Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Acts: 2: 1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Maximillian Kolbe was a Franciscan friar who was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, an infamous death camp where more than a million people died during World War Two. 

One day while working in that camp, another prisoner tried escaping over a barbed wire fence. Furious, the guards selected ten men to die in his place. 

One of the prisoners selected broke down, pleading for mercy, telling the guards that he was a husband and a father. Suddenly, Maximillian Kolbe stepped forward and said:

“I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place.”

Maximillian and the nine other men selected were led off to prison cells, condemned to death by starvation. Incredibly, Maximillian led that group of men in prayer and song for nearly two weeks. 

Survivors from Auschwitz later recounted how the group could be heard singing at all hours of the night, transforming their darkened cells into a choir of praise. 

The hope was contagious.

And the courage that filled Maximillian’s heart – from the moment he stepped forward, volunteering to die in another man’s place, to the moment he sang his final note – was Pentecost.

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Pentecost is not an event that happened only once behind locked doors in Jerusalem, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. It happens all the time, whenever a person is filled with divine inspiration. 

But what happened to the disciples – their inner transformation from cowardice to courage, from fear to freedom – is key to understanding what Pentecost is and why it matters.

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In last week’s Gospel, Jesus ascended into heaven, vanishing before his disciples. Matthew tells us, “they worshipped, but they doubted.” 

They worshipped Jesus because he returned in glory to his Father. But they doubted because they didn’t know what to do next. 

Their only consolation was Christ’s mysterious promise given to them at the Last Supper, that he would send them the “Advocate,” the Holy Spirit, who would be with them always, guiding them to all Truth.

Days after the Ascension, the disciples once again find themselves behind locked doors in Jerusalem. Suddenly, a strong wind breaks the still air as the Spirit descends upon them, appearing as tongues of fire. 

Infused with courage, the disciples rush back into Jerusalem and begin preaching to the very same crowds who shouted for the Lord’s death.

This is when the Church is born – and the journey to the ends of the earth begins. The Apostles go on mission. 

We will see Pentecost happen again and again as they live out their ministries, calling upon the Holy Spirit to impart the courage to preach, the grace to heal, and the strength to endure various trials.

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For example, when Saint Paul is nearly stoned to death and left for dead on the edge of town, he suddenly comes to his senses. Standing up bruised and bloodied, he returns to the same town, preaching the same message to the same people who tried killing him. 

His bravery converts many.

That is Pentecost.

When Paul and Silas are later chained to a stake in the ground in the innermost cell of a dungeon after being flogged and publicly humiliated, they begin singing songs to God at midnight. 

That is Pentecost.

When an earthquake strikes the very same ground, freeing Paul and Silas from their chains. When they don’t budge an inch, but stay in their cells and begin preaching the Gospel to the jailer who once held them captive. Then that jailer is overcome with faith.

That is Pentecost.

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When I was ordained a priest 11 years ago after laying flat on the cold, marble floor of our cathedral in Newark while thousands prayed for my brothers and me. 

That was Pentecost.

Asking the Spirit to fan my faith into flame after celebrating thousands of Masses, hundreds of baptisms and funerals, dozens of weddings, and countless visits to the sick and homebound. 

That is Pentecost.

When a child runs off to JAM, our children’s liturgy of the Word at the 10 am Mass, and comes back excited about Jesus.

That is Pentecost.

When fear is overcome… When wisdom is given… When peace settles into a heart shaken by tragedy… 

When a couple celebrates five, ten, or fifty years married… 

When a family clings to resurrection hope after the death of a loved one…

That is Pentecost.

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Pentecost happens whenever we call upon the Holy Spirit. 

May that same Spirit, who transformed the hearts of the disciples, and who sustained the lives of Saints like Maximillian Kolbe, also come to our aid.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Come, Pentecost. 

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Image credits: (1) Revive Our Hearts (2) Catholic World Report (3) Catholic Sistas

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Gospel: John 21: 15-19

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, 
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; 
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When they first stood together along the shores of Galilee, Jesus made a promise to Peter and the others, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

The disciples had little idea of what their future held in store, but with hearts filled with hope and expectation, they dropped their nets, left their families, and followed him. 

As their three-year journey with Jesus unfolded, the promise, “I will make you fishers of men,” became clearer. Initially, the disciples hoped this would involve wielding political power after Jesus was crowned an earthly king.

But after his death, those dreams fell back asleep…forever. 

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Before ascending to his Father, the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples for forty days and forty nights to clarify this call. 

Finally, they understood what the call of being a “fisher of men” really meant – to love, to serve, to preach, to pray, to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Christ taught them.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus has a working brunch with Peter – fish and bread served over a charcoal fire. While Peter is also called to become a “fisher of men” like his brothers, notice the Lord uses different imagery when speaking to him alone.

“Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.”

Peter is not one fisherman among many. He is the shepherd. The one whose voice unites the sheep; the one whom everyone must listen to and follow; the one who holds the keys to the kingdom.

The one who is the direct successor to Christ on earth.

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That power has been handed down from one shepherd – one pope – to the next over the last two-thousand years. In my own lifetime, I’ve heard the voices of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Leo.

Perhaps today we can pray for our shepherd, who has the unique burden of leading more than one-billion Catholics; the one whose voice cries out for peace on the world stage; who is tasked with living like his Master, giving us all an example to follow.

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Image credits: (1) Breakfast with the King, Matt Philleo (2) Disciples of Jesus Fishing, Duccio di Buoninsegna (3) PBS

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Acts: 22.30 – 23.6:-11

Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

The Word of the Lord.

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Saint Paul has been preaching inside the Temple in Jerusalem, angering mobs of Jews who believe he’s trying to nullify their religion. But he insists that Christ does not invalidate, rather he fulfills the Law and the prophets.

In their rage, the mobs shout, wave their garments, and throw dust in the air in protest, calling for Paul’s execution. While standing trial, he realizes that his death is likely. So, he makes one claim in self-defense:

I am a Roman citizen.

It was considered reprehensible – if not punishable by law – to strike a Roman citizen, and Paul knew this was his way out. What matters is not the fact that he saved his life that day; it’s why he did it.

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Paul was not afraid to die… nor was he afraid to live. 

As he says in his Letter to the Philippians, “For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me… [Yet] I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. I remain in the flesh for your benefit” (Phil. 1:21-24).

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His words leave us several points to contemplate.

Although Paul knew that his time would come – and almost certainly as a result of preaching the Gospel – he refused to facilitate an early death or to take his life for granted. 

Every second he had on this earth was a gift – and he intended to use his time well. 

However, he also understood that his time was best spent, not working for personal gain, but in spending himself for the sake of others. Even those who despised and rejected him were worthy of his time as he sought to convert them through love.

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How do we spend our own time here on earth?

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Like Paul, may we use the time we have well – not for personal gain, but for the glory of God – who alone removes the yoke of time and grants eternal life.

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Image credits: (1) ArtPal (2) Saint Paul Delivering the Aeropagus Sermon, Raphael (3) Time and Date