Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 12: 1-7

At that time:
So many people were crowding together 
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When I entered the seminary, one of the first books I read was a novel called, The Diary of a Country Priest, by Georges Bernanos. 

It’s about a young priest living in a small village in the French countryside. Most of the book is composed of his diary entries, documenting – among other things – the slow erosion of faith unfolding in his parish.

People who were once zealous become lukewarm of heart. 

“Faith,” he writes, “is not something you lose like a set of keys.” It weakens over time. 

This can happen to anyone: life gets busy and we start missing Mass; our prayer life becomes dry or routine; a sudden tragedy strikes, eroding our sense of security; the lure of the world seduces us; or God becomes less involved in our daily decision making.

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I wonder if this what happened to the scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus thoroughly rebukes. All week, we have been reading through the “woes” Jesus directs at them. Today he wraps those woes up with a simple, stern warning: beware of their hypocrisy.

Beneath their masks of piety were evil, plunder, and corruption. 

Most of them were probably good, law-abiding men, whose faith slowly eroded over time, to the point that not even the sternest rebuke from Jesus could shake them from their moral slumber.

It’s a sad truth to contemplate, but how did they become that way?  

Perhaps they developed an attachment to human praise, important titles, or wealth. Maybe their own prayer life ran dry. But what each of them lacked was integrity. 

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“Faith is not something you lose like a set of keys,” the priest writes in his diary. It happens slowly over time. 

Yet the opposite is also true. 

Faith is strengthened minute by minute, decision by decision, one act of surrender, praise, or humility after another.  It demands discipline, work, and grace.

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What is the state of my own spiritual life? And, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, how might I strengthen it today?

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Image credits: (1) Revealed Truth (2) Woe to You Pharisees, Chantal LaFortune (3) Daily Dose with Dr. Shermaine, WordPress

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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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In a recent interview, Pope Leo said the Church is in need of more “martyrs.” Not in the traditional sense of the word. Not people who witness to their faith, offering their life to God in a single act of courage.

But people who are “pruned,” by making small, ordinary sacrifices day after day; who persevere in prayer; who humble their ego; who put the needs of others first; who forgive ills; and who stand up for the truth.

This is a different type of martyrdom – one which happens slowly over the course of time – that can make any one of us a Saint. Today we celebrate a person who followed that path, Teresa of Avila. 

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Teresa was a 16^th century Spanish mystic, nun, and Church reformer. 

Raised in a deeply religious household, she was inspired to enter into religious life as a Carmelite nun. However, after entering the convent, she became disillusioned by her peers’ lax practices, comfortable lives, and mingling with secular society.

They didn’t seem to be living the spirit of the Gospel. So, she started her own order known as the Discalced (or barefoot) Carmelites, whose rule of life was rooted in genuine poverty, simplicity, and prayer. 

Sadly, Teresa faced significant hostility, even from within the Church. But she did not allow criticism, opposition, or naysayers to spoil her dream. She persevered, relying in particular on the strength given to her in prayer and the Eucharist.

Today, there are over 4,000 priests, 12,000 nuns and 40,000 laypeople who follow her rule of life.

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In addition to initiating Church reforms, Teresa was also known for her spiritual writings. Her most famous book being The Interior Castle, in which she identifies seven different stages that the soul journeys through as it reaches union with Christ.

A union that comes as we slowly die to ourselves.

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May Saint Teresa intercede for us today that we would become “living martyrs,” people who witness to our faith – not with a single act of courage – but in a thousand little ways until all people see in us is Christ.

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Image credits: (1) Wiggles and Wonder, Substack (2) Teresa of Avila, Caroline Myss (3) Catholic Art and Jewelry

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Galatians 5:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord.

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There’s a Native American story commonly referred to as, “The Tale of Two Wolves.” 

One day, the chief sat his grandson down and began teaching him about the difference between good and evil.

“There is a terrible fight happening inside each of us,” the chief began. “It’s a fight between two wolves. One is evil, feeding off of things like hatred, rivalry, jealousy, selfishness, and greed.” 

(All of the things which Saint Paul mentions in our first reading.)

“The other wolf feeds on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and self-control.”

After a moment of silence, the boy looked at his grandfather curiously and asked, “Then which wolf wins?”

The chief replied, “The one you feed.”

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It’s a simple lesson, which many of us have heard before. But Paul reminds us today just how difficult – yet important – it is to feed that good wolf within.

“For those who belong to Christ Jesus,” he says, “have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.”

So, what might that mean for us?

Maybe we are facing an important decision and need to be reminded to feed that good wolf.

Maybe we are struggling to preserve a relationship and need to feed that good wolf.

Maybe we are trying to overcome temptation and need to feed that good wolf.

Perhaps we are simply trying to grow in our relationship with God. 

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“Which wolf wins?” the young boy inquired.

The one you feed.

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Image credits: (1) LinkedIn, Tale of Two Wolves (2) Grace Life Bible Church (3) Bible App