Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Philippians 4: 12-20

Brothers and sisters:
I know how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need. 
I can do all things in him who strengthens me. 
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.

My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.

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John Stephen Akhwari was chosen to represent Tanzania in the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Though his chances of winning the Olympic marathon were slim, they were shattered after he was nearly trampled to death by other runners jockeying for position.

Medics came to his aid, but John pushed them aside. Getting up on his own with a bruised shoulder and dislocated knee, he continued running the race.

Almost an hour after a winner was crowned – and nearly every spectator left the stadium – John was spotted stumbling across the finish line.

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A reporter later asked him, “John, why didn’t you quit?” 

He responded, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

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Like an Olympic athlete, Saint Paul is running the race of life – and he’s been knocked down hard; he’s writing from prison.

But, as he says in our second reading, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

We’ve seen these words – probably some of the most famous words ever written in the New Testament – printed on things like coffee mugs and posters at Hobby Lobby. 

Often, we interpret them in terms of success: “I can ace this exam! I can hit a grand slam! … I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

But for Saint Paul, “all things” meant enduring lonely nights in prison; being stoned by angry mobs; surviving shipwrecks; finding himself abandoned and left for dead… more than once.

“All things” meant preaching the Gospel fearlessly throughout the Mediterranean; establishing some of the first Christian communities; baptizing entire crowds; and co-authoring half of the New Testament.

“All things” didn’t mean that God would empty Paul’s life of suffering. Rather, there was nothing that life could throw at Paul that he couldn’t endure. 

As he says elsewhere, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or the sword? … No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.”

What was Paul’s secret? Where did he find the strength – not only to endure all of his life’s challenges – but also to endure everything with joy and peace?

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He prayed.

As he says to the Philippians:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! … Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds.”

I found one word from Paul’s advice particularly striking this week. When we pray, we should always pray with thanksgiving.

It’s easy to unload our burdens, to ask God for help, even to complain when life is difficult. It’s much harder to begin and end our prayer with thanksgiving – that is to say, “Lord, even when life is difficult, I thank you. You have loved me and given yourself for me.”

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Like Saint Paul, many of us know what it’s like to be knocked down.

Maybe we’ve been hit by anxiety, depression, or an addiction. Perhaps we’ve struggled with loss, our health, or have known the heartache of divorce.

Saint Paul tells us that we can still be at peace – not only after the storm is calmed, but even in the midst of it. This is a remarkable insight, that even in the midst of suffering, peace is possible, because Jesus is with us. “We can do all things through him who strengthens us.”

Paul also reminds us why we are running: to inherit eternal life.

As he says at the end of his own life-long race, “I have run the race to the finish. I have competed well. I have kept the faith. All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness. And not only me, but all who have longed for his appearing.”

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What has my own journey been like? When I’ve been knocked down, have I turned to the Lord in prayer? Did I find that peace and joy Paul speaks of?

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Whether we’re climbing a mountain, pushing through a valley, or are somewhere in between, we can do “all things” through Christ who strengthens us so long as we turn to him in prayer.

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Images: (1) A Christian Pilgrimage, WordPress.com (2) FBC Media Library, Faith Bible Church (3) Mission Fit

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Gospel: Luke 11: 5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Why do we not always get what we pray for?

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The honest answer is, “I don’t know.”

I think why we get what we pray for is as mysterious why we sometimes don’t. The fact that God listens to us and, at times, answers our prayers exactly as we ask is a marvelous truth in itself.

But there is one thing that we will always receive when we pray: the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “Ask, seek, knock. Then my Father in heaven will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 

Saint Paul says the fruit of the Spirit is, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

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So, what does this mean for us?

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Maybe we’ve been praying that a conflict with a disgruntled colleague at work would end overnight. Even if it hasn’t, God will give you the patience and self-control you need to bear it.

Maybe a malignant diagnosis won’t turn benign, but God will give you the peace to accept it.

Maybe a particular temptation will continue to pester you for an indefinite period of time, but God will give you the grace to resist it and remain faithful.

All these things – patience, self-control, peace, and faithfulness are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and thus the fruit of prayer.

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Place your needs and desires before the Lord today. I hope God will answer you exactly as you wish. But if not, be open and ready to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who will help you bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.

God’s love never fails.

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Image credits: (1) Redbubble (2) The Gospel Coalition (3) www.claudialebaron.com

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Gospel: Luke 11: 1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Why is the Lord’s Prayer so meaningful?

It comes directly from Christ’s own prayer life. As the disciples say to him in today’s Gospel, “Lord, teach us how to pray – as you pray.” Then he gives them these precious words.

Much could be said about it, but consider how it begins and ends.

Jesus tells us to call God our “Father,” but he uses the term, Abba, meaning, Papa or Daddy. So, we begin by addressing God from a place of familial intimacy.

“Hallowed be thy name.” 

To “hallow,” means to be holy or set apart. Meaning, we’re asking for the grace to keep God as holy – set apart, first – in our lives. 

We all know how difficult that can be. Often, there are other people and things vying for our attention – our marriage, our career, our children, our own plans and desires, material things, and so on. 

To say, “Hallowed by thy name,” means we promise to keep God first. All day. Every day.

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Towards the conclusion of the prayer, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This points to the very heart of Christ’s identity – his ability to forgive sins. 

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells people like the woman caught in adultery, “Your sins are forgiven. Go, and sin no more.”

Jesus cannot forgive her sins unless they were somehow committed against him, just I cannot forgive your sins, unless they offend me personally.

This reveals that God is the one who is ultimately affected by every sin committed – and therefore God is the one who can forgive them all. He asks only one thing in return: forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you.

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These are two things we can strive for today: to keep God first and to forgive those who trespass against us. May the Lord give us the grace to do it all.

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Image credits: (1) Christ Follower Life (2) Pantocrator, St. Catherine’s Monastery (3)Bethel Assembly Church in Fosstown MN