Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Mark 8: 14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.” 
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus said to them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees.”

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Leaven, also known as yeast, makes dough rise. All you need is a pinch to permeate – or affect – an entire loaf.

Jews used that imagery to describe the effect that sinful inclinations can have within us, which they referred to as “leaven.”

When left unchecked, just a pinch of sin – a single lie, a single malignant cell, a single angry thought – can take over an entire person’s mind and heart, even to the point of obsession.

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For example, if someone hurts us emotionally and we don’t quickly offer them forgiveness, that one incident can fester until we find ourselves unable to forgive – not only that person – but any person.

Like yeast, anger can permeate our entire being.

The same is true with other sins: lust, greed, pride, envy, and so on.

“Watch out,” Jesus says, “guard against the leaven.”

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So, how do we rid ourselves of it?

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One of the most effective ways I’ve found is a daily examination of conscience. Spend a few moments either in the morning or in the evening, reflecting upon the last 24 hours.

Give thanks to God for any spiritual “wins.” Ask for his forgiveness wherever there’s been a “loss.” And conclude the prayer with a desire to do better tomorrow. 

Slowly, the leaven will disappear. 

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Image credits: (1) Journey Church (2) Fr. Anthony Messeh (3) Life by the Word

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Gospel: Mark 8: 11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Why does this generation seek a sign?”

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus “sighs from the depth of his spirit,” saddened by the blindness of the Pharisees.

They’ve approached him, looking for some grandiose gesture to prove God’s existence among them. They want the heavens opened or a fire sent upon the earth in order to believe.

But for Jesus, the entire world is filled with miracles.

The birth of a child, the changing of seasons, the snow that slowly drips from the sky all reveal God’s hand in the world.

Spiritual people don’t need a life-shattering miracle in order to believe; they see God everywhere, in everything.

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Where do I see the hand of God at work? Or when have I felt his presence?

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It could be the peace we have after a friend listens to our troubles…Or the stillness we feel after a moment spent in silence.

A simple box of chocolates left surprisingly at our door.

A letter in the mail.

A smile from a stranger.

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God is all around us. 

We only need to look with eyes of faith to see Him.

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Image credits: (1) Unsplash (2) National Geographic (3) Highlights of ‘People’, National Geographic

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Gospel: Luke 6: 17-26

Jesus came down with the Twelve
and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples
and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
            “Blessed are you who are poor,
                        for the kingdom of God is yours.
            Blessed are you who are now hungry,
                        for you will be satisfied.
            Blessed are you who are now weeping,
                        for you will laugh.
            Blessed are you when people hate you,
                        and when they exclude and insult you,
                        and denounce your name as evil
                        on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
            But woe to you who are rich,
                        for you have received your consolation.
            Woe to you who are filled now,
                        for you will be hungry.
            Woe to you who laugh now,
                        for you will grieve and weep.
            Woe to you when all speak well of you,
                        for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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How many of us remember the story of Cinderella?

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There’s something ironically Christian about it, as the major theme of the story is the reversal of fortunes.

As the story begins, Cinderella is held captive in her own home. Her evil stepmother and stepsisters force her to scrub the floors, to wash their clothes, to make their beds, and to serve them dinner.

She’s essentially a slave. But Cinderella never loses her inner goodness; from start to finish, she’s kind, forgiving, and humble of heart. 

And, in the end, her fortune is reversed.

Cinderella journeys to the royal ball, where the prince falls in love with her and crowns her a princess. Together, they live happily ever after.

Meanwhile, Cinderella’s evil stepsisters are forced out of their home, losing everything. 

That’s the type of story anyone can cheer for: when the poor become rich, the servant becomes a princess, the underdog wins.

Even in sports, a “Cinderella story” refers to an unlikely team winning in the end, like the Bengals in tonight’s Super Bowl.

In fact, no sports team from Cincinnati has won a championship in 30 years!

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The same idea – the reversal of fortunes – is at the heart of our Christian faith, which Jesus describes in today’s Gospel.

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“Blessed are you who are poor…for the kingdom of God is yours.”

“Blessed are you who are now hungry…for you will be satisfied.”

“Blessed are you who are now weeping…for you will laugh.”

“Blessed are you when people hate you on account of me…leap for joy on that day.”

And the greatest reversal of all, which we read in the Book of Revelation, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord,” for they shall live again.

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So, is Jesus telling us that we must be poor, hungry, or persecuted in order to be blessed?

Not at all.

Rather, he invites us to be aware of those who suffer, and to find ways to comfort them. “For whatever you do to these, the least of my brothers and sisters,” he says, “you do to me.”

Therefore, when we forgive others, God forgives us. When we shelter, clothe, and feed our neighbors, God provides for us. When we share our blessings, God blesses us.

This is the difference between Cinderella’s story and ours. While she was forced into serving her stepsisters, Jesus invites us to serve others willingly. 

Doing so brings us closer to the world God envisions: a world of harmony and peace.

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In what ways can we help make God’s dream a reality? How can we be a servant of others?

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For example, when dinner needs to be made, the house needs to be cleaned, and the kids need to be picked up from practice, do we gladly offer our help? 

When harsh words are exchanged, do we offer an apology? Do we do our best to forgive?

When opportunities arise to be more generous with our time, treasure, and talent, do we embrace them?

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This is the simple, yet challenging, message from the Gospel this week: Serve others like Cinderella. Give yourself away like Jesus. 

If we do, then God will reverse our fortune – and bring us back to life.

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Image credits: (1) Interrupting the Silence (2) Cinderella, Disney Inc. (3) Dunfermline Free Church