Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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A group of Christians were imprisoned during the French Revolution in a darkened dungeon.

For a brief moment each day, the sun rose to a certain angle, allowing a ray of light to penetrate their cell. As the light came in, one of the prisoners was hoisted onto another’s shoulders, where he opened his bible and proclaimed what he read.

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I wonder what verses they heard. Here are a few possibilities:

“For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life.” (John 5:24)

“This is my Body…this is my Blood…do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)

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At the darkest moment of their lives, these Christians turned to the Word of God for strength, and believed.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their hardened hearts. They’ve seen him heal people and cast out demons; they’ve heard him preach. Yet his Word is not enough for them. They’re stuck in the prison of unbelief, demanding more “signs.”

“But no [other] sign will be given it, except Jonah the prophet,” he says. Meaning, they should repent and believe like their ancestors.

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At times we’re all tempted to want more proof that God is real. But the words he speaks in the Gospels, along with the countless prayers he’s already answered, should be enough to assure us that God is alive … and in touch.

Like those Christians huddled in a dungeon during the French Revolution, may we hear the Word of God and receive it for what it is: “A lamp for our feet, a light for our path” (Psalm 119). 

This Lent, repent and believe in the Gospel.

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Image credits: (1) Soaking in God’s Word (2) China Institute (3) Bible Hub

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Isaiah: 55: 10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

The Word of the Lord.

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One of my favorite Saints is Damian of Molokai.

Damian was a priest from Belgium, born in 1840. After his ordination, he felt the call to move from his native country, half-way across the globe to the deserted Hawaiian island known as Molokai.

It was home to hundreds of lepers – including children. At that time, when someone contracted leprosy, they were immediately removed from their community, often sent to Molokai, where they’d live and die in despair.

Somehow, word of this hellish island’s existence made its way from Hawaii to Belgium, into Damian’s heart. 

He thought of Christ’s final sermon – the Judgment of the Nations, which we heard in yesterday’s Gospel – and was deeply moved by Christ’s words, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” 

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Damian left his parish, his family, his native language – his entire life behind – and moved to this island of lepers, where he ministered to them for 16 years.

He built a school, taught the children, celebrated Mass, assembled a choir to worship on Sundays, broke bread with the broken, even dug graves with his bare hands – more than 600 in all.

Damian loved and served them as if they were Christ until he contracted leprosy himself, dying from it at the tender age of 49.

So, what does his life say to us today? That we should be receptive to – and challenged by – the Word of God.

“Thus says the LORD,” the prophet Isaiah proclaims in our first reading, “just as from the heavens, the rain and snow come down and do not return until they have watered the earth…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void.”

Like Father Damian, how is the Word of God changing my path, my actions, my heart?

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May God’s Word take deeper root in us, making us more and more like Christ.

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Image credits: (1) Agents of Light (2) Damian of Molokai, National Catholic Register (3) Michigan District, LCMS

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Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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During a visit to the United States, Mother Teresa went to a nursing home run by religious sisters. 

It had nearly every creaturely comfort one could ask for – healthy food, comfy beds, air conditioning, heating, television, music playing in the background, and nurses readily available.

Yet, Mother Teresa noticed that not one of the residents was smiling.

Surprised, she turned to one of the sisters, asking, “Why are these people not smiling? I’m so used to seeing people smile, even the poorest of the poor who are dying in our homes in Calcutta – they smile.”

The nun responded, “This is the way it is nearly every day. They are expecting, they are hoping, that a son or daughter or grandchild will come to visit them. But they never do. They hurt because they are forgotten.”

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This is the greatest form of poverty, Mother Teresa affirmed: Feeling unwanted. Unloved. 

Forgotten.

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Lent is a time for us to become increasingly aware of Christ present in others – especially the sick, the less fortunate, the forgotten.

I’m inspired by our parishioners who routinely visit the nursing home located less than a mile from our parish. They bring communion to our brothers and sisters, listen to their stories, and pray with them week after week. 

They encounter Christ in some who otherwise might feel forgotten.

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What about us? How do we go out of our way to encounter Christ – not just in the elderly, but also in veterans, the sick, the imprisoned, young adults, teens, or children?

“Whatever you did – or did not do – for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine,” certainly during this season of Lent, Jesus says, “you did to me.”

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Image credits: (1) Sean Grover, LCSW (2) Israel My Glory (3) Qgiv.com