Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Mark 6: 14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The death of John the Baptist is sandwiched in between Christ sending out his Apostles on their first missionary journey and their eventual return.

The Lord sent them out with nothing – no food, no money, not even a second tunic – with the exception of one thing:

He gave them his divine power. 

Upon their return, “The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.”

Presumably, they spoke about the sensation of driving out demons; the wonder of healing the sick, lame, and blind; the spellbound eyes of their listeners who drank in Christ’s teachings falling from their lips.

It must’ve been one of the greatest “highs” the Apostles experienced in their time with Christ on earth. They not only witnessed him perform miracles; they did it, too.

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However, Mark sandwiches the death of John the Baptist in between the Apostles’ sending out and their return to offer a harsh reality check.

John, too, was a servant of the Lord. Yet in spite of – or even because of – his divine mission, he’s beheaded by King Herod.

Thus, the Good News which the Apostles have been preaching, and backing up with miraculous healings, is good news, but not for all.

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This is the difficult balance which every Christian must grow accustomed to.

While love for Christ has set our hearts on fire – and, naturally, we want to share this Good News with others in our words and deeds – we must temper our hope with the possibility of rejection. Think no further than John and Herod.

Thus, you may offer forgiveness to those who’ve wronged you as Christ has taught us. That doesn’t mean you’ll receive the same mercy from others.

You may seek to serve Christ in your neighbor. That doesn’t mean they’ll thank you; sometimes people take charity for granted.

You may quote the words of Christ to a friend. It doesn’t mean his Word will fall on fertile ground.

But, as Mother Teresa said, “Do good anyway. In the end, it is between you and your God; it was never between you and them anyway.”

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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Pastor Chris Bass, WordPress (3) Mother Teresa

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Gospel: Mark 6: 7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When I think about Nagasaki, Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is the atomic bomb dropped on it during World War Two, incinerating 37,000 people in a matter of seconds.

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But 350 years earlier, the people of Nagasaki faced another tragedy. The Japanese government was trying to systematically wipe out our faith, killing Christians by the thousands. 

The first known group of martyrs included Saint Paul Miki and 25 of his companions, all of whom were crucified on a hill outside of Nagasaki, much like Jesus. 

Among them were not only priests…but also the elderly, women, even children.

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And like Jesus, Saint Paul Miki used the cross as his pulpit to preach his final sermon.

These were his parting words: “After Christ’s example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as fruitful rain.”

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The Japanese government continued stomping out the Catholic faith until all traces of it were lost.

In fact, missionaries would not return to Japan for another 200 years…But when they did, they discovered that Paul Miki’s prayer had mysteriously come true. Thousands of Christians were living quietly in Nagasaki and beyond, reminding us all of a very important truth:

The Church never dies.

In spite of scandal, persecution, or any threat to its mission, the Gospel message will never stop converting and saving souls. 

But that truth is partly dependent upon us.

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Like Paul and his companions, how might we share our faith with someone else – in word or deed – today?

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Image credits: (1) Bethel Assembly Church (2) Rome of the West (3) spreadlovee.com

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Gospel: Mark 6: 1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I think we often get caught up in the routine, ordinariness of daily life, so much so that we take the truest form of beauty for granted. We live in a way whereby God becomes invisible. And yet, it’s his desire to be seen. 

How often do we ask someone, “How are you?” To which they respond, “It’s good to be seen.” Doesn’t God also want to be seen, acknowledged? 

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus returns to his hometown. Word of what he’s doing – and who he might actually be – is spreading. But those who know him best fail to see.

Stuck in their preconceived ideas and ordinary routines, they box Jesus in and reduce him to the stature of an ordinary man. They’re used to living with him, conversing with him, watching him work.

The weight of ordinary time has pulled the wool over their eyes so much so that they take their time with God for granted.

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How often do we do the same? We move so quickly that we begin to take life – and the presence God around us – for granted. 

For example, in the “breaking of the bread,” it’s him. In the voice of concern from a friend, it’s him. In the gift of human touch, it’s him.. In a random word of encouragement, it’s him. In the splendor of the sun, the gift of night, the joy of silence, it’s him.

God wants to be seen.

Sometimes it’s a matter of slowing down and seeing. Before the day ends, look around. God is waiting to be seen.

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Image credits: (1) Redbubble (2) Desiring God (3) United in the Word