Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8:

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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As nice as that sounds – the forgiveness of sins – the scribes don’t seem to care. All they see is a man paralyzed, lying on a stretcher! 

If Jesus is the miracle worker he claims to be, then why not heal his body? 

The scribes see what many do – only that which is physical.

Jesus, however, always sees more.

The day will come when this man’s body – although miraculously healed today – is planted into the earth.

But his soul – freshly purified by Christ – will live forever.

That’s what matters.

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While it’s a good thing to be physically healthy – to honor our bodies – how much effort do we spend honoring our spiritual lives?

Is there any part of us that is paralyzed – by fear, doubt, or uncertainty?

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“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

May the same Lord who purified the paralytic, purify us today.

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Image credits: (1) The Messy Middle (2) Jesus Heals the Paralytic, Christian Art (3) Walking in the Spirit, WordPress

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Gospel: Matthew 8: 28-34

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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From a Jewish perspective, this might be the most ritually impure scene in all of the Gospels.

There are demons, dead bodies, and pigs, all of which unfolds in enemy territory, the land of the Gentiles. 

Why would Jesus lead his followers into such a dark and filthy place?

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By entering Gentile territory, Jesus reveals the universality of God.

The Jews had a very exclusive understanding of God; he only belonged to the ritually pure. But Jesus reveals something greater – God is the Good Shepherd, who seeks out his lost sheep, even those possessed by demons.

No one is beyond his reach.

Secondly, Jesus reveals the depths of his power.

He not only has power over gusty winds and leprosy; he also has power over evil. “If you drive us out,” the demons say to him today, “then send us into the herd of swine.”

“And he said to them, ‘Go then!’”

So, off they went.

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What does this mean for us?

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Jesus wants access to every part of our lives, those places that are pure, and equally, those that are impure. 

Unlike the villagers in the Gospel, who begged the Lord to leave, may we embrace his presence, allowing him to change us and set us free.

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Image credits: (1) Smithsonian Magazine (2) Brooklyn Museum (3) Mercy for the Outcast, Millennial

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2 Timothy: 4, 6-8, 17-18

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

The word of the Lord.

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John Stephen Akhwari was chosen to represent Tanzania in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Though his chances of winning the marathon were slim, they dropped to zero after he was nearly trampled to death by a group of other runners jockeying for position.

In a matter of seconds, Akhwari fell to the ground, gashed and dislocated his knee, and smashed his shoulder against the pavement.

After receiving emergency medical treatment, he pushed the doctors away, got up on his own and continued the race.

Almost an hour after a winner was crowned – and nearly every spectator left the stadium – Akhwari stumbled across the finish line, his bandages flapping in the wind.

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When asked why he didn’t quit, Akhwari said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

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Today we celebrate the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, men who ran the race to the finish and kept the faith.

In spite of being beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, and left for dead, they never gave up.

Even when he knew his death was near, for example, Saint Paul says, “All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness.”

Paul had no doubts he would rise again.

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Like Saints Peter and Paul, this is what God asks of us: not to start the race of faith, but to finish it. 

All that awaits us at the finish line is the promise of the resurrection, sealed with the crown of righteousness.

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Image credits: (1) The Pathway (2) Saint Peter and Saint Paul, El Greco (3) Devotions @ Methodist.SG