Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On January 25^th, as snow was falling and freezing onto our streets, Olympians began to gather half-way around the world in the small, snowy, hilltop town of Cortina, located in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The time for the 2026 Winter Olympics had come.

Some of the greatest athletes in the world walked proudly into the Olympic stadium to the tune of their national anthems, with dreams of glory burning in their hearts.

Perhaps the most talked about athlete of all was Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American gold medalist skier who came out of retirement for one last shot at victory. 

Although her Olympic dream ended after 13 seconds in a literal crash landing, she later posted on social media: “I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to.”

Vonn reminds us that we are not only capable of daring greatly, but we are also capable of doing great things. Competition is written into the human spirit. We all want to win – and some like her are willing to fight for it.

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Today, we mark the beginning of Lent – a forty-day journey into the desert with God. What are our hopes, even dreams, for this holy season?

Lent appropriately begins with Ash Wednesday, challenging our understanding of greatness. Were we only created for gold, a singular medal placed around our neck tied with ribbon? Or is there another dream – a bigger dream, a divine dream – we all share?

Saint Paul writes, “These athletes train for a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable one.” Much like downhill skiing, Paul describes Christianity in strongly athletic terms. When facing the end of his race, he wrote this to his spiritual son, Timothy.

“I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight; I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith… All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness.”

Paul describes his faith journey in terms of effort; grit; sacrifice; and endurance. He exhausted himself for the sake of the Gospel. His goal was not a perishable, but an imperishable, crown.

One which everyone can be awarded.

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In a few moments, each of us will have a black cross of ash traced onto our foreheads. That cross is meant to remind us that everything and everyone in this world eventually returns to dust; even the world’s greatest athletes will fade into the annals of history.

But we who compete for the sake of the Gospel shall rise again, when God calls us by name, bestowing upon us glory beyond our wildest imagining.

This is the irony of our Christian faith. The only way up is down. Glory comes through humility. Blessings come from being last, from washing feet, from being the servant of all. And, mysteriously, death, my death, leads to life. 

Over these forty days of Lent, may we compete well, renewing our commitment to Christ and our neighbor through acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. May our goal be peace, inner renewal, and ultimately, an imperishable crown of glory.

Thanks be to God.

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Image credits: (1) WUKY, Winter Olympics Milano Cortina (2) Winter Olympics, Axios (3) Malcom Guite, WordPress

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Gospel: Mark 8: 14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.” 
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel passage sets the stage for Ash Wednesday tomorrow, and for our journey through Lent. 

Jesus is in a boat with his disciples, fresh off of another confrontation with the Pharisees. Frustrated by the Pharisees’ spiritual blindness, he warns his disciples not to become like them. “Watch out,” he says, “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

In the Old Testament, leaven was symbolic of the power of sin. Just as a pinch of leaven can permeate an entire loaf of bread, causing it to rise, so the Pharisees have allowed their pride to inflate, closing their hearts to Christ. 

Sadly, the disciples miss the metaphor. 

At the sound of the word, “leaven,” their minds drift off to food as they begin complaining that they only have one loaf of bread for lunch. 

This is almost inconceivable given the fact that the disciples just witnessed Jesus multiply five loaves into enough bread to feed thousands of people. If he fed the crowds, then why would he let his friends go hungry?

Exasperated, the Lord sighs from the depths of his spirit.

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There is good news, however. 

Unlike the Pharisees, who are unyielding in their resistance to Christ, the fact that the disciples continue their journey with the Lord implies their willingness to let go of their ignorance and change, albeit slowly.

Isn’t this what Lent is all about?

Slow spiritual growth. Intentional change. Inner renewal.

So, what’s the “leaven” in my own life? What threatens to distance my heart from Jesus?

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“Watch out,” the Lord says. “Beware of the leaven.”

Through prayer, fasting, and penance, may these forty days soften our hearts, leading us ever closer to him, who has loved us and given himself for us.

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Image credits: (1) Christian Fellowship (2) Schmaltz and Menudo (3) Etsy

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Gospel: Mark 8.11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What if?” 

What if I went to a different college? What if I took the road less traveled? What if I took a risk for Jesus? 

In today’s Gospel, I’m left wondering the same question, “What if?” 

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In three short verses, Jesus arrives on the shores of Galilee… then, immediately, he departs. Mark gives the impression that Jesus has barely gotten out of his boat before being confronted by the Pharisees, who are seeking another sign from him.

The Lord has already raised a girl from the dead, cast out an unclean spirit, and fed thousands after multiplying a few loaves of bread. What else do they need to see?

Dismayed by their unbelief, Jesus sighs from the “depths of his spirit,” gets back into his boat, and heads to a different shore.

What if the Lord passed by them and went into town anyway? What were his plans? Would he have taught in their synagogue? Performed another miracle? Raised someone else from the dead? Changed a community forever?

We’ll never know. The Pharisees’ unbelief sapped the Lord’s desire to do any good for them.

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I imagine Jesus arrives along the shores of our own hearts each morning, planning to do good. But he only stays when welcomed.

What if we invite him to step out of the boat, and do the good he has planned?

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Image credits: (1) What if Jesus, Kristene DeMarco, The Field (2) He Sat Down and Taught, Mark Manning, Altus Fine Art (3) Unsplash