Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 12: 24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Would you believe that more Christians died for their faith in the 20^th century than in every other century combined?

While we are safe here in America, this isn’t the case for many, particularly in the developing world.

Too often, Christians are forced into professing their faith at the expense of their lives.

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This was also the story of Saint Lawrence, whose feast day we celebrate today.

In the year 258 AD, the Roman Emperor Valerian issued a decree that any Christian found must be killed. 

Many would understandably run and hide. But Saint Lawrence went about his business, distributing food, clothing, and money to those in need. 

Inevitably, when he was found by the local prefect, Lawrence was brought to Valerian, who ordered him to hand over the treasure of the Church, which Valerian believed he was giving to the poor.

Lawrence promised that he would, but asked for three days to collect the Church’s treasure. So, he went throughout the city, gathered all of the poor, the sick, and the dying. 

Standing before Valerian, he said: “Behold the treasure of the Church!”

Enraged, Valerian killed Lawrence by tying him to a red-hot grill.

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While not every Christian faces that type of persecution, Lawrence reminds us that the real treasure of the Church is the poor among us. 

May we always maintain his focus, never wasting an opportunity to encounter Christ.

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Image credits: (1) St. Lawrence, Tintoretto (2) Early Church History, WordPress (3) Pennys From Heaven Foundation

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Gospel: Matthew 15: 21-28

At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When it comes to begging for food, dogs have no shame – they’ll weep and woof until they get their share from the dinner table. 

Imagine those soft puppy eyes staring at you, timed with the perfectly pitched whimper. 

It can provoke compassion out of almost anyone.

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In today’s Gospel, a mom humbles herself to the point of acting like a puppy, begging Jesus for a miracle; her daughter is possessed by a demon.

Their conversation seems strange – perhaps lost in translation – but the point of it all is this: if Jesus chooses to, then he can easily heal her daughter.

He’s done it many times before – and will do it again. 

He appears hesitant only to provoke deeper faith out of her, which Jesus does. 

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This healing becomes one of only two which Jesus performs at a distance, the other being the healing of the centurion’s servant.

Perhaps it’s an appropriate reminder for us today that it is not necessary to either see or touch the Lord in order to experience his healing power. What is necessary is faith. 

Sometimes the Lord waits to answer our prayers in order to arouse deeper faith in us, as he did this desperate mother.

Like her, what’s something I either want or need from the Lord?

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May we never stop asking – not until our desperate displays of faith move the Lord to act.

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(1) NBC News (2) Christ and the Canaanite Woman, Jean-Germaine Drouais (3) Praying Dog, QuotesGram

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Gospel: Matthew 14: 22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is the first time the disciples are without Jesus since he has called them by name. And what happens?

Disaster strikes!

The Lord sends them off in a boat by themselves so that he can spend the night in prayer. Meanwhile, a massive storm strikes – one so strong that these professional fishermen fear they are drowning.

Jesus, alone in prayer, isn’t ignorant of the storm; nor is he unaware of his disciples’ fears. Yet he allows them to drift alone in the night.

Finally, when he approaches them by walking on the water, he strikes up a conversation. “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

That command – “Do not be afraid” – would’ve been a lot easier to accept had the Lord calmed the storm first. Yet he lets the wind continue to scream as the waves rise and fall.

Only after he tests Peter, inviting him to walk on the water, too, does the test end.

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Sometimes don’t we all feel like the disciples did?

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A storm strikes – perhaps not a literal hurricane – but something that scares or unnerves us. We cry out to Jesus for help, but it feels like he’s nowhere in sight – off praying by himself, as it were.

Then, when he finally appears to us, he strikes up a conversation, saying something to us like he did to the disciples, “Do not be afraid.”

Meanwhile, the waves rise and fall.

Only after we feel like we’re on the brink of drowning, as Peter did, does the Lord calm the storm.

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Learning how to trust that the storms of life shall not overcome us is, perhaps, one of the most difficult lessons in the spiritual life. But, as the Psalmist reminds us, “The flood waters may reach high, but you they shall not overcome” (Psalm 69).

Wherever we may be on our journey across the “Sea of Galilee,” the Lord is there – somewhere – inviting us to trust. What does that look like for me today?

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