Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 16: 12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Over the last century, psychologists like Sigmund Freud have studied the human mind, curious to know what makes us tick.

Why do we behave in certain ways? How do we cope with living in an imperfect world? How do we respond to stimulation, even trauma? 

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Perhaps one of the more interesting psychological conditions they’ve identified is narcissism. It’s been defined as, “extreme self-involvement to the degree that it makes a person ignore the needs of those around them.”

While we don’t know the precise cause, it may be a reaction to trauma. For example, if a person experiences deep shock and isn’t able to cope, then he or she begins putting up emotional walls to avoid ever feeling hurt again.

This fear of hurt becomes so severe that it prevents that person from entering into deep, nurturing relationships.

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Although narcissism is rare, psychologists also say that this tendency to put walls up is something that we all do in mild form; it’s a defense mechanism.

We can all identify a moment when we were hurt: someone bullied us on the bus; we were harassed at work; we were a victim of racism or prejudice; we lost a loved one; or experienced a broken heart.

So, we put up a wall, which may be temporary or long-standing.

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This tendency to defend – or separate – ourselves from others dates back to the Garden of Eden. 

What happened when God questioned Adam and Eve? “Have you eaten from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat?” God asks Adam.

(Eve, here comes the bus).

“She made me do it!” he says.

Adam separates himself from Eve. He fears being punished by God for a mistake that he freely made, so he places the blame on Eve. With that, Adam and Eve’s unity is broken – and by extension, the unity of all mankind.

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How many of us have had an “Adam and Eve” experience? A relationship we once valued was damaged, even broken?

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This is what makes being human so hard. We all want to experience intimacy; we all want to enter into relationships with other people. We want friends, perhaps a spouse, companions for our journey.

Sometimes those relationships hurt us, so we start to defend ourselves. But, why do we not give up? In spite of being hurt, why are we willing to try again?

Because we were made in the image and likeness of God, who lives in relationship.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity, our belief that God is One in Three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

While this is ultimately a mystery – God’s inner life is beyond our understanding – what we might say is this: God lives without walls.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit love one another so intensely that their bond cannot be broken; they cannot be separated.

They are the opposite of Adam and Eve.

We were made in this image and likeness; like magnets, we’re drawn to other people because we have this innate desire to live like God does – in perfect harmony with those around us.

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This is God’s will for us – to live together. To live in peace.

So, where might I need the Lord’s help? What relationship in my life needs some repair?

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Hurt is part of being human. Separation is part of our story, dating back to Adam and Eve. 

But today’s feast reminds us that we were made – not for brokenness – but for harmony. 

The more we strive for that unity, the more we reflect the inner life of God.

And who doesn’t want that?

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Image credits: (1) The Trinity, Taddeo Crivelli (2) About Childhood Trauma Recovery (3) Trinity, Andrei Rublev

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Gospel: Matthew 5: 13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There was a strange practice in some of the early Christian churches.

If someone was expelled because of a moral issue, or if the person left the faith willingly, before being accepted back into the community, they would lie at the door of the church, saying, “Trample upon me who was the salt which lost its flavor.”

Such a humbling practice – being trampled upon – was derived from Jesus words in today’s Gospel. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its taste, it is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

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People loved salt for three reasons: its purity, its antiseptic quality, and its taste.

Christians must be similar: pure in mind, body, and heart. If we participate in any form of impurity, then how will we spread the faith? Our actions speak louder than our words.

Salt is also antiseptic. It keeps meat from going bad. Similarly, we’re called to preserve the good in people, uplifting their spirits. 

Salt also gives flavor, making everything taste better! Similarly, Christians are called to spread love and joy, brightening people’s days. Depressed disciples lose their taste, making the Gospel seem unappealing.

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You and I are called to be the salt of the earth: living pure lives, bringing out the good in others, and spreading joy.

What does it look like for me to be a salty Christian today?

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Image credits: (1) Waverly Church of Christ (2) Funny Christian Notebook, Amazon (3) Christian Pictures Blog

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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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The death of Jesus initiates the only three days in the bible where God seems absent… nowhere to be found. 

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In the beginning – in the Garden of Eden – God walked with Adam and Eve. There was an intimacy between them. 

Even after Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord and were cast out of paradise, God spoke to his people through the prophets; he led Israel out of the desert by a cloud; and finally, he came to us in the flesh of Jesus Christ.

But all of a sudden, Jesus is dead.

Imagine his body locked away in a dark and dusty tomb.

Who will now speak on the Lord’s behalf?

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“Behold your mother,” he says from the Cross.

Behold Mary, the Mother of the Church.

Mary knew Jesus better than anyone; she was always faithful to him; and she was the only person with Jesus from the womb to the tomb. 

In Christ’s absence, the disciples were told to turn to Mary.

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Shouldn’t we do the same?

“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them,” Jesus says (Matthew 18:20). 

So, when we pray to the Lord in private – conversing with him in the depths of our heart – begin and end the prayer with Mary. She will ensure Christ makes his dwelling among us.

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For our needs and the needs of our Church, we turn to our Mother, praying:

Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen.

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Image credits: (1) Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (2) The Icon of Unfallen Suffering (3) Franz Schubert, Ave Maria