- Week of 11.19—11.21: (text, pp. 112-17)
- Monday: Ruth 1: 1-18; Ruth 1: 19-22
- Tuesday: Ruth 2: 1-23; Ruth 3: 1-18; Ruth 4: 1-22
- Wednesday: Film, The Power of Myth
Some things to consider:
Brothers,
In the Book of Ruth, we are dealing with the theme of “filial piety”—a fancy way of saying, “family values.” We are also dealing with the themes of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and heroism—virtues that only a matriarch such as Naomi or Ruth could display. As we read, I would like you to keep in mind the strength and courage that these two women display and how their own willingness to fulfill God’s will relates to a female guardian or mother or mother-figure in your life, who has committed to taking care of you.
In an interview conducted by PBS TV journalist, Bill Moyers, the famous historian, Joseph Campbell, says that the act of giving birth is a truly heroic deed. He says this because the mother must in a sense die to herself in order to bring new life into the world—the act of giving birth is thus a commitment that requires a woman’s full attention to and care for a helpless and vulnerable human being. Interestingly, Ruth’s own metaphorical death—through the act of giving birth to Obed—brings hope for new life in a world of bitterness and violence; her deed brings about the birth of David who is ancestor to Christ.
Thus, as the preface to the New American Bible edition of The Book of Ruth notes: “In this, the universality of the messianic salvation is foreshadowed” (229). In other words, the coming of the messiah and the freedom from death through resurrection he guarantees is foreshadowed in the life of Ruth.
That said, please do the following in your notebook (and finish for homework as blog assignment (DUE:
- Define “hero”/ “heroine” What are the characteristics of a hero or heroine in your eyes?
- Make a list of people—men and/or women—in your life who you consider heroes
- Give a brief description of each person and his or her relation(ship) to you
- Then, state why you consider each person a hero or heroine; be specific, especially if your reason for choosing him or her relates to a specific deed. Did this or that person help you get through a difficult time? If so, explain how and why.
- Lastly, do any of these characteristics or characters relate to either Ruth or Naomi, or any of the biblical characters we’ve read about so far? Explain.
In Peace,
BRobPeachFSC
3 comments:
In my opinion, a hero(ine) is a person who perseveres to no end to help and protect what he knows to be morally right or what he loves. A hero(ine)is someone who accepts that he isn't perfect and lives with but tries to overcome his/her faults. They accept defeat and learn from it and become stronger because of it. They sacrifice what is necessary to help others in need more than they. Some people whom I consider to be heroes possess these fine qualities. My parents for one thing, they raised me and sacrificed much to send me to a private school, my friends, that stand by me and help me through hard times. My teachers(especially Brother Rob Peach) because they help me to understand life lessons and prepare me for a world that is not as forgiving as they have been. These people have helped me through the darkest of times even when it took sacrifices to do so they persevered and I became satronger because of their help and experience. Lastly, God is an important divine being that helps me through all of my word and action and gives me faith and strength to go on with hope of the next day always being better. God will always provide for you and be loyal to your cause as long as you are loyal to his. I believe that Ruth and Naomi both shared these qualities of a heroine. Naomi experienced loss and therefore helped Ruth to understand and become stronger. The perserverance and unshakable loyalty that Ruth exhibited to Naomi was a priceless quality not found in many people. She sacrificed much to stay with Naomi and in the end was rewarded by God, even though she knew of no incentive for doing good deeds, she still performed them and in the end was rewarded. These are true heroes. Consider their traits and compare them to your vision of a hero because I think that they will be similar.
The Definition of Hero:
A hero or heroine to me is someone who is selfless and kind to others, a person who will do anything for friends and complete strangers at any given time. A hero is a person that does the right thing and does it for the right reasons, a man or woman that has a strong belief for to do what is just.
*Ron Kizior
Ron Kizior is my father and is an executive sous chef at the Westin convention center hotel. The reason I consider him a hero is beause day after day he goes back to work, doing chores, taking care of me and my sister, and pay the bills. Even though some days he may be aggravated, irritated, tired, and may even be sick. He goes and deals with tons of food, working in an environment that has fire coming out of stoves and freezing refridgerators. He has to make sure that hundreds of customers are fed each day and that food for everyother day is ready. He is a hero to me because through all of the pain and stress that he has to go through each day. He has also helped me through many difficult times, such as matters of school and even death. To help me get throuh them, he tells me that everyone goes through it and that right now it is my turn to deal with the pain. This has helped me in numerous other situations.
*Janice Kizior
Janice Kizior is my mother and a secretary at the EEG department at West Penn Hospital. The reason I consider my mother a hero is because of all the things she does for my family and all the concerns she has for the family she grew up with. She does chores me and my sister don't even lift a finger to do and she has to deal with problems everyday at work or at home. She makes sure that my grandmother goes shopping to have food, because my grandmother can't drive. She also makes sure that me and my sister get to the places that we need to go. My mother has also helped me through countless difficult times and has given me great advice to deal with it. She has also helped me with my school work and other activities I do out of school. She has helped me see that everyone needs a little help now and then.
*Joseph Kizior
Joseph Kizior is my granfather and a part-time truck driver at the DonRoyal Cleaners. My grandfather is a hero to me because of the way he recovered from my grandmother's death. Most people would have stopped even trying to function in normal life. Yet he got up and shaked off the misery. He learned how to cook, made sure the house was clean, and went out of the house to meet new people and go on trips that helped him experience a whole new world. My grandfather wasn't really there for any of my difficult times, so I would have to say no to my grandfather helping me through tough times.
My mother relates to Ruth and Naomi, in the way that she had lost her father and Ruth and Naomi lost their husbands. Like these biblical characters, my mother has risen above the saddness that follows death and has become a new person.
A hero is someone who you look up to and someone that has done something in your life that means something to you. I have three heroes' in my life; my parents and my grandma. Why, because they push me to my full potential and they have constant faith in me. Additionally they support me and my brother in everthing we do. My grandma comes to every sporting event that me and my brother paticipate in along with taking care of us when needed. My parents have always been by our side through thick and thin they have never ever given up on me or my brother. They teach me to be responsible for my actions and always be a child of God.
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