Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 20: 17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“To sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give.”

James and John have just heard back from Jesus regarding their attempt to guarantee themselves two special spots in his kingdom. They ask with ambition. They burn with desire for glory and power. They ask for a favor from the miracle worker.

And, in some way, they represent each of us.

We all know the power Jesus possesses. We’ve all asked him for a favor or two. “Lord, show me your power. Lord, break open this door. Lord, help me achieve my dreams. I promise to remember you on the way up!”

But Jesus says unequivocally that seats of power, honor, and prestige are not his to give. 

What, then, can the Lord offer us?

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Only that which he calls his own.

He can offer us his heart, his sheep, and his example to follow.

Like bread nibbled to death by a starving crowd, the Lord was happiest and his truest self when he was feeding a hungry crowd, curing a leper dying in isolation, giving sight to a blind man desperate to see, forgiving people caught in sin, or raising a child back to life.

For Jesus, that is the Good Life.

Not a life filled with self-serving power, but a life of service. As he himself says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Although his impending crucifixion sounds like the most unimaginable, horrible news the disciples have ever heard, it will be the Lord’s moment of greatest glory as he feeds his disciples with his very Self, then pours himself out on the Cross. 

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Today’s Gospel provides a strong word of caution to anyone who’s contemplating following Jesus Christ. While he cannot assure us of any earthly glory or power – or even authority in heaven – what is his to give is the grace to live a life of service.

Who’s ready to wash feet? To forgive enemies? To turn the other cheek? To heal in God’s name?

In the humbling, but deeply inspiring words of the prophet Samuel, may we say with fear and trembling, “Here I am, LORD, send me.”

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Image credits: (1) LinkedIn (2) Watchman on the Wall Ministries (3) Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, Ford Madox Brown

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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It’s been said, “The root of all sin is pride.” Pride is the ability to see ourselves as better, or more important, than another person. This is what Jesus is addressing in today’s Gospel.

Do not be like the scribes and Pharisees, he says, who embellish their wardrobes with lengthy tassels, love seats of honor, seek important titles, and pray loudly in the Temple, all to be noticed – and praised – by others. 

“They have received their reward,” he says.

Scholars say this is why Matthew places the command on Christ’s lips for his disciples to accept no title at all, other than brother or sister. “Do not be called, Rabbi…Master…or Father,” he says. 

(The irony is not lost on me that this is precisely what people have called me for a quarter of my life, Father). 

But Jesus’ reasoning was to eliminate the human tendency – even amongst the religious and ordained ministers of the Church – to see oneself as better or more important than another.

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When we survey the landscape of our Church, our nation, and, indeed, our world at large, we can still see this tendency to classify or chunk groups of people into the category of either worthy or worth-less.

Some are praised because they are wealthy, successful, and influential, while others are scorned because they are poor… or unwelcome.

But, to quote Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, all human beings have the right to cry out:

“Are we not fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means as you? … If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? We are like you and the rest.”

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This is what Christ envisioned for his Church and the world at large, for men and women – especially people of faith – to see each other as equals.

In this light, do not call me Rabbi, Master, or Father.

Call me brother.

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Image credits: (1) brothernailtechcosmetics.com (2) Ernst Zimmerman, Christ and the Pharisees (3) Walking With Purpose, Pinterest

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Gospel: Luke 6: 36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If you have ever played a video game, then you know that there is always a series of levels.

The first level is the easiest, and the final level is the hardest. Sometimes it takes multiple tries before you succeed in beating that final level.

But if you do, then you’ve mastered the game.

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If Christianity were likened to a video game, then today’s Gospel would be part of that final level: stop judging; stop condemning; forgive without limit; love generously.

If you can do these things, then you’ve mastered Christianity.

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Perhaps one of the most difficult steps is forgiveness. 

What makes it so hard is the fact that, when we forgive, we forfeit the right to be angry with a person, waiving all opportunities to play passive aggressive; to weaponize our silence; to “win” an argument; or to seek revenge.

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But if we can do this – if we can love without limit and freely forgive – then we’ve mastered Christianity.

In the least, it’s worth a try. 

“For the measure with which you measure,” Jesus says, “will be measured out to you.”

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Image credits: (1) Advent Christian Voices (2) Forgiving Forward (3) erlc.com