Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Mark 5: 1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Thirteen out of the eighteen miracles Jesus performs in Mark’s Gospel are miracles of healing, including four exorcisms.

With each miracle, the Lord moves further and further from the center of society to its very fringes, which is where we find him today.

Jesus enters a cemetery in Gentile territory, which for the Jews, was the most defiled place to be, a type of hell on earth.

Here, there’s a man who’s being tortured by evil. With the mere power of his voice, Jesus casts the entire legion of demons out, sending them into a group of pigs who then charge into the sea.

This miracle reveals that Christ has absolute power over evil; there’s nowhere the devil or his minions can hide.

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It’s unsurprising that this man “pleaded” to stay with Jesus after he set him free. But what does the Lord say to him?

No.

“Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”

Because that’s where most of the Gospel work is done – not in roaming from town to town as the disciples did with Jesus, but at home, in our families, in our own community, in the ordinary circumstances of daily life.

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As Mother Teresa once said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

It was true for this man.

It’s also true for us.

After spending a few precious moments with the Lord, go home and love your family.

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Image credits: (1) A-Z Quotes (2) Deep Sea News (3) The Meadows Outpatient Center

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Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

    “Now, Master, you may let your servant go 
        in peace, according to your word,
    for my eyes have seen your salvation,
        which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
    a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
        and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
-and you yourself a sword will pierce-
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Christmas was so last year.

But, as with many things, the Church is slow to let go. We’ve held onto the Christmas season for forty days. Aren’t we reminded of this weekly as we enter into our church and pass by our manger scene?

Today this season formally concludes with the Feast of the Presentation, when Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, offering him in service to God.

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Of the four Gospel writers, only Matthew and Luke mention Christ’s birth. And just as every person has their own memories, or angle of recounting an event, each Gospel emphasizes different aspects of the birth of Jesus.

In Luke’s Gospel, an angel appears to shepherds in a field at night, leading them to adore the infant Lord. Then they return to their flocks, disappearing from the scene.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Magi – Gentile astrologers – from the East follow the light of a star to Jerusalem, then to Bethlehem. There they worship the Christ-child in a manger. Then they, too, return home.

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Although angels in heaven and a few people on earth rejoice over the Lord’s birth, two characters predict the violent rejection that Jesus will experience at the end of his life.

One is King Herod. He’s threatened by the idea of a newborn king in his midst, so he orders every boy under the age of two to be executed, triggering the exodus of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph into Egypt.

The Lord remains a refugee until Herod’s death several years later.

There’s also the prophet Simeon, whom we encounter in today’s Gospel. Holding the Christ-child in his arms, Simeon looks at Mary and warns her:

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that is contradicted – and you yourself a sword shall pierce – so that the hearts of many may be revealed.”

That’s not exactly what a new mother wants to hear; her child will not only cause rejoicing, but also division and sorrow.

“You yourself a sword shall pierce.”

An elderly Simeon sees a prophetic parallel between Jesus and his mother. Just as a lance will pierce Christ’s side on Calvary, so a sword of sorrow will be thrust into Mary’s soul as she watches her son die in agony.

Thus, the life of Jesus Christ is Good News – but not for all.

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Some scholars have added a second interpretation to Simeon’s prophecy – “You yourself a sword shall pierce.” While it is undoubtedly a sword of sorrow, it may also be a sword of decision.

In the Old Testament, a sword was symbolic of God’s impending judgment upon his people. The faithful would be cast to one side, while the unfaithful would be cast to another.

Thus, Christ’s life serves as a sword of decision, casting judgment upon all nations, revealing the contents of each person’s heart. Herod becomes the first to reveal his inner darkness, while Mary radiates her inner light.

But Simeon’s prophecy truly comes to life during Christ’s public ministry. While he was teaching inside someone’s home, Mary and a few other family members appear outside, hoping desperately to speak with Jesus.

They fear he’s risking his life by the things he’s saying – “Love your enemies… Give to God what belongs to God… Take up your cross and follow me.” Some of his family members even think he’s, “out of his mind.”  

Upon hearing that Mary’s outside, Jesus draws the sword of decision.

“Who is my mother?” he asks. “Who are my sisters and brothers? Those who hear the Word of God and act on it.”

Not even Mary receives special treatment. Although she is the Mother of God, she, too, must decide to follow Jesus as his disciple. 

Thus, the content of Mary’s heart is revealed – not only her wondrous love for the Christ-child, but also her concern for him as an adult as she gathers outside someone’s home, then her sorrow as she gazes upon her Lord and son at the foot of the cross. 

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Christmas was so last year.

Today’s Feast of the Presentation brings this holy season to a conclusion with the prophecy of Simeon: “You yourself a sword shall pierce.” 

That sword of decision not only pierced the hearts of Herod and Mary, but also the magi, the shepherds, and, yes, each one of us.

As we journey together, the content of our hearts will be revealed.

Like Mary, may it always be one thing: 

Love for Jesus Christ. 

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Image credits: (1) TaylorMarshall.com (2) Simeon Holding Jesus, Andrey Shishkin (3) DepositPhotos

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Gospel: Mark 4: 26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God,” Jesus says. “It is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”

There are three stages leading to this sower’s harvest: first, he scatters the seed. Secondly, the harvest grows. Finally, he reaps what he’s sown.

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Human beings tend to be good at steps one and three: We know how to work. We know how to reap. 

Often, what we struggle with is step number two: waiting. 

This is the period when God intervenes. Without any effort of our own, the rains fall, the sun rises and sets, the seeds split open, grow, and begin to bear fruit.

Once the work of nature is complete, we reap what we’ve sown. 

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Notice Jesus never describes the sower as anxious, stressed, or depressed. Rather, he sleeps at night and rises by day, waiting for nature to run its course. In the end, his reward comes.

Similarly, once we place our lives – or a particular intention – into God’s hands, there’s nothing else we need to do but wait.

Allow the Spirit to change our hearts, our circumstances, or the world around us. When the harvest is ready – or the prayer is answered – we’ll collect the fruit.

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What’s something I’m waiting for?

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Once you’ve scattered the seed, trust in God to do his part. The harvest will come, even though, “we know not how.”

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Image credits: (1) Living the Everyday (2) The North American Anglican (3) Church in the Acres