Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 27-32

Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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During the month of Passover, Jewish pilgrims flooded the city of Jerusalem. On their way in, they would pass by a slew of tombs, each freshly painted white.

Simply touching one of them would render a person impure, preventing them from entering the Temple to pray. 

Although these pearly white headstones glistened in the sun, below the surface they were full of decay and bones.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues his sweeping condemnation of the religious authorities, likening them to freshly painted, pearly white headstones, who glisten on the outside with jewelry and fine vestments, but are dead within.

The Lord never questioned their commitment to the Law. The religious leaders were exceptionally tedious, washing their hands until their fingers were like mushy prunes, and reciting the scriptures in public until they were blue in the face.

But it was all nonsense. They were dead – defiled – within.

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It remains a terrible truth, but human beings, even religious leaders, are capable of hiding their true intentions, appearing as whitewashed tombs.

As Shakespeare’s Hamlet once lamented, “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.”

At times, the challenge for believers is to not allow the scandal caused by others to lead us away from the Church, or from God.

As Jesus says elsewhere, “It would be better for them (those who cause scandal) to have a millstone wrapped around their neck and be tossed into the sea.”

May our eyes remain fixed on the source our faith and hope, Jesus Christ, who has left us an example to follow.

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Image credits: (1) Photowall (2) Phil Cooke (3) Redbubble

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 23-26

Jesus said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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How ridiculous would it be for a person to ask for a refund while their plane is crashing? Or for the WiFi password on a sinking ship?

In either case, such a fool would perish. If your plane is going down, then say a prayer. If your ship is sinking, then grab a life vest and get off!

Keep the big picture in mind.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins his lengthy monologue of “woes” against the religious leaders of his day. They will perish under the law, dragging other souls down with them, because they’ve forsaken the bigger picture for tiny – ultimately unimportant – details.

“You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin,” he says, “and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity.”

Like a ship sinking or a plane crashing, the religious leaders of his day lost sight of what matters most – not hand washing or tithing, but fidelity, faith, and morals.

You can wash your hands all day long, but if your heart is filthy with hatred, then you’ll still draw the ire of God.

You can pay tithes on every little herb in your shopping basket, but if you fail to be charitable, then God will not show you mercy, either.

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This is by far the most scathing condemnation ever issued by Jesus. It’s filled with enough fire that one would imagine religious people in every generation would get the point.

Yet many religions, Catholicism included, can get entangled in the finer rules of religion – how many times one did this or that, a person’s stance on this or that, whether or not they fasted for a full hour before Communion – while neglecting the supreme law of charity.

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As Saint John of the Cross once said, “In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but on how much we have loved.”

Keep the bigger picture in mind.

What might that look like for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Cornerstone Community Church (2) Magnific (3) Facebook

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Gospel: John 1: 45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” 
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I’m sure we all have a favorite picture or family portrait hanging on a wall at home. Maybe it’s a picture from your wedding day; a photo of a family reunion; or a picture of your pet.

Mine is an icon of Jesus. 

I pray before it every morning before celebrating Mass. His is the first face I see. It’s a picture I’ve had for a few years, yet every time I see it is as if it’s the very first time.

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When looking at your favorite picture, one thing you might not think about is the nail behind the frame. Once that nail is driven into the wall and latches onto a frame, it’s no longer visible. 

Naturally, we tend to forget about it. But without that nail, the frame would slide off of the wall, shattering the glass across the floor.

In that sense, a nail serves two purposes: it brings two separate objects together – in this case, attaching a picture frame to a wall – and it provides enduring support.

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In today’s Gospel, the Apostle Philip plays the role of a nail.

He brings his brother, Nathanael, to Christ, then provides ongoing support along his journey.

It’s what we’re all called to do – invite people to Jesus, then support them along the way. If we disappear into the background in the process, that’s okay; it’s not about us, anyway. 

It’s all about bringing two objects – in this case, two souls – together for the greater glory of God.

How might I be someone else’s “nail” today?

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Image credits: (1) (2) Ponderings on a Faith Journey (3) The Hymn Society