Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 20: 1-2, 11-18

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I find it to be a fascinating truth that the two most important events in world history – the creation of the world in the Book of Genesis and the redemption of the world at Easter – both take place under the cover of darkness, with no eyewitness other than God himself.

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What we do have at Easter is the testimony of holy women, one being Mary Magdalene. 

She loves Jesus even after his death, which is why she travels through the murky fog of early morning to visit the cemetery where his body lay. 

As the sun begins breaking through, Jesus appears – not only to console her – but also to send her out on mission. “Do not be afraid,” he says. “Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Just as some women have the unique honor of bearing life in their womb, so the Lord entrusts the life-giving truth of his resurrection to Mary Magdalene, who bears it joyfully, instructing the disciples to return to the place where it all began.

Galilee.

There Jesus would meet them, filling their hearts with Easter faith.

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There’s one minor detail tucked within Mary’s Easter message which I find deeply consoling. 

Mary assures the disciples that Jesus still refers to them as his “brothers.” In spite of their denial, their cowardice, their spiritual indifference, their blaming and cursing, they are still his “brothers,” indissoluble members of God’s family.

There was nothing they could do – nor is there anything we can do – to weaken God’s love for us.

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While the Lord was raised from dead under the cover of darkness as the world slept, may the message he first entrusted to Mary burn within our own hearts today, causing us to tell others, “Let nothing disturb you. Jesus is alive! Alleluia!” 

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Image credits: (1) The Autism and ADHD Diaries (2) Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene, Peter Paul Rubens (3) Christ is Risen from the Tomb, Bergognone

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Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you.”
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s an old Chinese proverb, “Not one family can put a sign outside of their home with the words, ‘No problems here.’” 

Every family experiences some tension.

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We see such tension unfolding in today’s Gospel while Jesus is found preaching inside someone’s home. Suddenly, Mary and a few other family members show up asking to speak with him. 

They haven’t come to ask him if he’ll be home for dinner; they’ve come to silence him. Mark tells us, some of his family thought he was, “Out of his mind!” 

They knew the Lord’s teachings were revolutionary, so they feared Jesus might disturb the civil and religious authorities. And they were right. Thus, in their minds, silencing him would be an act of mercy. 

Although his family cared for him, they didn’t always understand him.

The fact they are standing outside not only speaks to their physical separation, but also their distance from him in mind and heart. 

If they are to become members of his divine family – the Church – then they must enter into the home, where they’ll be invited to, “hear the Word of God and observe it.”

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So, it is for us.

In baptism, each of us is welcomed into the “home” of the Church, where the Lord instructs us by his Word and Sacraments. Our mission is to remain inside this home, in good standing, a state of grace.

What has been my experience of life in the Church? Do I feel at home? Welcome? Or “outside” for any reason?

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“Not one family can put a sign outside of their home with the words, ‘No problems here.’” 

There is tension in every family – even in this divine family, the Church. But nothing should separate us from each other. As Saint Paul reminds us, “We are one body, the body of Christ on earth.” 

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Image credits: (1) Mind Garden (2) Facebook (3) The Daily Grace Co.

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Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s a story retold from the French Revolution about a group of Christians imprisoned in a dungeon. 

For a brief moment each day, the sun rose to a certain angle, causing a ray of light to penetrate their cell. As the light came in, one of the prisoners was hoisted onto another’s shoulders, where he opened his bible and proclaimed what he read.

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I wonder what verses they heard. Perhaps one of the following:

“For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life.” (John 5:24)

“This is my Body…this is my Blood…do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)

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At the darkest moment of their lives, these Christians turned to the Word of God, and believed.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their hardened hearts. They’ve seen him heal people and cast out demons; they’ve heard him preach. Yet his Word is not enough for them. They want more and more “signs.”

“But no [other] sign will be given it, except Jonah the prophet,” Jesus says. Meaning, they should repent and believe like their ancestors.

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At times we’re all tempted to want more proof that God is real. But the words he speaks in the Gospels, along with the countless prayers he’s already answered, should be enough to assure us that God is alive … and in touch.

Like those Christians huddled in a dungeon, may we hear the Word of God and receive it for what it is: “A lamp for our feet, a light for our path” (Psalm 119). 

Each in our own way, repent and believe in the Gospel.

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Image credits: (1) Mission Dei Catholic (2) Grace Notes Ministries (3) Faith+Blog