Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 14: 1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel passage comes from part of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse as he begins revealing to his disciples that this will be his final night on earth. 

Their faith will be shaken. Their world will be turned upside down. Their Lord will be taken from their midst, and placed in a tomb. 

Yet he tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

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To be troubled meant, “to be overwhelmed by the fear of death or some other grave evil.”

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Although dark hours are ahead, the Lord urges his friends not to be shaken; rather, to trust in God and thus, to be at peace. Jesus is stronger than death.

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What troubles my heart? What makes me feel overwhelmed?

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In those moments, turn to the Lord, who whispers gently, “You have faith in God. Have faith also in me.” 

Have faith in the promise of his comfort; have faith in his victory over death; have faith in God’s Spirit dwelling with you.

As Saint Paul once wrote, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.”

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Although life may be difficult at times, we are not to be troubled. Christ has overcome the world.

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Image credits: (1) United Faith Church (2) The Last Supper, DaVinci (3) The Word Among Us

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1 Peter 5:5-15

Beloved:    
Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another, for:

God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

Be sober and vigilant.
Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace
who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.
To him be dominion forever.  Amen.

I write you this briefly through Silvanus,
whom I consider a faithful brother,
exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.
Remain firm in it.
The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.
Greet one another with a loving kiss.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

The Word of the Lord.

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Some years ago, a story went viral about a lost sheep named Shrek.

Shrek lived an otherwise ordinary life until he became separated from his shepherd. For six long years, he wandered the hills of New Zealand alone, often resting at night in cold, rocky caves.

Without his shepherd to shear his wool, Shrek’s coat ballooned to sixty pounds, six times the average weight a sheep normally carries. That’s enough wool to make 20 adult suits!

After he was found, it took Shrek’s shepherd about 20 minutes to shear all of that excess wool. Imagine that – six years of weight lifted in a matter of minutes.

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There’s something arrestingly human about that.

Like Shrek, how often do we carry around unnecessary weight? 

We hide our emotions, bottle them up, push them down. We can lug around years of unnecessary guilt, anxiety, grief, or fear. As a result, we end up carrying five or six times the weight we actually need to. 

Why not just let it go?

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,” Peter says in our first reading. 

“Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you… Resist the devil, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.”

In that sense, every human being is the same. We all need a shepherd – we need Jesus – to shear whatever weighs us down.

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This is particularly true in confession, when the Lord not only forgives – but also forgets – our sins.

Today allow our Shepherd to do what he does best – feed, defend, and shear his sheep.

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Image credits: (1) United Faith Church (2) Babur (3) Business Insider

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Acts: 12:24-13:5

The word of God continued to spread and grow.

After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

The Word of the Lord.

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Today we hear about the first missionary journey ever recorded in Christianity.

Starting in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas sail west to Cyprus, north into Turkey, south to Jerusalem, and finally back into Syria.

It was a three-year journey filled with risk and reward.

Paul was stoned at least once. He and Barnabas fled for their lives several times. They performed miracles, such as healing a crippled man, and converted many along the way.

This journey also inspired Paul to write some of his pastoral letters, including his Letter to the Galatians.

In spite of widespread persecution, the infant Church grew at a rapid pace. 

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How did they do it?

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They were courageous. Even when it meant risking their lives, these Christians believed so strongly in the resurrection that not even the threat of death could stop them.

They were open to the Holy Spirit. As we hear in our first reading, the disciples send Paul and Barnabas on mission only after prayer and fasting – two ways in which we still receive the Holy Spirit today.

They worked in teams. Saint Paul is one of the most travelled missionaries in history. But rarely was he alone. Among those who accompanied him were: Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla, and Aquila.

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The Lord needs the same type of disciples today: people who are courageous, who are open to the Holy Spirit, and who are team players.

If we follow Paul’s example, then the Good News will continue to spread throughout our community – and beyond.

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Image credits: (1) Got Questions (2) Community in Mission, Archdiocese of Washington, WordPress (3) Jake Kail Ministries