

These are three large questions. We will work on them and a few others early tomorrow morning.

Additional concepts in relation to beatitude

Here are some questions to ponder in preparation for Thursday's discussion of Matthew chapter 5.

1. Which two commandments are the foci of the Beatitudes?
   Hint: Read
   Matthew 22:37-39
2. Which short prayer are you reminded of when you hear the 5th
   Beatitude?
3. Read Galatians 6:1-8. What does this say about mercy?
4. Do you suppose Thomas, called Didymus, is a good example of "clean of heart"? Why?
5. The old saw, "The apple does not fall far from the tree," can be applied to which Beatitude?
6. What parallels can be drawn between the 1st and 8th Beatitudes?

As Mary did, ponder these in your heart and do whatever Jesus tells you, and in the morning we will use these questions for additional discussion.

Beatitudes

In Chapter 5 of Matthew's gospel we find the Sermon on the Mount, the first part of which is the Beatitudes. Here are some questions engineered by Kenneth to ponder in preparation to Thursday’s discussion of Matthew chapter 5:

1. What does it mean to be blessed?
2. Which Old Testament list is often compared to the Beatitudes and why?
3. What do you suppose Pope John Paul II meant when he referred to the Sermon on the Mount as “the Magna Charta of Gospel morality?
4. Why is it appropriate that the Beatitudes follow so close to the Temptations?
5. Pop Culture: What insight into the Beatitudes can be had by the quote, "A man’s got to know his limitations" from the film Dirty Harry?
   1. Extra credit: Why was Harry called Dirty.
   2. Hint – think of the 3rd Beatitude.
6. What parallels can be drawn from the 1st and 8th Beatitude?

Blessed Maximilian Kolbe once said, "I must become a saint, and a great saint!" This part of Matthew's gospel is all about that process, as we will discuss on Thursday morning this week.