Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed. 
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? 
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I’m sure we’ve all heard the age-old question: “Is the glass half-empty or half-full?”

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Technically, it could be either. The answer depends upon perspective. In a sense, it’s what we want it to be.

That answer not only affects the way we see water in a glass; it also influences the way we see ourselves, others, even God.

Pessimists say the glass (and by extension, life) is half-empty. Optimists say it’s half-full.

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What do you say?

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On this Thanksgiving Day, may we count our blessings and see the glass as it’s meant to be, “half-full.”

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Image credits: (1) The Independent (2) Vocal Media (3) Success Magazine, Shutterstock

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Gospel: Luke 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ 
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.” 
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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It seems everyone wants to know when the world is ending, even the disciples in today’s Gospel. But Jesus only offers them an elusive answer, saying, there will be wars, earthquakes, famines and plagues.

But even that will not be the end. So, the easiest answer is simply, “Nobody knows.” 

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Perhaps it’s wisest to focus on two things that we do know are coming to an end.

The first is quite obvious – we’re approaching the end of the year. The leaves are falling, the days are getting darker and colder, and the time for harvesting is over. 

Winter is at hand.

As we prepare to mark the end of this calendar year, we should take a few moments to reflect upon 2021. It was a strange year in many ways: COVID’s still present; our nation remains divided; the economy is still recovering, and so on.

While it’s easy to see the negatives, what can we say went right?

Did we draw closer to the Lord? Did we become more grateful for the people and blessings in our lives?

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While we know neither the day nor the hour, we also know that our lives are coming to an end.

Think of the person who received a terminal diagnosis…the officer or soldier who didn’t return home…or those who lost their lives in wildfires or hurricanes this year.

For them, the world – not just the year – came unexpectedly to an end.

It’s a sobering truth, but Jesus reminds us today to remember that all things are passing, even the world and we who call it home. 

So, how ready are we to see the Lord?

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Advent is the time for us to reflect on these deeper, more uncomfortable, questions. We know the Lord is coming. But, we who are prepared shall rejoice to see him as we enter his kingdom of peace.

Come, Lord Jesus.

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Image credits: (1) Velocity Test Prep (Loony Tunes) (2) Our Savior Lutheran Church (3) We Heart It

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Gospel: Luke 21: 1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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While studying for the priesthood, I spent a summer in El Salvador learning Spanish. I spent half of my time living in an orphanage, and the other half living with a young priest who was responsible for ninety different parish communities!

I was stunned to learn that some Catholics in Central America are only able to see a priest once a year because of the number of priests and the territory they must cover.

When the priest arrives, the entire community comes out to celebrate.

I remember journeying to one small village, in particular, out in the middle of nowhere called El Havviyal. Every home there consisted of a single room made of mud, cement and sticks.

When we arrived, the community leader welcomed us into her home where she put out a very large spread. It must’ve taken her days to prepare all of the food.

This was a real sacrifice for her and her family… because they were feeding us, they probably didn’t eat that day. Or even the day before.

Like the widow in today’s Gospel, from their poverty, these villagers gave everything they had.

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Why is it that the poor tend to be the most generous?

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In my experience, so many of them take nothing for granted. There’s a strong sense of empathy and solidarity that grows out of suffering.

Those villagers knew what an empty stomach felt like, which is why they wanted mine to be full.

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I wonder, what would it look like for us to have that same type of generosity – to give until it hurts? To pray until it hurts? To volunteer, to serve, or to forgive until it hurts?

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As we enter this holiday season, may we live like the poor in some way, giving until it hurts. Then we can say with Jesus and the poor of the earth, we’ve given all we have.

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Image credits: (1) Personal (2) Compassion International (3) Pinterest