Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 8: 1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it.  Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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After the fall of the Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, in 1989, numerous orphanages were opened to the world’s eyes. Thousands of children were discovered after having lived for years in unimaginable conditions.

Many were so neglected they could not relate to others. They could not speak. They could not give or receive affection. Psychologists believed these children’s inability to relate to other people was the result of being denied the gift of human touch… for most of their life.

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In today’s Gospel, a leper falls at the feet of Jesus after years of neglect. The curse of leprosy was not only physical; it was also psychological, spiritual, and emotional. Lepers were forced to separate themselves from the rest of humanity. 

According to Jewish Law, they had to keep their hair disheveled, wear a bell around their neck, and whenever another person neared, they’d have to shout, “Unclean! Unclean!”

I wonder how long it had been since this poor leper experienced the gift of human touch. A year? Two years? Ten?

Imagine going just a month without a hug, a handshake, or a pat on your back. 

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Suddenly, this leper’s luck changes. He spots Jesus off in the distance. Barreling through the crowds like a bowling ball, he throws himself down, and in a stunning display of faith says, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 

Notice his confidence and his humility. He doesn’t doubt the Lord’s power to heal, but he doesn’t demand it either; he simply begs for Jesus to heal him.

The Lord could’ve done so simply with the power of his voice. But Jesus kneels down and touches him, ending that awful streak of human neglect, revealing the Lord’s love for humanity, even in our “uncleanliness.”

This foreshadows what Jesus will do for all of humanity when he takes our sins upon himself, dying on a cross.

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So, what does this all mean?

There is no limit to the Lord’s compassion, certainly for the sick, the suffering, and the neglected. And part of our mission as Christians is to embody that same divine love, extending it to others. 

So, how might I be an agent of compassion and healing today?

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Image credits: (1) Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo (2) Bible Teaching Notes (3) Heal – Word for Life Says

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Gospel: Matthew 7: 21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Have you ever tasted a Sour Patch Kid? 

It’s a gummy candy covered in sugar. When you first chew it, a Sour Patch Kid tastes incredibly sour like a lemon. 

But the more you chew it, the sweeter it becomes.

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That, to me, is an image of the Christian life.

It isn’t always easy to do the Lord’s will. In fact, sometimes Christ’s words can leave a very sour taste in our mouth. “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Turn the other cheek.”

But the more we follow him, the easier – the sweeter – his will becomes.

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What might following the Lord look like concretely?

Telling the truth when it’s difficult… reaching into our pockets when there’s not much left… letting go of a grudge when we’d rather nurse it… forgiving someone who’s hurt us… Surrendering our future to Him.

This is the path of love.

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“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus says. “Only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

You might say, those who’ve developed a taste for Sour Patch Kids, trusting that the sour always becomes sweet.

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Image credits: (1) Amazon.com (2) Sour Patch Kids (3) ThePreachersWord

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Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Nearly every birth in the Bible is about the reaction of the parents as much as it is the destiny of the child.

Consider the difference between the Blessed Mother’s reaction to the angel Gabriel versus Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

Both Jesus and John the Baptist were conceived under the most unlikely circumstances, and both were foretold by the Angel Gabriel. Mary was a virgin and Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, was elderly and barren. 

While Mary believed what Gabriel proclaimed to her, Zechariah’s heart was clouded by doubt. “How can this be?” he questioned. “For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years!”

Zechariah didn’t believe in the impossible. So, he was struck mute until his child was born.

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This lesson appears throughout the scriptures: God does the impossible. Yet how often are we like Zechariah? We question the Lord, favoring human logic over the power of the divine.

“Lord, time is running out. Will you answer me?” … “How can I carry this cross? My health is declining.” … “How can I climb this mountain before me? It looks daunting.”

I had similar thoughts before being ordained a priest. Although I felt undoubtedly called to ministry, the mission placed before me was intimidating. 

How could I share the Gospel effectively? How could I minister to the sick and the dying? How could I comfort their families? How could I reconcile souls with Christ? And, eventually, lead an entire parish?

Yet look at what the Lord has done with us and through us. 

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Perhaps this is the word for us today. There are certain moments in life when, like Mary and Zechariah, we are all called to trust in God’s Providence, even what lies before us seems impossible. 

As the LORD says through the prophet Ezekiel, “I have spoken and I will do it.”

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Image credits: (1) ACI Africa (2) Saint John the Baptist as a Child, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (3) Redbubble