Fr Kevin Kilgore

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2 Timothy 4: 10-17

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

The Word of the Lord.

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Our first reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to Timothy captures the story of three Christians with very different experiences of faith. Each provides a lesson for us today.

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The first was Demas.

Demas was once a believer; Paul wrote about him in his earlier letters. But sadly, Demas became, “enamored with the world,” and lost his faith.

He provides a cautionary tale for us all. Faith is a life-long journey, riddled with temptations along the way. Beware of your attachment to material things and fleeting pleasures, in particular; they can choke your faith.

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Then there’s Saint Mark.

Mark and Paul once ministered together, but Mark abandoned Paul on one of their early missionary journeys, perhaps out of fear of persecution.

Paul calls upon Mark from his prison cell in Rome, where the two are eventually reconciled and later martyred for the Gospel.

Mark and Paul’s story reminds us of the importance of reconciliation. We should seek it with one another while it can still be found.

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Finally, there’s Saint Luke, whose feast day we celebrate today.

Paul says that in his travels, Luke was, “the only one with me.” Luke was faithful, never giving up – neither on his companion, nor on his faith.

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Three Christians with three different stories, each providing a lesson for us today.

Do not cling to the material things of this world; they distract us from what really matters. Seek reconciliation while it can still be found. And, above all, remain faithful to the Gospel you have received.

Saint Luke, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Church Investment Fund (2) Saint Luke, Franciscan Media (3) Christian Mom at Work

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Gospel: Luke 11: 37-41

After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Ignatius, whose feast we celebrate today, was part of the second generation of Christians. He was the bishop of Antioch, located in modern-day Turkey, and might have known the Apostle John personally.

Little is known about Ignatius, aside from his pastoral letters which he wrote to several Christian communities on his way to Rome, where he was martyred. We can still read the text of his letters today.

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One of the great insights Ignatius offers us is the early Christian belief in the Eucharist.

In his Letter to the Romans, he writes, “I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ… and for drink, I desire his blood.”

Elsewhere, in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans, he writes, “The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

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Ignatius offered his life for this belief. Because of his witness, and other Christians like him, the sacrifice of the Mass has been handed on to Christians for two-thousand years, even to us today.

May Ignatius intercede on our behalf that we, too, would see Christ fully present in the Eucharist, profess our faith publicly, and find ways to hand on our faith to the next generation.

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Image credits: (1) The History Channel: Christianity, Dogma, Definition, and Beliefs (2) Who Was Ignatius of Antioch? Christianity (3) Seton Shrine

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Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment 
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation 
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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During the French Revolution, a group of Christians were thrown into a dungeon where they dwelt in near total darkness.

For a brief moment each day, the sun rose to a certain angle, allowing a ray of light to penetrate their cell. As the light came in, one of the prisoners was hoisted onto another’s shoulders, where he opened his bible and proclaimed what he read.

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I wonder what verses they heard.

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Here are a few possibilities:

“For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life.” (John 5:24)

“This is my Body…this is my Blood…do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)

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At the darkest moment of their lives, these Christians heard the Word of God, and believed.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their hardened hearts. They’ve seen him heal people and cast out demons; they’ve heard him preach. But it’s not enough for them. They want more and more signs. 

“But no [other] sign will be given it, except Jonah the prophet,” Jesus says. Following the preaching of Jonah, they should repent like their ancestors and believe.

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At times we’re all tempted to want more proof that God is real. But the words he speaks in the Gospels, along with the countless prayers he’s already answered, should be enough to assure us that God is alive … and in touch.

Like those Christians huddled in a dungeon during the French Revolution, may we hear the Word of God and receive it for what it is today: “A lamp for our feet, a light for our path” (Psalm 119).

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Image credits: (1) In the Storm, TypePad (2) iStock, Jail Cell Light Stock Photos (3) chronic-joy.org