Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Matthew 1: 16-24

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel provides some of the clearest insight we have into the heart of Saint Joseph.

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The passage begins with shock. Mary, Joseph’s bride-to-be, is found with child and Joseph knows he is not the father. Imagine his immediate reaction, that the woman whom he loved and trusted has seemingly betrayed him.

Though virtuous, Joseph was only human. I’d imagine after hearing the news, he cried out to God as so many of us would: “God, how could you allow this to happen? Do I not pray to you in the Temple? Do I not offer sacrifice? Do I not follow your commands?”

After the initial shock settles, we see Joseph’s virtue emerge. Although the Law permits him to have Mary stoned, he decides not to expose her to public shame, rather to divorce her quietly. 

Such a gentle dismissal of his bride-to-be reveals the compassion and gentleness of a man who has yet to understand God’s plan.

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Once that plan is revealed, however, we see a deeper dimension of his heart.

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, assuring him that Mary has not been unfaithful, that his future has not been ruined, and that his marriage can proceed, only on terms that he had never imagined.

Suddenly, the darkness breaks. 

This doesn’t mean that Joseph understands the depths of God’s plans – he must’ve had a thousand different questions. But he doesn’t require perfect clarity to assent to God’s will.

So, he takes Mary and the Christ-child into his home, revealing that Joseph is a man of faith and surrender.

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Which of Joseph’s virtues do I try to practice daily? Or which of them is God calling me to practice in my own family or ministry?

Is it the virtue of compassion? Gentleness? Faith? Or surrender?

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May the Holy Spirit soften our hearts to become more like Joseph, who welcomed Christ into his life, then followed him wholeheartedly.

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Image credits: (1) Saint Coleman Catholic Church (2) The Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph, Giovanni Gasparo (3) The Dream of Saint Jospeh, Phillipe de Champaigne, National Gallery London

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Gospel: John 8: 1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 
and all the people started coming to him, 
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 
who had been caught in adultery 
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught 
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Like skilled fishermen, the scribes and Pharisees believe they’ve caught a big fish – a woman caught in adultery. Now they’re ready to stone her.

Where is the man? He is guilty, too… Maybe he was one of them – an authoritative figure, a neighbor, a friend. 

Instead of engaging these brutish men, Jesus just kneels down and doodles in the sand. What’s he writing?

Some say he’s buying time, collecting his thoughts, letting his adrenaline rescind. Others say he’s writing an account of these men’s own sins, reminding them that they have something in common with this woman:

Human nature.

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To be human not only means that this woman is weak – and capable of sin. It also means that she has access to grace.

We’re all capable of change; growth; and repentance. This is what Lent is about – acknowledging our weaknesses… and accepting the grace to change.

As we prepare for Palm Sunday, and the drama that will unfold with our Lord, we should consider how we’ve changed this Lent. 

What have we learned about ourselves? Were there any pitfalls? Did we grow? Were any lasting changes made?

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May the goodness sparked within us during this holy season continue to bear fruit so that the words of the Lord may also be spoken to us:

“Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

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Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) God Reports (3) Catholic Answers Shop

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Gospel: John 12: 20-33

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast
came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, 
and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
Philip went and told Andrew; 
then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Jesus answered them, 
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Amen, amen, I say to you, 
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, 
it remains just a grain of wheat; 
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me, 
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.

“I am troubled now.  Yet what should I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, 
“I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”
The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; 
but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
Jesus answered and said, 
“This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.
Now is the time of judgment on this world; 
now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And when I am lifted up from the earth, 
I will draw everyone to myself.”
He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

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Death is neither something we like to talk about, nor something we look forward to.

When we hear that someone has died, often the first question we ask is, “How old was that person?” Consciously or unconsciously, it’s a gut check; a way of measuring our own time here on earth.

If the person was much older than us, then we sigh a sigh of relief. There’s still time… And, hopefully, lots of it.

But if they were either the same age or younger than us, then we are saddened by the reality of death, which has come too close.

The truth is, we spend most of our lives avoiding death – not only the event itself, but also thinking about it. But we cannot prepare for something that we deny or are trying to avoid.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus places this theme front and center.

However, he is not drawing our focus to the physical death that he and his disciples will experience; rather, the invitation to eternal life that comes through the path of love, surrender, and giving one’s self away.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,” he says, “it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Again, what type of death is Jesus talking about?

It’s not something physical. 

It’s something far more important – and difficult. 

It’s the death to self.

The change in perspective from “me” to “we.” 

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Think about this in terms of a child.

When a child is first born, all it can think about is itself. If the child is hungry, tired, hot, or cold, then it’ll let you – and everyone around you – know, “I’m not happy.” It’ll cry until it gets exactly what it wants.

But as that child matures, he or she must learn how to live in a world beyond its own immediate needs and desires, beyond that little world of “me.” Otherwise, it will remain what it once was – a child. 

You might say, we all must learn how to become like a grain of wheat that dies to ourselves, making a positive contribution to our family, to society, and to God by living in a world of “we,” not just “me.”

In fact, this was one of the very first lessons that Saint Paul taught the early Christians. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, he writes:

“Brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ… For you are still of the flesh. While there is jealously and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way?”

The challenge for the Corinthians – as it remains for us all these years later – is to live the words of Saint Paul, who proclaims, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me.”

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This is not something foreign or contrary to human nature. It’s a law written by God into our hearts – the more we give, the more we have.

Parents understand this well. The more you contribute to the life, health, and happiness of your children, the happier you become. 

The more you support your spouse or a friend, the happier you become.

The more we offer ourselves in ministry, contributing to the life and growth of this faith community, the more fulfilled we become, because it is in giving that we receive.

Each of us is already like a grain of wheat. We live in a world beyond ourselves; love sprouts wherever we’ve been planted.

But during this season of Lent, in what ways is the Lord inviting us to give a little more – to be a tad more generous; to forgive a little quicker; to offer a little more of our time to others?

As Mother Teresa once said, “Love until it hurts.”

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Death is not something we like to talk about, nor is it something we look forward to – not in a physical sense. 

But the Lord reminds us today, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

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Image credits: (1) Japanese Congregational Church (2) Indian Catholic Matters (3) Crosswalk.com