Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Acts: 14: 19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds. 
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city. 
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished. 
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

The Word of the Lord.

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Can you recall a moment in your life that demanded courage? 

Perhaps it was an extended period of time, like serving a tour of duty overseas.

Maybe it was a single moment like a grace-filled confession.

At times, we all need courage.

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In our first reading, the Apostle Paul demonstrates tremendous courage for the sake of the Gospel.

He and Barnabas have been preaching all over Greece and Turkey. At times their message is well-received. At others they’re outright rejected.

Today was a case of the latter. The people literally try stoning Paul to death before dragging his life-less body out of town. When he comes to his senses, Paul stands up and walks right back into town, preaching the same message to the same people!

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His courage that day moved hearts quicker and deeper than a thousand sermons ever could. 

“Where did he get this courage from? Is he crazy?” Many must’ve wondered.

There’s no way that Paul could’ve mustered up the strength to risk his life again unless his message was true.

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Imagine him emerging from that pile of rubble, dusting himself off, and telling you face-to-face:

Jesus Christ was nailed to a tree, then placed in a tomb. But God raised him up from the dead – and will raise up not only him, but all who believe in his name.

How does this good news change your outlook on life today? Does it give you courage to share it with others?

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Image credits: (1) statustown.com (2) The Stoning of St. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra (3) MapleRidge Church

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Gospel: John 14: 21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“”Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.””
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“”Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?””
Jesus answered and said to him,
“”Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“”I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name–
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.””

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is one of the greatest promises Jesus makes in the Gospels: “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

I will reveal myself to him.

Don’t we all want to see Jesus? To know him? To know his plans for our lives?

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At the end of Mass yesterday, we had a guest speaker, whose name is Lauren. She’s the founder of Hearts of Joy International. As I listened to her speak, it was clear to me that she not only loves the Lord, but that he’s also revealed himself to her.

You may remember her story.

In 2017, she met a six-month old child in Uganda born with Down Syndrome. Nearly 50% of all children born with Down Syndrome are born with a small hole in their heart, which requires life-saving surgery.

Because of poverty, among other causes, these children are often neglected by society. So, Lauren prayed a novena to Mother Teresa, asking for help – for a way to save this child’s life.

Some months later, Lauren received an email from a doctor in India who started a hospital where these surgeries can be performed. Providentially, he was also Mother Teresa’s cardiologist until the day she died.

Since then, Lauren’s NGO, Hearts of Joy International, has saved the lives of 56 children. Now she’s determined to save 50… 500… 5,000 more.

She knows without a doubt this is God’s will for her life.

And she discovered it through prayer.

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God has great things in store for all of us. I’m sure we’re all anxious to find out what each day holds.

If we want Jesus to reveal himself to us, then each day should begin and end in prayer. 

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If you’d like more information on Hearts of Joy International, please visit their website: www.heartsofjoyinternational.com

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Image credits: (1) House Mix (2) Unsplash (3) Bible.com

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Gospel: John 14: 1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Do not let your hearts be troubled.” These are some of the final words that Jesus shares with his disciples during his last night on earth.

To be “troubled” means to be overwhelmed by fear – the fear of sickness, the fear of loneliness, the fear of death. 

“Do not be troubled.” 

Do not be afraid, Jesus says.

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I whispered these words into my mother’s ear over and over during the final three days of her life.

“Mama, do not be troubled. You have faith in God…In our Father’s house, there are many dwelling places.” 

A place for you. A place for me.

We knew life was going to look very different for her and for me, but somehow Jesus told us not to be “troubled.”

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I felt that troubled ache again on Monday morning.

I woke up at 5 am, and the first thing I did – after having a strong cup of Stew Leonard’s coffee – was come here to church. I knew it’d be the last opportunity I’d have to spend a few minutes alone with Our Lady of Fatima.

Later that day, I’d have to take her to her next stop along her six-week pilgrimage throughout our Archdiocese.  

Something happened to me when I received the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady in Portugal last week. I felt the maternal love of Mary in a way that I had never felt before. I was drawn; embraced; closer to Jesus because of being close to her.

Mary welcomed our parish into her heart in Fatima, then we welcomed her here in Old Tappan.

Suddenly, it was over. It was time for her to go.

As I was praying on Monday morning, it felt like Mary whispered into my ear the same words her Son once said, “Do not let your heart be troubled.”

Although Our Lady was parting – something of her still remains.

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Haven’t we all felt “troubled” before?

It’s that feeling you may get after dropping off your children at college for another year, the sudden loneliness you may feel after scrolling through social media for too long, that pit in your stomach when a relationship ends, or when you commend a loved one to God.

Humanly speaking, we all fear losing something…or, worse, someone, much like the disciples in today’s Gospel.

They sensed something was happening – Jesus was speaking of going away, but they didn’t know where he was going, how to get there, or how to process his words.

Perhaps adding to their confusion, he tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

A few hours later, the disciples will begin a forty-day journey of grief, surprise, shock…and, finally at Pentecost, a call to mission.

Upon receiving the Holy Spirit, the Apostles are filled with the gifts of wisdom, understanding, and peace. Finally, the words of our Lord that night made sense:

“In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places.” A place for Mary. A place for the Apostles. A place for my Mom. A place for you. A place for me.

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Still, heaven can seem like a long way away. How was it that the disciples were able to persevere in their faith? How did Jesus break their chains of grief, absolving them of that troubled feeling?

He gave them his Spirit – and thus his peace.

In Hebrew, “Shalom.”

Shalom means wholeness; harmony; stillness. It implies that something has been broken, then restored. On Good Friday the disciples’ hearts were broken. They were deeply troubled.

On Pentecost Sunday, their hearts were restored.

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These are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: Peace. Wisdom. Understanding. 

Do I have these gifts in my heart? 

Perhaps I desire them, but am still waiting for the Lord to act.

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“Have faith in God,” Jesus says, “have faith also in me… Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it.”

So come, Lord Jesus, fill the hearts of your faithful. Kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall renew the face of the earth.

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Image credits: (1) T.D. Jakes on Twitter (2) Domenico Ghirlandaio, Convento di San Marco (3) Mission Venture Ministries, WordPress.com