Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah. 
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment 
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation 
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here. 
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Ninevah served as the ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire, located in modern-day Iraq. The Assyrians were known for their brutality, invading foreign nations by brute force, even taking over northern Israel in the 8^th century BC.

Thus, the Jews – including the prophet Jonah – held a deep-seeded hatred for the Assyrians. They were not only the enemies of Israel; they were also the enemies of God. This is why Jonah was so reluctant to enter their capital city of Ninevah, telling its residents to repent.

In fact, God commanded Jonah not once, but twice! Finally, Jonah heeded the Lord’s command and, to his absolute surprise, they repented. As we heard in our first reading, “The king of Ninevah rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, and sat in ashes.”

Just like today, in the ancient world, ashes served as a symbol of repentance, humility, and mourning for sin. They remind us that – with the exception of God – all things are passing, even the powerful kingdoms of this world.

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Why was Jonah such an effective instrument, leading the Ninevites to repentance?

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He had nothing to gain.

He traveled a great distance and risked his life, even spending three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, in order to share this divine message with his enemies. When they heard his voice, the Ninevites realized Jonah had no reason to lie.

And wisely, they repented.

We see the same dynamic at work in the Acts of the Apostles. 

Imagine Saint Peter preaching his first public sermon at Pentecost. Speaking before the same crowds who called for Christ’s death, he proclaims, “This man killed, using lawless men to crucify him But God raised him up!”

Peter risked his life to tell this truth – as did every other Apostle. Each of them preferred death to denying Christ.

Here we find the key to authentic Christian witness. We are called to live in this world in a way that doesn’t make sense… unless God exists. 

Namely, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute you, labor for the salvation of all, even to the point of risking your life like Jonah and Peter.

So, what might that look like for us today?

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Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) My Jewish Learning (3) X.com

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Isaiah 55: 10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

The Word of the Lord.

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One of my favorite Saints is Damian of Molokai. He was a priest born in 19^th century Belgium. After his ordination, he felt called to move half-way around the world to the hellish Hawaiian island of Molokai.

Molokai was home to hundreds of lepers, including children. At that time, whenever someone contracted leprosy, they were immediately removed from their community, often shipped off to Molokai, where they’d eventually die in despair. 

Somehow, word of Molokai made its way to Belgium, into Father Damian’s heart. 

He thought of Christ’s final sermon – the Judgment of the Nations, which we heard in yesterday’s Gospel – and was deeply moved by the promise, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”

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So, he left his parish, his family, and his native language, ministering in Molokai for 16 years, knowing that, once he set feet ashore, he could never turn back.

Father Damian built a school, taught the children, celebrated Mass, assembled a choir to worship on Sundays, broke bread with the broken, and even dug their graves with his bare hands – more than 600 in all.

He loved and served these lepers as if they were Christ himself until he contracted leprosy himself, dying from it after a years-long struggle at the tender age of 49.

So, what might Father Damian’s legacy say to us today? 

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That we should be receptive to – and challenged by – the Word of God.

“Thus say the LORD,” the prophet Isaiah proclaims in our first reading, “Just as from the heavens, the rain and snow come down and do not return until they have watered the earth…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void.”

How has the Word of God changed my decisions in life, either big or small? How receptive is my heart to God’s Word today?

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May we hear the Word of God and act on it, showing the Lord it will not return to him void.

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Image credits: (1) Saint Damian of Molokai, Britannica (2) QuoteFancy (3) Saint Damian of Molokai, Catholic World Report

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Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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During a visit to the United States, Mother Teresa went to a nursing home run by religious sisters. 

It had nearly every creaturely comfort one could ask for – healthy food, comfy beds, air conditioning, heating, television, music playing in the background, and nurses readily available.

Yet, Mother Teresa noticed that not one of the residents was smiling.

Surprised, she turned to one of the sisters, asking, “Why are these people not smiling? I’m so used to seeing people smile, even the poorest of the poor who are dying in our homes in Calcutta – they smile.”

The nun responded, “This is the way it is nearly every day. They are expecting, they are hoping, that a son or daughter or grandchild will come to visit them. But they never do. They hurt because they are forgotten.”

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This is the greatest form of poverty, Mother Teresa affirmed: Feeling unwanted. Unloved.  Forgotten.

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Lent is a time for us to become increasingly aware of Christ present in others – the homebound, the sick, the less fortunate, the forgotten. Even people inside our own homes.

Life has a way of becoming so busy that spouses and children can feel unnoticed or unheard under their own roof. While the stress of routines and the pressures of daily life keep everyone busy, not everyone may feel happy, heard, or appreciated. 

Genuine communication can slow to a drip.

Lent is a time for us to break the surface of daily life and go deeper. Take the time to “be” with others. Remove the need to perform or to achieve. Listen. Speak heart to heart. There’s always more beneath the surface than meets the eye. 

And, when possible, pay a visit – go out of your way to “see” someone else beyond your home. The sick, the elderly, a friend of days gone by.

“Whatever you did – or did not do – for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine,” Jesus says, “you did for me.”

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Image credits: (1) A-Z Quotes (2) Mother Teresa: The Life of a Saint, NYTimes (3) secure.qgiv.com