Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Revelation: 12:7-12

War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”

The Word of the Lord.

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Growing up, my mother, brother, and I huddled together each week on the family couch to watch one of our favorite feel-good tv shows, “Touched by an Angel.” 

Each episode included a person suffering for one reason or another, leaving them on the verge of despair. 

Heeding their cries, God sent an angel – veiled as a human being – to open their eyes, revealing how intimately God was working in their life, even in the midst of their suffering.

By the end of the show, the person is healed; a doubter comes to faith; a broken heart finds peace. Someone learns that they have been, “touched by an angel.”

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Throughout the bible, we see angels working in people’s lives, each with a different purpose, particularly the archangels Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael.

In the Old Testament, Raphael serves as an agent of healing, protecting Tobias and his father from blindness.

In the Gospels, Gabriel appears to Mary, encouraging her to be receptive to God’s will, and to bear the Son of God in her womb. 

And, as we heard in our first reading from the Book of Revelation, Michael will slay Satan at the end of time, casting him and his minions out of heaven – and out of our lives – forever.

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Today’s Feast of the Archangels reminds us that God is still at work in this world, often through the use of “angels,” literally messengers sent to accomplish his will. 

Sometimes these angels appear as bright and glowing figures as Gabriel did to Mary. But more often than not, they are veiled in flesh and blood; God’s angels are ordinary people like us – messengers of grace.

When have I been touched by an angel? 

How might I be an angel, bringing a message of hope and healing, for someone else today?

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Image credits: (1) Touched by an Angel, IMDb (2) The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism, Gustave Dore (3) Woodstock Bookfest

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Job: 1: 6-22

One day, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the LORD,
Satan also came among them.
And the LORD said to Satan, “Whence do you come?”
Then Satan answered the LORD and said,
“From roaming the earth and patrolling it.” 
And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job,
and that there is no one on earth like him,
blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?”
But Satan answered the LORD and said,
“Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?
Have you not surrounded him and his family
and all that he has with your protection?
You have blessed the work of his hands,
and his livestock are spread over the land.
But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has,
and surely he will blaspheme you to your face.”
And the LORD said to Satan,
“Behold, all that he has is in your power;
only do not lay a hand upon his person.”
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

And so one day, while his sons and his daughters
were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
a messenger came to Job and said,
“The oxen were ploughing and the asses grazing beside them,
and the Sabeans carried them off in a raid.
They put the herdsmen to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
“Lightning has fallen from heaven
and struck the sheep and their shepherds and consumed them;
and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was yet speaking, another messenger came and said,
“The Chaldeans formed three columns,
seized the camels, carried them off,
and put those tending them to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
when suddenly a great wind came across the desert
and smote the four corners of the house.
It fell upon the young people and they are dead;
and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair.
He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said,

“Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb,
and naked shall I go back again.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!”

In all this Job did not sin,
nor did he say anything disrespectful of God.

The Word of the Lord.

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We’ll be reading from the Book of Job all week. Engrained in the story are several spiritual lessons that are as challenging as they are rich in wisdom.

It begins with a dialogue between God and Satan. 

God praises Job, his worthy servant. But Satan rebuffs God’s claim, arguing that Job only praises God because of his security and material possessions; if these were taken from him, Satan argues, then Job would abandon his faith.

So, God allows Job to be put to the test; everything may be taken from him, except his life. In the following verses, reports come to Job that he has lost everything – his life-stock, his material possessions, even his children.

In this darkest hour of his life, when the audience awaits his despair, Job’s sole and greatest possession is revealed – his faith. “The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken away,” he says. “Blessed be the name of the LORD.” 

Job understands that everything and everyone – even the bone of his bones, the flesh of his flesh – comes from and belongs to God. We are merely entrusted with such treasures for a short time.

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Scholars believe Job was not, in fact, a real person. Rather, he was the “ideal Jew,” the personification of what Israel hoped to be – faithful in times of trial, grateful in times of prosperity, unshaken in his praise of God.

That’s the kind of faith I’m sure everyone wishes for. So, how might we attain it?

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Ultimately, faith is a gift from God. It must be placed in our hearts before we take possession of it. However, once it’s given, God allows us to nurture our faith through prayer, study, and charity. 

Conversely, if we never use it, or if we abandon it during times of trial, then our faith begins to wither.

As we read through the Book of Job this week, we will experience a type of spiritual rollercoaster as Job is tested even further and his faith is pushed to the brink. Job will ask God the one question every human being asks: Why?

Why is there suffering? Loss? Evil in the world?

How does God respond? Is his response sufficient for Job – or us? … Stay tuned.

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Image credits: (1) GK Chesterton, Facebook (2) Book of Job, BibleWiki, Fandom (3) Neato Shop

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Gospel: Matthew 21: 28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When the British author GK Chesterton was asked, “What’s wrong with the world?” 

He replied, “Sir, I am.”

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Most of us would answer differently.

What’s wrong with the world?

My ex. Bad drivers. Politicians. Corruption. War. Cancer. Disease. Pollution.

Anything – and anyone – but me.

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Why would Chesterton, a devout Christian, publicly indict himself as being part of the world’s problems? 

Like the second brother in today’s Gospel, he admitted to being a “yes man,” vowing to live the faith he professed.

But often enough he fell short.

He would hear the teachings of Christ on Sunday morning – love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, turn the other cheek, take up your cross and follow me – and would have every intention of doing it.

But then came Monday morning.

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Are we any different?

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Perhaps one of the greatest condemnations lobbed at people of faith is hypocrisy – we say one thing and do another. But I think for most of us, the difference is far more subtle. It isn’t that we live double lives; we actually intend to do what we say and live the faith we profess.

But we also recognize how hard that can be.

It’s not just Christians. People in general are reminded of how hard it is to change with the advent of every new year. 

Studies suggest that only 3 in 10 Americans make a New Year’s resolution. And the older you are, the less likely you are to do it. Whereas half of young adults ages 18 to 29 resolve to grow or change, only 20% of adults over 50 do.

Why is that?

Perhaps because the older we are, the more experience we’ve had with trying and failing. 

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Consider some common examples.

Every year some people resolve to grow in their spiritual life, to pray more, to read the bible from cover to cover, or to get involved in ministry. 

Others vow to put more time and effort into the relationships they value most – their marriage, their family, or their friends. They’ll work less, spend more quality time, and do more family-centered activities. 

They’ll take control of their health. Go to the doctor, diet, and exercise regularly. 

Invest in reducing their stress and improving their mental health.

Save more, spend less, and give more away.

We make these resolutions with the best of intentions. But nearly a quarter of us who try quit within a week.

Only 1 in 10 keeps their resolution throughout the year.

There’s something strange about the stress of ordinary life, the burdens of work and family, or the albatross of a bad habit that weighs us down, reducing our good intentions to just that – a mere intention. 

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Such a humbling truth about the difficulty of change makes Chesterton’s assertion much easier to understand – and yes, to identify with. 

What’s wrong with the world?

At times, I am.

I intend to do good. 

I intend to love.

I intend to be humble.

I intend to be grateful.

I intend to forgive.

I intend to follow Jesus.

I bear all of these good intentions in my heart.

On Sunday mornings, or at the start of a new year, I say “yes” like the second son in today’s Gospel.

But then comes Monday. 

I try, and often enough, I fail.

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So, how do we bridge that gap between intention and action?

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We become more like the first son in today’s Gospel who says “no” to doing his father’s will, but then experiences an inner conversion, motivating him to change. 

He repents and takes action.

That’s the type of person who is pleasing to God.

Not the perfect.

Not the “yes man.”

Not the one with the best of intentions.

But the imperfect ones – people like tax collectors and sinners – who amend their lives and do their Father’s will.

Lord, grant us the grace of conversion, moving our words into action this week.

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Image credits: (1) God & Life & Stuff (2) Medium (3) Voice of Faith, Norah02345 Instagram