Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate both the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours and Veterans’ Day.

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Born shortly after the legalization of Christianity in the early 4^th century and named after Mars, the Roman god of war, Martin was bred to be a warrior.

As the son of a veteran officer, he was required to enter into military service at the age of 15, though reluctantly. He was baptized sometime thereafter and quickly felt the burden of being a Christian.

Shortly before a battle was set to begin, Martin switched his allegiance from Julian the Emperor to Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. “I am the soldier of Christ,” he said, “it is not lawful for me to fight.” 

He was charged with cowardice and was jailed, but later released after volunteering to go to the front lines unarmed. Fortunately, peace terms were established before the battle began, and Martin was released from service. 

He made his way back home and converted his mother to Christianity, but not his father. For some years thereafter, he lived a solitary life as a hermit, though word of his good character eventually spread to the point that he was ordained a bishop.

Legend has it that, aware of this plot, Martin hid in a barn full of geese. But the geese, unhappy with his intrusion, gave him up. Humbled, he accepted his cross and became the second bishop of Tours.

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Of all the stories told, Martin is most famous for a gesture he performed in his youth. While still in military service, he passed by a scantily clad beggar. Moved with compassion, he cut his cloak in half and dressed the poor man.

That night, Christ appeared to Martin in a dream, thanking him for the warmth.

On this Veteran’s Day, Martin reminds us of our common call to be soldiers of Christ, to fight the good fight, to strive for peace, and to give ourselves away for God, Church, nation, and family.

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Like all vets, how might we be of service to others today?

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Image credits: (1) Awareness Days (2) Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, AL (3) Holley Gerth

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Gospel: Luke 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Pope Leo XIV is the 265^th pope. Of all the popes in history, only three of them have been officially recognized as “great.” It is the rarest title bestowed upon a person in the Church.

There’s Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Pope Saint Nicholas the Great, and Pope Saint Leo the Great, whose feast day we celebrate today. (Some have recently argued that Saint John Paul II may also be considered “great.”)

There’s an irony to being called “great” in the Catholic Church, because Jesus inverts the worlds values. “The greatest among you must be your servant,” he says.

Thus, to become great, you must become small; to be strong, you must embrace weakness; to lead, you must serve; and to live, you must die. Not only at the end of your life; but also now in a thousand little ways. 

Popes are considered “great” based upon their holiness, virtue, dedication to God, service to the Church, and above all, their leadership through a significant period in history.

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Pope Saint Leo the Great led the Catholic Church from 440 – 461 AD, and is remembered for two significant moments in history. 

In the year 452, Leo met with Attila the Hun, sometimes known as, “The Scourge of God,” because of his military brilliance, his consistent victory in battle, and his notorious brutality. 

In spite of Attila’s lust for blood and power, Leo was able to negotiate peace with him, preventing the invasion and destruction of Rome. 

The previous year, Leo also convoked the Council of Chalcedon, where the doctrine of Christ’s two natures – human and divine – was reaffirmed. This Council was essential in defining the Christian understanding of God.

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History will not call upon us to be “great.”

But God’s invitation to greatness remains open to us all.

We must simply follow the path of love, service, and surrender.

What might that look like for us today? 

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Image credits: (1) quotefancy.com (2) storyofgrace.org (3) freepik.com

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Gospel: John 2:13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. 

This feast is unusual because we’re not celebrating a person or an event; rather, a building. A church. In fact, the most important church in the world! Not Saint Peter’s as some might have expected, but another church in Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.

Etched into the façade of the church’s entrance are the words, “The mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world.”

Saint John Lateran is the oldest church in the Western world, built in 324 AD, a few short years after the legalization of Christianity. It remains the official cathedral of Rome, making it the pope’s “home” church.

It may seem like an abstract feast to us, but diving into the church’s history may lead to a fruitful meditation for us today.

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Over the course of 1700 years, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran has suffered from deterioration and destruction. At the end of the 9^th century, it was nearly split in half by an earthquake. 

Two fires almost torched it to the ground in the 14^th century.

During World War Two, it served as a bomb shelter for victims of war. And more recently, it was damaged by bombs planted by the Mafia!

In spite of all the calamities it has suffered – from fires, to earthquakes, even homemade bombs – Saint John Lateran stands tall and strong. It has been renewed, even rebuilt, while preserving its ancient roots, serving as a rich symbol of the Catholic Church itself.

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It’s no secret that the Catholic Church has endured various trials, even in our own lifetimes, from the earthquake of public scandal to the persecution of innocent Christians. In fact, more Christians were killed in the 20^th century than all 19 previous centuries combined!

Yet, in spite of these challenges, the Catholic Church – much like Saint John Lateran itself – survives the test of time, often fluctuating between periods of renewal and the need to be rebuilt. 

What sustains the Church is not brick and mortar, but faith in action.

May we all contribute in some way – not only to sustaining the Church – but to being a cause for its growth and renewal today.

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Image credits: (1) reddit.com (2) scross.zo.ca (3) youtube.com