Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 6: 19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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(Today is the second day of our week-long summer faith formation program).

Boys and girls, imagine getting into your parent’s car on a cold winter morning. It’s so cold that you can see your breath!

You ask mom or dad to start driving, but they tell you, “We must wait. The windows are covered in frost.”

Why is it a good idea to wait for that frost on the windows to melt?

Otherwise, you cannot see!

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the importance of sight – of seeing with clear eyes. Just as you must have clear windows in order to drive, so Christians must have clear eyes in order to see.

The alternative is to have “frosty” eyes. By “frost,” I mean things that make it difficult for us to see other people the way God wants us to see.

For example, if I am jealous of someone else, then it makes it harder for me to see what’s good in them. That jealousy is like “frost” in my eyes.

If I am angry at my brother or sister, then it makes it harder for me to be kind. That anger is like “frost” in my eyes.

What are other things that cause “frosty” eyes? 

Judgment, gossip, being rude, mean, and so on.

As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “If your eye is clear, then your body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, then your whole body will be in darkness.”

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Today we ask Jesus to melt away any “frost” in our eyes so that we can clearly see each other the way that God wants us to see: with kindness, respect, and love.

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Image credits: (1) Fratelli Tutti, Thinking Faith (2) Car Glass Canada (3) Summit Church, YouTube

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Gospel: Matthew 6: 7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we begin our faith formation summer program. I’d like to begin by welcoming all of our young people who gather with us today. I ask everyone to pray for them, that the Holy Spirit would speak to their hearts and draw them closer to God.

Students, you will learn many things over the next week. One of the “essentials” is the importance of prayer, which is simply your conversation with God.

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I think of prayer like a stoplight. 

We begin by telling God what we want: the courage to do what is right; the ability to forgive; the discipline to become a stronger student or athlete; healing from an illness.

Then we await God’s response. Like a stoplight, the answer will be either: red, yellow, or green.

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Sometimes we pray for something and God answers us immediately. A small example might be misplacing your phone. You ask God to help you find it and, suddenly, POOF! It’s right in front of you.

A green light.

Other times, we pray for something and the answer is, “No.” A red light. But remember, even Jesus was told, “No.” During his final night on earth, he asked his Father to stop him from suffering – “let this cup pass from me” – but the answer was, “No.”

Hours later, Jesus suffered and died for us. But three days later he was raised from the dead!

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Most prayers receive a yellow light. We ask God for something and the answer isn’t, “yes” or “no,” but, “wait.”

For example, you may ask, “God, what is your plan for my life?” Or, “God, will you heal this person whom I love?” While the answer may be, “yes,” sometimes God asks us to wait – to keep praying – because that helps to strengthen our faith.

What is a yellow light in your heart? What is a prayer you are waiting for God to answer? 

While you wait, Jesus teaches us to pray the Our Father, which we heard in today’s Gospel. Why don’t we pray that now for everyone who has a yellow light, who’s waiting for God to answer.

Our Father…

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Image credits: (1) My Windowsill (2) iStock (3) The Cullman Tribune

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Gospel: Matthew 6. 1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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After the conclusion of World War Two, the novelist Godfrey Winn interviewed a British surgeon who gave up his private practice during the war in order to remold the disfigured faces and limbs of Allied soldiers.

When asked why he gave up his practice – his livelihood – the surgeon replied, “It was an honor to do it.”

This surgeon was motivated by things the material world cannot give – love; honor; Christian duty.

He points to the essence of Christ’s teachings in today’s Gospel: it’s not what you do, as much as why you do it.

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Today Jesus speaks about three very good things: charity, prayer, and fasting. Things that are not only good for the human soul, but also pleasing to God…when done with the right intention.

For example, when giving alms, do it out of love, instead of a desire to seek human praise.

When we pray, pray with the desire to be heard, not to be seen or recognized by others.

When we fast, do so with a penitential heart, instead of seeking to trim our waist.

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Again, think of that British surgeon. What he did was objectively good, but what matters more to God is why he did it; he was motivated by love.

The same should be true for us when trying to live out our faith.

God, who sees beneath the surface, is not only interested in what we do today, but why we do it. May our motives always be driven by love.

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Image credits: (1) My Dental Agency (2) Open the Bible (3) Responsive Reiding, WordPress