Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 15: 1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel offers two simple lessons in the spiritual life:

Bear fruit, and be pruned.

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The first is the easier of the two: bear fruit. 

Do good in the world. Love. Forgive. Be generous, kind, compassionate, merciful. Follow the teachings of Christ.

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The second is more challenging: be pruned.

Most plants have two types of branches – those that are fruitful and those that are withering.

Withering branches are the dark, limp ones. They must be pruned because they sap energy and nutrients from the vine while bearing no fruit. It’s a fascinating truth: withering branches take energy to die.

Perhaps we can find a withering branch or two in our own hearts, which must be nipped: a grudge, anger, jealousy, selfishness, a certain temptation, or an unhealthy relationship. Things that sap our energy without giving life in return.

Christ, the Divine Gardener, wants to prune these through prayer and the Sacraments.

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Occasionally, even fruitful branches must be pruned in order to bear more fruit. Meaning, sometimes we have to give up things that are “good” for things that are “great.”

For example, sometimes we need to trim our social or sports schedules in order to make more time for God. 

We may need to cut back on household expenses in order to give more away. 

We may need to nip our appetites to remind ourselves of our deepest hungers.

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Bear fruit. Be pruned.

May Jesus, the Divine Gardener, continue working in our hearts today.

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Image credits: (1) Christ and Saint Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, Rembrandt (2) Word of Grace Church (3) fillyourheartgardens.com

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Acts 14: 19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

The Word of the Lord.

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Holy Week reveals how fickle human beings can be. On Palm Sunday, Jesus ascends into Jerusalem like a king. People shout “Hosanna!” while laying palm branches at his feet. But on Good Friday, they turn and shout, “Crucify him!”

Saint Paul later experiences the same type of whiplash, from being praised to persecuted. In our first reading, the crowds nearly stone him to death, dragging him out of the city, leaving for dead.

But only a few verses prior, the crowds worshipped Paul, mistaking him for a god, after he healed a crippled man. Paul literally tore his clothing in anger at them, urging the crowds to believe – not in him – but in the power of God!

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Fortunately, Paul did not give up on the flock he adopted as his own.

After being nearly stoned to death, he awakens under a pile of rubble, comes to his senses, and walks right back into the very same city, preaching to the same people who threw stones at him.

His courage cut many to the heart. They came to see, Paul was either a madman wishing for a death sentence, or he was exactly who he said he was – an Apostle who witnessed the Risen Christ.

His message to them converted many. “Christ died for our sins,” he said. “In accordance with the scriptures, he was buried, raised from the dead, then he appeared to Peter and the others, and last of all he appeared to me.”

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Sometimes we may experience the same type of stubborn resistance to the Gospel when sharing our faith with others – even family members and friends. 

But Jesus and Saint Paul remind us to never give up. Our unrelenting thirst for souls lends credibility to our message that Christ loves us and has been raised from the dead! Alleluia!

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Image credits: (1) Tennessee Bible College (2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (3) Bible Study Media

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Gospel: John 14: 21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name —
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When was the last time you saw Jesus? Or felt comforted by his presence?

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It’s an odd question if you’re looking for his flesh and bones, or a loud trumpet sounding from the heavens.

Christ reveals himself to us constantly, but in much humbler ways. So humble that if you’re not attuned to looking for him, then he’ll pass you by.

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When the Lord first appeared here on earth, he didn’t tear open the heavens, arriving in a blazing chariot of fire. Rather, he came as a helpless baby.

He connected himself to a family, and over the next thirty years, he taught them how to live and love as he did. When the appointed time for his public ministry came, he chose the Twelve Apostles, forming them in his school of mercy day by day.

In a word, Jesus spent his life building relationships, which slowly turned people into living examples of his love.

As he says in today’s Gospel, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me… and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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This how we can still see and feel the Lord today – through ordinary Christians who have learned how to live as Christ has commanded us.

As Saint Teresa of Avila once wrote, “Christ has no body now but yours.”

So, when was the last time you saw Jesus? Hopefully, you can turn to your neighbor and say:

The last time I saw you.

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Image credits: (1) The BLB Blog (2) Sojourners (3) Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope