Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 9: 18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The disciples have just returned from their first missionary journey, casting out demons and healing the sick. While sharing what fruit their adventure has yielded, Jesus asks them what people are saying; what’s the gossip going on in town?

He knows his actions and theirs have caused quite the stir – and rightfully so – and so he wonders, “Who do people say that I am?”

Only Peter gets it right. “The Christ of God.”

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Now that they see the big picture – they understand that Jesus is divine – he reveals more about his identity and plans. 

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected…and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Such a serious turn of events would leave anyone confused and stunned. Just when Peter thought he had things figured out, Jesus turns his assumptions upside down. How can Jesus be so powerful – how can he be God! – and still suffer?

Surely, Jesus is mistaken. 

Shortly after this Gospel passage, Peter pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him, which leads to Jesus then calling Peter, “Satan.”

Again, a terribly confusing turn of events.

But this is often what it’s like on the journey of faith. Just when we think we have God figured out, he reveals something else about himself. 

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“So, who do you say that I am?”

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So long as we never lose sight of Christ’s divinity – so long as we keep placing our trust in him – then we will never be lost. 

We may be confused at times, but we must trust like Peter that the Lord knows what he’s doing and where he’s ultimately leading us: to eternal life.

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Image credits: (1) New Hope International Ministries (2) The Kingdom New Testament, NT Wright (3) Abiding Savior Free Lutheran Church

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Gospel: Luke 9: 7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The story does not end well for King Herod.

He’s already made a series of horrible choices, including the beheading of John the Baptist, a decision he made while he was drunk.

But we’ve captured Herod at an interesting point in his journey; he’s “perplexed” – haunted – by John.

As the Gospel tells us, Herod, “kept trying to see him.” Meaning, he was still interested in what John the Baptist had to say.

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That, to me, represents where so many in our world are at.

Thankfully, few are as deranged as Herod. But many are “perplexed” by the Gospel message; they’re interested, but undecided.

Faith can seem risky; difficult; even life-changing. Just consider the ramifications faith would’ve had in Herod’s life. For starters, he would have to stop living with his brother’s wife!

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Sometimes people need a John the Baptist; they need the support of a Christian witness before they can come to believe.

Someone who will listen to their questions, to provide some answers, and above all, to lead them by example.

While the story didn’t end well for Herod, it may for others.

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So, in what ways might we lead others to faith?

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But, remember the old saying, “Preach always. Only when necessary, use words.”

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) The Catholic Weekly (3) Jack Hayford Ministries

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Gospel:

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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During my six years of priestly ministry, I’ve experienced first-hand the power given by Christ to the Apostles in today’s Gospel. 

I’ve witnessed an evil spirit exit a man after going to confession; I’ve seen a young boy’s eyesight restored after nearly going blind; I’ve seen tumors turn benign; brain damage erased; and cancer disappear.

There is no question in my mind whether or not Christ still heals people today. Without question, he does. But why Jesus heals a person is as mysterious as why he doesn’t.

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I often remind people, when Christ heals us, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture: God restores our physical bodies to offer us a glimpse of what’s to come.

If God can restore us physically, then allow yourself to imagine what he will do to us spiritually in the resurrection of the dead.

That’s the moment we have to stay focused on: the moment when the universe itself is restored to its original goodness – and we along with it.

This is the same message the Apostles had to share with those whom they healed. Greater things than this are coming.

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In the words of Bruce Springsteen: “Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.”

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Image credits: (1) Watch Miracles, Amazon.com (2) Groundwork Bible Study (3) FinTech Futures