Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 9: 57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Someone once said to me, “Father, you may be the only bible a person ever reads.”

People often learn about Christianity through its followers – the way we speak, the way we live, and the way we treat others.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, a man who lived his life by the bible he read.

Born into a wealthy Italian family in the 13^th century, Francis left everything behind in order to follow Jesus. 

Literally.

One sunny afternoon, in the middle of the public square, a teenage Francis stood before his bishop and declared his desire to spend his life in service of the Church. So, the bishop instructed Francis to renounce his father’s fortune and to promise obedience to him and the Church.

On the spot, Francis removed his clothing and placed all of his money on top.

Naked, he professed his faith – and lived it out for the rest of his life.

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On his deathbed, Saint Francis said to his followers, the first Franciscans, “My brothers, I have done what was mine to do. Now you must do what is yours to do.”

While that looks differently for each of us, the call is the same: live out your faith, not only in word, but above all by action.

You may be the only bible a person ever reads.

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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Saint Francis, DeAgostini, Getty Images (3) Forget Him Knot

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Gospel: Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Think about how people often deal with stress.

After a family argument, a long day of work, or a sudden disappointment, we can retire into ourselves, blocking out the world around us by watching endless hours of tv, scrolling through our phone, drinking, overeating, even lashing out at others who did nothing wrong!

Stress can be hard to manage – and it’s often the byproduct of living in such a hyper, results-oriented society.

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In today’s Gospel both Jesus and his disciples are stressed. But they deal with their stress in very different ways.

Luke tells us that Jesus is headed to Jerusalem – the place where he’ll be betrayed by Judas, arrested, and killed. So, he sends his disciples ahead of him to prepare the way.

To the disciples’ chagrin, they are not welcomed in the first town they enter, which not only means people rejected them; it also may mean a lost meal and the absence of a comfortable place to sleep that evening.

“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” James and John ask. That’s how they want to deal with their stress – turn those who rejected them into a crisp!

Jesus, on the other hand “rebukes” his disciples for their sinful anger and decides to journey to another village in peace. He will not return anger for anger or rejection for rejection.

When the evening comes to a close, something tells me Jesus deals with his stress – not only the hassle of being rejected that day, but also the knowledge of his impending death – by doing something we all should do.

He prayed to his Father.

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Prayer may not be our knee-jerk reaction to stress. But it allows God to calm our mind and heart in a way that television, social media, and overindulgence cannot.

“Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest.” So, when evening comes, how will we process the day?

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Image credits: (1) NeuronUP (2) A Clay Jar (3) America Magazine

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Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What are angels? Why are they so important? What difference do they make today?

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Angels have two purposes: first, they surround God’s throne and worship him. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “the angels look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” Some of them also cross over from heaven to earth as God’s messengers, guiding our steps. 

Imagine: every person God creates has a guardian angel. You have yours. I have mine. In the bible, we can see them acting concretely in people’s lives.

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For example, in the Old Testament an angel appears to Abraham, telling him not to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

The angel Gabriel appears to Mary in the Gospels, telling her she will conceive a son and name him Jesus.

Another angel appears to Joseph in a dream, telling him not to be afraid; Mary’s child is, in fact, the Son of God. So, Joseph welcomes Jesus and Mary into his home. 

Thirty years later, an angel appears to Jesus in the desert, comforting him as he’s tempted by Satan for forty days and forty nights.

After Christ’s resurrection, an angel appears to a sleeping Saint Peter, who’s chained to the ground in prison. As Peter’s wrists are freed, the angel leads him to freedom.

Angels also act in our own lives. They guide, protect, and comfort us, even if we can’t see them. And at the end of our lives, it’s our guardian angel who leads us into paradise. 

As the priest prays at the conclusion of each funeral: “May the angels lead you into paradise. May the martyrs come to welcome you, to the new and eternal Jerusalem.”

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So, what does this Feast of the Guardian Angels say to us?

The veil between heaven and earth is far thinner than we often assume. Even while here on earth, angels – God’s messengers, our protectors – surround us. 

Turn to your guardian angel today. Pray for direction. Ask for guidance. As the Lord says in the Book of Exodus, “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared,” today, tomorrow, and forever. (Exodus 23:20)

May the angels watch over us here on earth, and in the end, lead us into paradise, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

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Image credits: (1) Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (2) Marcantonio Franceschini, The Guardian Angel (3) AnaStpaul