Fr Kevin Kilgore

***

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.

***

***

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.

***

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.

***

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?

***

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.

***

***

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

***

Gospel: John 20: 19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

If I asked you to draw a picture of the Holy Spirit, what would it look like?

***

In the Gospels, the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove – a gentle, peaceful bird. Maybe that’s what first came to mind for you.

In the Acts of the Apostles, the Spirit is represented by tongues of fire.

A bird versus fire. Quite the difference!

The Irish wisely merge the two together. Often, they depict the Holy Spirit as a goose, a wild bird with fire in its belly.

***

Geese are feisty animals who wander wherever they will. If you try to box them in, they’ll bite! Your only warning before that painful pinch is a loud, jarring HONK! HONK!

Loosely translated, it means something like, “Hey! Outta my way!”

***

Like a feisty goose, the Holy Spirit moves wherever it wills. And when it bites, you know it!

You become like the God you represent – as peaceful as a dove, but as noisy, protective, and passionate as a goose. There’s fire in your belly!

Honk! Honk! 

Impossible to ignore.

***

Think of the difference in Saint Peter, before and after he receives the Holy Spirit. 

In today’s Gospel, we first encounter Peter hiding with the other Apostles somewhere in Jerusalem. Reports are surfacing that Jesus may be alive again. He’s already appeared to some of them.

Yet Peter’s terribly afraid of being discovered in public. He’s still stuck on the horrific nature of Good Friday. There’s no doubt Jesus was laid in a tomb. But alive again? How could that be?

Suddenly, the Risen Lord appears to Peter and says, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus breathes on him, and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Suddenly, Peter bursts out of the cell he’s hiding in – both physically and spiritually – like a wild goose with fire in his belly. Leaving his chains of fear behind, he re-enters Jerusalem, seeking out the same people who put Jesus to death.

In his first public sermon on Pentecost Sunday, Peter cries out, “Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God… This man you killed, using lawless men to crucify him…. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.”

Then Peter exhorts the crowds, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you!”

He wants them to receive the Holy Spirit – the same wild goose – who’s transformed his life.

There’s no other logical reason for this dramatic change in Peter’s behavior. He’s seen the Risen Christ and received the power of the Holy Spirit.

***

In baptism, everyone receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. But has the Spirit been awakened within me?

***

Anyone who’s filled with the Holy Spirit has an easily identifiable trait: enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm comes from the Greek, en theos, meaning, “God within.”

In Peter’s case, this enthusiasm is revealed by his fiery preaching; his zeal to spread the Gospel message; and his inner transformation from fear to freedom.

In Saint Paul’s case, his enthusiasm is revealed by his courage and perseverance. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and left for dead multiple times. But he never stopped proclaiming the Gospel. It was like a fire in his bones. He couldn’t hold it in!

Maybe you experience this enthusiasm differently. Perhaps it’s that fire within that inspires you to cook in our soup kitchen, to bake for our café, to participate in parish ministry; to intercede for others.

Or the energy you find deep within to do a thousand little things for your family and children without complaint, or sometimes recognition.

Maybe it’s that calming peace that allows you to undergo trial or suffering with patient endurance. 

***

On this Feast of Pentecost, we pray for the Holy Spirit to remain with us always. (Please bow your head and pray for God’s blessing).

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall renew the face of the earth… The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

***

***

Image credits: (1) My Friend Callie, WordPress (2) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio (3) Altar of the Chair, Bernini, St. Peter’s

***

According to a recent study, the average four-year-old laughs 300 times a day. The average forty-year-old? Only four.

I wonder why. Do we adults take life too seriously? Are we too stressed? Overwhelmed? Or have we simply lost our child-like innocence?

Imagine how joyful our lives would be if every adult we knew laughed as many times as a four-year-old.

Maybe we’d get nothing done.

***

(That was a joke…did you smile?)

***

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Philip Neri, the patron saint of joy and humor.

He was a man who laughed constantly. He saw laughter as a way to counteract his pride, and as a way to brighten other people’s days.

Philip was known on occasion to walk around Rome with his clothes turned inside out; with extra-large shoes; or with his beard half-shaved. 

When he’d walk into a church for the first time, he’d jump up and down and shout for joy.

Oddly enough, the more comical he was, the holier he was perceived to be.

He found a way to balance his sense of humor with intense periods of prayer, love of God, and service to his neighbor.

***

Would that we’d all learn from Philip’s example. In his honor, can you make someone laugh today?

You’ll both feel better for it.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Eat Sleep Work Repeat (2) The Seattle Times