Fr Kevin Kilgore

***

Gospel: Luke 5: 12-16

It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it.  Be made clean.” 
And the leprosy left him immediately. 
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Mother Teresa was once walking along the streets of Calcutta, when suddenly she passed by a homeless man dying on the street.

The rags of his clothing wreaked of soured sweat. Maggots were nibbling at the bones of his tired body. The sight of it all left her feeling nauseous. 

For a moment, she turned away from him as so many others had, not only in the hour of his death, but also seemingly throughout his life.

Then a moment of grace kissed her soul. “That’s Christ in distressing disguise,” Mother Teresa reminded herself. 

So, she returned and knelt by the dying man’s side. He was so starved, that she – a woman not even five feet tall – was able to pick him up and carry him to her nearby home for the dying.

Upon arriving, the man looked up into her eyes and breathed his last.

***

In today’s Gospel, we find a leper abandoned by society, much like the man starving on that street in Calcutta. He was – even by religious standards! – untouchable.

But Christ, moved with pity, stretched out his hand, touched him, and healed him. “I do will it,” he says. “Be made clean.”

It’s what Jesus does for all of us.

When we despise ourselves, or when our hearts are filled with bitter shame, the healing hand of the Lord remains outstretched. Never will a penitent person approach Jesus without hearing the words, “I absolve you.”

Even more, “I love you.”

This is the same generous spirit the Lord is trying to impart in us – as Mother Teresa often experienced.

***

Sometimes we need to be reminded of our dignity as God’s creation.

Other times, we need to remind others – hug them, bathe their wounds, treat them with respect, love, patience, and forgive them as Christ has loved us.

***

***

Image credits: (1) I Vote Catholic (2) Koinoinia Art (3) TheCollector

***

Gospel: Luke 4: 14-22

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region. 
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day. 
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. 
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
            The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
                        because he has anointed me
                                    to bring glad tidings to the poor.
            He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
                        and recovery of sight to the blind,
                                    to let the oppressed go free,
            and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

As a priest, I hear confessions often. While each soul is unique, and needs to be cared for as such, there is often a common thread woven throughout. “Father, I have not prayed as much as I should.” 

When a person confesses this lack of intimacy with Christ, I ask them to imagine a large spider web. “If I were to cut a hole the size of a penny anywhere in that web, then the integrity of the entire web would be lost.”

A spider web derives its strength from every fabric working together in unison.

When we stop praying, or pray less than we ought, a hole begins forming in the web of our spiritual lives, enervating our strength, causing us to succumb more frequently to temptation.

While one thought or action may seem unrelated to another, everything is, in fact, related. On the other hand, if we pray ardently, then the force of our spirit is consistently strengthened.

***

 In today’s Gospel, Luke records Jesus as entering the synagogue, “in the power of the Spirit.” Here, Jesus inaugurates his public ministry, speaking openly for the first time. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, he outlines his mission for the next three years.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

The Lord will be able to accomplish these things and more because of his consistent reliance upon the Spirit. Multiple times, the Gospels record Jesus as getting up before dawn, or staying awake all night, in order to pray.

The Spirit was the source of his strength; in a sense, prayer held the “web” of his life together.

***

We should see ourselves in the same way.

If we want to live holy, orderly, virtuous lives pleasing to God, then we must make time for him – of course through the Sacraments and charity – but also in those quiet moments alone where we can hear the Spirit whisper.

What is my prayer life like? 

Perhaps the Lord is inviting us to strengthen it in order to heal any “hole” in the web of our lives today.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Harbor Lights Ministries (2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (3) iStock, Getty Images, Anastasia Hevko

***

Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Have you ever wondered what Jesus was praying about while the disciples were being tossed about at sea in the middle of the night?

***

Perhaps that their faith wouldn’t fail.

*** 

This was clearly a test. 

It’s the first time the disciples are without Jesus since his public ministry began. Previously, every moment with him was a consolation; their spirits were filled with awe and wonder.

They witnessed him cast out demons, heal Peter’s mother-in-law, cleanse a leper, multiply five loaves and two fish, forgive people’s sins, and preach to thousands.

All of a sudden, the disciples are alone, stuck in a storm so strong they fear they’re drowning! When Jesus does show up, they mistake him for a ghost intending to pass them by, causing the sea to resemble a watery cemetery.

I’m sure the disciples were on the brink of despair. Their previous cries for help seemingly went unheard. Once they reach their wits end, Jesus appears, gets into their boat and calms the storm.

But instead of feeling relived, “their hearts were hardened.”

Soaked and scared, Peter and the others must’ve had an unhealthy thought or two about their wonder-worker companion who almost let them drown.

***

So, what was it that Jesus wanted the disciples to learn?

***

In spite of darkness, hardship, or even flat our terror, the Lord will never abandon them or us. 

In the words of the prophet Isaiah: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you. For I, the LORD, am your God.”

At times, the flood waters may reach high – we may be up to our neck in stress or trial – but the Lord is interceding for us, that we may stay calm and trust. Eventually, every storm will be stilled, and every tear shall be dried.

Until then, be at peace, trusting in Christ’s words: “Do not be afraid. I have overcome the world.”

***

***

Image credits: (1) Jesus Walking on Water, Julius Sergius von Klever (2) The Storm at Sea, Rembrandt (3) Sea Tow