Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Have you ever wondered what Jesus was praying about while the disciples were being tossed about at sea in the middle of the night?

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Perhaps that their faith wouldn’t fail.

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This was clearly a test. 

It’s the first time the disciples are without Jesus since his public ministry began. Previously, every moment with him was a consolation; their spirits were filled with awe and wonder.

They witnessed him cast out demons, heal Peter’s mother-in-law, cleanse a leper, multiply five loaves and two fish, forgive people’s sins, and preach to thousands.

All of a sudden, the disciples are alone, stuck in a storm so strong they fear they’re drowning! When Jesus does show up, they mistake him for a ghost intending to pass them by, causing the sea to resemble a watery cemetery.

I’m sure the disciples were on the brink of despair. Their previous cries for help seemingly went unheard. Once they reach their wits end, Jesus appears, gets into their boat and calms the storm.

But instead of feeling relived, “their hearts were hardened.”

Soaked and scared, Peter and the others must’ve had an unhealthy thought or two about their wonder-worker companion who almost let them drown.

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So, what was it that Jesus wanted the disciples to learn?

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In spite of darkness, hardship, or even flat our terror, the Lord will never abandon them or us. 

In the words of the prophet Isaiah: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you. For I, the LORD, am your God.”

At times, the flood waters may reach high – we may be up to our neck in stress or trial – but the Lord is interceding for us, that we may stay calm and trust. Eventually, every storm will be stilled, and every tear shall be dried.

Until then, be at peace, trusting in Christ’s words: “Do not be afraid. I have overcome the world.”

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Image credits: (1) Jesus Walking on Water, Julius Sergius von Klever (2) The Storm at Sea, Rembrandt (3) Sea Tow

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Gospel: Mark 6: 34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?  Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Often when we think about the Saints, we honor their courage; their willingness to suffer; or the extraordinary lengths they’ve gone to in order to spread the Gospel.

Think of people Saint Paul, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

Today’s feast, honoring Saint André Bessette, challenges that notion of “greatness.” We might place André in the category of the “little” Saints, who did nothing extraordinary in the eyes of this world … but are extraordinary in the eyes of God and the Church.

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André was orphaned at age 12. He grew up in very poor health with almost no formal education. 

But by the age of 25, he discovered his purpose: God was calling him to religious life. After initially being rejected, André was admitted into the Society of Holy Cross Priests. 

He was never ordained a priest, but became a religious brother, who spent his days as a doorman at Notre Dame College in Montreal. Aside from opening doors and greeting visitors, he prayed for all of those who were ill.

Miraculously, thousands were healed through his intercession during his lifetime. André credited the healings to Saint Joseph, to whom he held a deep devotion.

Wanting to thank Joseph for his intercession, Brother André built him a humble shrine in 1904 worth $200. André saved up the money by giving haircuts for 5 cents each… that’s 4,000 in all!

On January 6, 1937, he died at the age of 91. During the week his body lay in state, an estimated 1 million people braved the Canadian cold to pay their respects. 

Though humble in its beginnings, Andrés shrine has since grown into a massive basilica, welcoming tens of thousands of pilgrims each year; his intercession is still sought by many today. 

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If you or a loved one are in need of healing, ask Saint André to intercede:

Saint André,

I come to you in prayer for healing.

(state your intention)

You were no stranger to illness.

Plagued by stomach problems,

you knew suffering on a daily basis,

but you never lost faith in God.

Thousands of people have sought your healing touch

as I do today.

Pray that I might be restored to health

in body, soul and mind.

With St. Joseph as my loving Protector,

strengthen my faith and give me peace

that I might accept God’s will for me

no matter what the outcome.

Amen.

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Image credits: (1) Listverse (2) Saint André Besset (3) Saint Joseph’s Oratory

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Gospel: Matthew 4: 12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee. 
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet 
might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people. 
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them. 
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The arrest of John the Baptist was a turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus. John’s capture signaled that Christ’s own death was nearing. So, Matthew tells us, the Lord started moving.

First, he returned to his hometown of Nazareth, but only to say his goodbyes. Imagine the Lord embracing the ordinary people he loved – family members, friends, good neighbors – knowing in his heart, that he would never see them again.

They, on the other hand, must not have known anything of what was about to happen; or, only an inkling at best. The ignorance of Christ’s own disciples about his upcoming arrest and execution reveals how little people understood the Father’s plan for Jesus.

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The first stop on the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem is Capernaum. Unlike his small hometown of Nazareth, Capernaum was a bustling, multiethnic city with a large Roman road nearby, connecting Galilee with Syria.

Here, the Lord performed many of his early miracles. As it’s written, “His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain.” 

Much like the city of Capernaum itself, I imagine those healed by Jesus were quite diverse in ethnicity and language; both Jews and Gentiles were cured, signaling the salvation Christ will bring, not only to his own people, but to all.

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Along with these healings came Christ’s teachings. Here, Matthew boils all the Lord had to say down to a single sentence, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Christ’s healings demanded that people listen; he spoke with authority. The Lord came not only to heal the body, but more importantly, the soul.

This is the healing we all need from the Lord – not necessarily relief from physical aches and pains, but arthritic hearts that are too often hardened by pride, anger, and sorrow.

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In this Eucharist, or in the few quite minutes we can spend in prayer with the Lord today, may Jesus heal our hearts of any tension, freeing us to love one another as he has loved us. 

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Image credits: (1) Pantocrator, Sinai (2) Roberta Winter Institute (3) Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pompeo Batoni