Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 1:39 – 56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Our parish vision statement begins with the words, “All generations journeying together.”

So much of that inspiration comes from today’s Gospel, when Mary and Elizabeth embrace. These expectant mothers represent “all generations.” 

Elizabeth, a barren, elderly woman married for many years. Mary, an unwed teenager. And their unborn children, John and Jesus, representing their hopes for the future.

Though Mary and Elizabeth’s age and life experiences are different, they find in each other what they couldn’t have on their own: Community. Affirmation. Friendship. Belonging. Understanding.

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These are things I hope we find “journeying together.”

Although we’re different in age and experience, like Mary and Elizabeth, God has brought us together for his own purpose. He seeks to offer us what we could not have on our own: 

Community. Affirmation. Friendship. Belonging. Understanding.

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May we carry that affirming, communal spirit of Mary and Elizabeth forward so that we can show others what it feels like to be, All generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!

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Image credits: (1) Passionist Nuns (2) Catholic Mom (3) Pravmir.com

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Gospel: Mark 10: 28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Master, we have given up everything and followed you.”

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On the surface, Peter’s right. 

Unlike the rich young man, who walks away from Jesus “sad, for he had many possessions,” Peter and the others have left their boats, their homes, even their families, in order to follow Jesus.

That’s a huge sacrifice.

But the Christian journey – yours and mine – comes at more than a physical cost; we also must part with things we carry in our heart.

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For example, Peter and the others are still journeying with their pride.

Just a few verses prior, Jesus catches them arguing over who is the greatest. They’re interested in titles and seats of honor, not in suffering or persecution.

Although they’ve left everything behind physically, they’re still a work in progress spiritually.

Discipleship in that sense is a total mind, body, soul commitment.

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What have I left behind in order to follow the Lord? Or what do I still need to part with? Perhaps fear, pride, my desire for control, my ego?

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“Master, we have left everything behind to follow you.”

Even if that’s the case, the challenge each day is to pick nothing “up” – to remain totally committed to Christ in mind, body, and spirit.

What might that look like for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Reading Acts, WordPress (3) Pinterest

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Gospel: John 19: 25-34

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
            and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
            and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
            he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
            “Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
            in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
            Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
            and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
            “It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day,
            in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
            for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
            the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
            and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
            and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
            they did not break his legs,
            but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
            and immediately Blood and water flowed out.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Over the last five weeks, the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima has been traveling throughout the Archdiocese of Newark. News of this event has even reached the Catholic papers in Tennessee!

In journeying with her, I’ve witnessed incredible displays of faith. Some parishes have hosted over a thousand pilgrims at a time!

One of them was a legally blind, elderly woman who implored her daughter to bring her closer to the statue until she could finally see. Once she stood close enough, the woman exclaimed: “She’s marvelous!”

The climax of Our Lady’s pilgrimage was the moment we welcomed her into our Cathedral on Mother’s Day. Hundreds of faithful processed with the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady throughout the streets of Newark. Hundreds more awaited us in the Cathedral.

When she was placed on a stand at the foot of the altar, today’s Gospel passage took on an even deeper, more spiritual meaning to me.

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In the Gospel, Jesus is drawing his final breath. Before commending his Spirit into his Father’s hands, he looks upon the Apostle John – the only one of the Twelve who did not abandon him – and said:

“Behold, your mother.”

From that moment, John, “took her into his home.”

Mary not only became John’s mother, but our mother. My mother. The Mother of the Church.

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That’s the sensation I felt when Our Lady processed into our Cathedral a few weeks ago. We literally welcomed her into the spiritual home of every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Newark.

Have I also welcomed Our Lady into my heart? Have I allowed her to draw me closer to Jesus?

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The best way to seek her intercession, we all know, is to pray the rosary. Commending our thoughts, prayers, and intentions into her loving hands today, we pray:

Hail Mary…

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Twitter, Bishop Bob Barron (2) Jersey Catholic, Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (3) St. Pius X