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 others 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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For two years, I taught third grade in Newark. It was surprising to see what children, many under immense stress, would do for a simple reward at the end of the day – a lollipop, a piece of chocolate, or a positive phone call home.

I quickly learned – and clung to – that old saying: “Honey attracts more flies than vinegar.” 

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes the same approach while speaking about the rewards for being his followers. Whenever we give alms, pray, or fast in secret, our Father who sees in secret will repay us.

Of course, this begs the question, “What kind of reward will we receive?”

Not a lollipop or chocolate. Rather, three things which the world cannot give.

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First, divine peace.

The spiritual practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving always lead to a detachment from worldly things, thus an interior freedom – a peace – which the world cannot give. 

Secondly, doing God’s work leads to more work. 

Remember the parable Jesus told about a rich man who gave each of his three servants separate amounts of coins – five, three, and one. Then the rich man left and went on a journey.

When he returned, the servant with five coins doubled his master’s fortune, as did the servant who was given three. Each were “rewarded” with extra responsibilities. Meanwhile, the servant who was given one coin buried it… and then his Master essentially buried him! 

In the same way, we who are faithful in little things now like prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, should not be surprised if or when the Lord gives us more responsibility.

Finally, we shall see God’s face in heaven. For believers, there can be nothing sweeter. 

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May we spend this day doing God’s work, so that we might receive his three-fold blessing of peace, more work, and the joy of seeing his face forever.

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Image credits: (1) Missionaries of the Holy Family (2) Worship Leaders University (3) PrimoBibleVerses, X.com

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Gospel: Matthew 5: 43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If you have ever played a video game, then you know that there is always a series of levels. 

The first level is the easiest, and the final level is the most difficult.

Sometimes it takes multiple tries before you succeed in beating that final level… but if you do, then you’ve mastered the game.

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If Christianity were likened to a video game, then today’s Gospel would be the final level: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 

If you can freely do this, then you’ve mastered Christianity. 

Or, you might say, the art of love. 

Have I mastered the art of love?

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Most of us likely have not. There are some mountains too tall for us to climb, humanly speaking. Forgiving those who’ve hurt us or praying for our enemies can be one of them. 

This can be particularly true in our most intimate relationships.

But anything is possible since, “the love of God has been poured into our hearts” (Romans 5:5). By grace, the impossible becomes possible as we allow Christ to control our hearts.

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This is how the game is mastered, so to speak, by surrendering to God until we can admit humbly, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me” (Galatians 2:20).

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Image credits: (1) Aleteia (2) Sermon on the Mount, Carl Bloch (3) weak Christian, WordPress

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Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is, perhaps, the oldest law in the world: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Before it was written in stone, it seems it was written into human hearts. 

When someone strikes you, strike them back. When someone speaks ill of you, speak ill of them. If someone is angry with you, return the grudge. Get even.

It’s a cyclical flow of revenge; a guarantee of destroying relationships – and by extension, the world itself. As Ghandi once said, “If we all lived by that rule – an eye for an eye – then we’d all be blind.”

And yet, how many of us are, to some extent, blind? Guilty of following that ancient law of retaliation.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers a new, revolutionary teaching. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye,’ but I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.”

Imagine allowing someone to strike you on one cheek… and then offering the other. Doing so would leave us feeling stunned; overpowered; defeated. Why would Jesus insist on such an impossible standard?

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Offering the other cheek is a type of olive branch; a path to peace; a refusal to allow someone else’s sin from becoming our own. 

If someone strikes us in anger and we return the blow, then two people are now hurt and angry. The cyclical violence can only be broken, when one refuses to retaliate, choosing to allow the evil to stop with them.

Christ demonstrates this very truth on the cross, not only by receiving every blow, lash, ounce of spittle and nail, but also by praying to his Father, “Forgive them, they know not what they do.”

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This is not an easy Gospel passage to digest. Nor is it meant to be. 

Perhaps the only way to live it practically is to reach that point in our spiritual journeys where we can say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me.”

Help us, Lord, to live more like you today.

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Image credits: (1) Catholic Answers (2) Pastor Lester Bentley (3) Blog, Southside Baptist Church