Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Ephesians 6: 10-20

Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

The Word of the Lord.

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In ages past, battles were fought in hand-to-hand combat. While some soldiers received an added layer of protection by hiding behind canons, riding on ships, or occasionally high on a horse, most confronted their enemy face-to-face.

That’s where battles were fought and won, on the front lines.

Key to any soldier’s defense was a sword forged in steel, a helmet, and a breastplate thick enough to withstand powerful blows from an enemy.

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In our first reading, Saint Paul uses this type of military imagery to describe a Christian soul’s journey through life – riddled with temptations – as we strive for greater unity with God.

“Put on the armor of God,” he says, “do everything to hold your ground. Stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield.”

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Of these three things – a sword, a helmet, and a breastplate, the breastplate is the most important spiritually, as it protects the heart. That, in the Old Testament, is considered to be, “the seat of all intention.”

The heart is where we fight a very personal battle for grace versus sin, virtue versus vice.  

As a priest, I’m reminded of this battle for my affection prior to celebrating every Mass. While putting on my vestments, there are a few prayers I’m invited to pray, the first words being these:

“Cleanse me, O LORD, and purify my heart, that washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may attain everlasting joy.” 

You might say, using Paul’s imagery, “Give me, O LORD, the ‘breastplate of righteousness,’ of holiness and purity of heart, that I may do your will today.”

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What people, thoughts, or habits fight for my affection? How do we fill our heart with good and guard against evil?

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As another day begins, may we put on the breastplate of righteousness, protecting the one thing God wants from us, our heart.

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) Franciscan Media (3) Psalm 51:10 WordPress

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Gospel: Luke 13: 22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them, 
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Lord, how many people will be saved?” An anonymous voice asks the Lord in today’s Gospel.

If Jesus gave a precise number – let’s say, one hundred million, four-hundred thousand, eighteen – then I’d imagine the questioner would stand there, count the number of people in town, and weigh the possibility of being either in or out.

“One hundred million…. That’s a lot of people,” the person might reason. “There’s a pretty good chance I’ll be saved. And if I’m already saved, then why change a thing?”

Mediocrity becomes acceptable.

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This is why the Lord never plays the numbers game. Jesus refuses to tell us how many people will be either in or out of heaven. Will everyone make it? Most people? Some? A few?

We don’t know.

And there’s a good reason for that.

The Lord wants us to act as if the door leading into the kingdom of God is open, but only cracked open, as if we must squeeze, or thrust ourselves inside.

This does not mean that anything we do merits salvation, or that somehow, we can save ourselves. However, what God does not want is for us to take him, his grace, and above all, his sacrifice for granted.

We should live as if we are the only people in the world… and Jesus died just for us.

But knowledge of such an incredible sacrifice demands a response, a personal response, a loving response that leaves us forever changed.

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How has faith in Jesus changed my life?

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“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” An anonymous person wonders.

God does not give us a clear yes or no. Rather, a command: “Strive.” 

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,” he says.

What might it look like for me to strive for heaven today?

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Image credits: (1) The Narrow Gate, Makaila Kruse, Missio Dei (2) Adobe Stock (3) Safeguarding the Eternal, WordPress

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Gospel: Luke 13:18-21

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Some years ago, a story went viral about an 89-year-old man named Fidenzio Sanchez. For more than 20 years, he pushed his popsicle cart through the streets of Chicago, daring to make ends meet.

Little did people know just how essential that cart was to his survival. Just a few months prior, Fidenzio’s only daughter – the breadwinner of the family – died tragically, leaving him and his frail wife with bills to pay.

One day, a neighbor noticed Fidenzio hunched over his cart – his dark, leathery hands ringing a silver bell to attract customers. Overcome with emotion, the neighbor snapped a picture, then posted it on GoFundMe, hoping to raise funds in support of this poor elderly man.

In less than 24-hours, people around the United States donated over $100,000. Within weeks, over $300,000 was raised, spread across 50 different countries.

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A single picture – a “mustard seed” – forever changed Fidenzio’s life.

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In a similar way, Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a mustard seed or a pinch of yeast. What started with one follower, turned into twelve, then thousands.

Today more than 1.2 billion people identify as Catholic, a growth of more than 1 million percent since the call of the Apostles!

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Mysteriously, this is how God works in our world, starting with something small – one photo, one person, one call.

Suddenly, the world is changed.

Never underestimate the power of a mustard seed.

Of you.

Of me.

Of us.

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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Fidenzio Sanchez, Facebook (3) Community Renewal Society