Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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From a Jewish perspective, this might be the most ritually impure scene in all of the Gospels.

There are demons, dead bodies, and pigs, all present in Gentile territory, the sworn enemies of the Jews.

Why would Jesus lead his followers into such a dark and filthy place?

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In that Gentile cemetery – the land of the dead – Jesus even impresses his disciples as he reveals his love for those possessed by evil.

While the Jews held an exclusive idea of God – he belonged only to the ritually pure and legally obedient, Jesus reveals himself to be the Good Shepherd, who seeks to save all of his creation, even the “untouchables.”

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So, what might this mean to us?

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Like those men imprisoned in the cemetery, there may be parts of ourselves – memories, decisions, sins that still cling to us – which we try hiding from others. Yet the Lord has already made his way there, into those sensitive areas, with one purpose:

To remind us that we cannot hide. That we are loved unconditionally. And that it is his ardent desire to set us free.

As the Psalmist proclaims, “Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the darkness, you are there. Darkness isn’t dark for you” (Psalm 139: 7-8). 

Unlike the villagers in today’s Gospel, who begged the Lord to leave their town, may we embrace Jesus for who he is – light in the darkness, a Good Shepherd who comes to save us, even from the shadowy places of life.

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Image credits: (1) Bible Hub (2) Mercy for the Outcast, Millenial Journal (3) At the Gates of Hell, Fra Angelico

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Gospel: Matthew 8: 23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s a riddle we all learned as children: 

“Why did the chicken cross the road?” 

“To get to the other side.”

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It seems stunning in its simplicity, yet it’s the same dynamic we see unfolding in today’s Gospel. Why did Jesus tell his disciples to get into the boat?

To get to the other side. 

They don’t know this yet, but once they land, Jesus will begin preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles for the very first time, which is why he’s taking his rest while he can. 

Meanwhile, the disciples are terrified of forces they cannot control – the wind, the sea, the waves – so much so that they awaken a sleeping Jesus, crying out, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

In Mark’s account of this story, Peter goes so far as to ask incredulously, “Do you not care that we are drowning?” As if Jesus is some absent-minded or cruel Lord.

Frustrated, Jesus gets up, rubs his eyes, and rebukes the wicked storm as he wonders why his disciples are still so weak in their faith. The Lord would never allow his friends to suffer without reason or to be overcome by nature.

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I’m sure we’ve all felt like the disciples before. We’ve had that sinking feeling in our stomach like we’re going to drown – not necessarily in water, but in debt, temptation, fear, anxiety, or stress.

In those moments, we can expend a tremendous amount of energy unnecessarily staggering across the boat, as it were, crying out to the Lord. Meanwhile, the real “test” is on the other shore.

If we use this Gospel story as a model for our faith, then the invitation is not to panic when the flood waters rise, but to rest. Curl up next to a sleeping Jesus, “whom even the winds and the sea obey.”

Save your energy for whatever is on the other side, trusting God is already there.

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Image credits: (1) The Storm at Sea, Rembrandt (2) Adobe Stock (3) Debbie McDaniel

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2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

The Word of the Lord.

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John Stephen Akhwari was chosen to represent Tanzania in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Though his chances of winning the marathon were slim, they dropped to zero after he was nearly trampled to death by a group of other runners jockeying for position.

In a matter of seconds, Akhwari fell to the ground, gashed and dislocated his knee, and smashed his shoulder against the pavement.

After receiving emergency medical treatment, he pushed the doctors away, got up on his own and continued the race.

Almost an hour after a winner was crowned – and nearly every spectator left the stadium – Akhwari stumbled across the finish line, his bandages flapping in the wind.

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When asked why he didn’t quit, Akhwari said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

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Today we celebrate the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, men who ran the race of life to the finish and kept the faith.

In spite of being persecuted, or beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, or left for dead, they never gave up. 

Even when they knew death was near, they trusted, in the words of Saint Paul, “All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness.”

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Like Saints Peter and Paul, God did not create us simply to start running the race of faith; rather, to finish it. 

What are some of the challenges we have faced along the way? And what have been some of the consolations?

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May Peter and Paul intercede for us from the finish line, that we would pine for what they did: eternal life, sealed with the crown of righteousness.

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Image credits: (1) Saints Peter and Paul, National Catholic Register (2) Sara’s Reflections, WordPress (3) Pinterest