Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 8: 23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is the only moment in the Gospels where Jesus is found asleep.

Surely, he slept most nights. His days were long and often tiring. So, why would Matthew insist on telling us that Jesus fell asleep that night, as opposed to any other night?

Because he fell asleep in the middle of a storm – a storm so strong that it terrified the disciples, who were also professional fishermen.

Imagine them staggering like drunkards, struggling to find their balance… meanwhile, Jesus is fast asleep on a cushion.

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Did Jesus fall asleep knowing the storm was coming? Was this all a test of the disciples’ faith? 

What if they were right where God wanted them to be – staggering uncomfortably on a boat, learning how to trust? 

Even if asleep, Jesus was right next to them. 

Perhaps God was inviting the disciples to remember the words of the Psalmist: “The floods of water may reach high, but you they shall not overcome. You are my shelter, O LORD; you guard me from distress.” (Psalm 32)

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We’ve all had that sinking feeling in our stomach like we’re going to drown – not necessarily in water, but in debt, in fear, in temptation, in grief, in doubt, or in loneliness.

While our prayers can – and often do – awaken a “sleeping Jesus,” perhaps the deeper invitation in today’s Gospel is to imagine the disciples drifting uncomfortably in the storm, doing their best to trust that all will be well, even if they don’t see the end in sight.

Jesus is with them. They will not drown. They did not drown. Nor will we.

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“The floods of water may reach high, but you they shall not overcome.”

Awake or asleep, Jesus is with us.

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Image credits: (1) Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt (2) Ibid. (3) Unsplash

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Gospel: John 20: 24-29

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This was the first time the Apostle Thomas saw Jesus after Jesus was raised from the dead.

You can imagine how overwhelming that moment must’ve been – a combination of grief, shock, and surprise. Death seemed so permanent. Then, all of a sudden, it wasn’t.

Making the scene even more intimate, Thomas slides his finger into the hands and side of the Risen Lord reinforcing the seemingly impossible truth – Jesus is alive again, causing Thomas to shout out, “My Lord and my God!”

In that moment, Thomas is forced to think outside of the box; Jesus is God. And God is far greater than Thomas had ever imagined.

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As beautiful as this scene is, it only happened after something – or better said, someone – had changed.

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After Christ’s crucifixion, the Apostles went into hiding. We know they were huddled somewhere in Jerusalem, but as the Gospel reveals, “Thomas was not with them when Jesus came.”

Until now, the Lord has only appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was rewarded by going to the empty tomb first, and to the community of the Apostles while they were gathered together. Since Thomas wasn’t with them, he missed his opportunity.

What does this reveal to us?

That Jesus waited for Thomas to re-join the community of the Apostles before he had his chance to “see.”

Meaning, faith is not something meant to be lived alone; God wants us to gather together as a community in worship. It’s why we come together every Sunday at Mass.

When the community is present, God is present.

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Perhaps there’s an invitation here for us: we all know someone who, like Thomas, has yet to re-join the community of faith.

Why don’t we invite them to “Come and see” this week? 

Who knows, the Risen Lord may also appear them, causing them to rejoice that He is Risen! Alleluia!

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Image credits: (1) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio (2) New Ways Ministry (3) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio

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Gospel: Matthew 10: 37-42

Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At first glance, these may be the most difficult words ever spoken by Jesus:

Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

When these words were first spoken, the disciples must’ve been horrified. They knew in a very graphic way what the cost of carrying a cross would be. Crucifixion was a brutal method of execution. 

So, what does Jesus mean?

Is he inviting us to suffer? Is he adding extra burdens to our shoulders?

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No. 

There’s only one cross that every Christian must carry:

That clumsy, awkward, often hard to carry cross called life.

We might re-phrase Jesus’ words to these: Whoever does not take up his ‘life’ and follow after me is not worthy of me.

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So many of us have heavy crosses to bear: children to provide for, difficult or stressful jobs, an illness, or grief in our hearts.

For some, there’s the added pressure of keeping the fire kindled in your marriage, concerns about finances, maintaining sobriety, caring for an aging loved one, and certainly, our best attempt to grow in our relationship with God.

Life’s demands have already placed plenty of weight on our shoulders.

We simply can’t shrug it off.

That’s the cross.

Be faithful to the tasks that God has given you to do. Do them humbly. Do them all out of love.

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If you’re a parent, then shower your children generously with affection. If you have a job, then work hard, work honestly, and work without complaint.

If you’re in recovery, then continue walking the road of sobriety. If you’re burdened with an illness, then bear it in hope. If you’re caring for someone who’s sick or aging, then do so tenderly.

Whatever you do, do for the glory of God.

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What aspect of my life do I find hard to carry? Or what weighs me down?

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“Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden, light.” 

With every cross we bear, the Lord is always there to help. This is why he instructs us to join our lives to his. He enables us to weather every storm – and to do so in peace.

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The second half of the Gospel pertains to our neighbor.

“Whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, will surely not lose his reward,” Jesus says.

We should always be aware of the burdens other people carry, seeking to lighten their load with charity… or, as Jesus says in today’s Gospel, by giving them a “cup of water.”

This idea of charity is at the heart of our parish identity.

I think about all of you who visit the sick and homebound; who bring communion to those in assisted living; who prepare food in our soup kitchen; who bake for our café; who welcome new parishioners; and who teach in our faith formation program.

And, of course, we all intercede for our neighbor at Mass. In these, and in many other ways, we offer each other a “cup of water,” refreshment along the path of life.

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“Whoever does not take up his life and follow after me is not worthy of me,” the Lord says.

Whatever joys or sorrows we carry this week, we join them to Jesus. As our vision statement reminds us: “We are all generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”

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Image credits: (1) Caitebug.me (2) Heaven4Sure (3) Crossroads church