Fr Kevin Kilgore

How many of us have run over a pothole?

I’m sure we do all the time — after all, it’s New Jersey.

Now I’m not trying to hate on the “Garden State,” but its other name should be the “Pothole State,” because potholes are everywhere, especially right here on Pompton Avenue.

Think about how frustrated we can get when we run over a really deep one. The impact is so strong that you can feel it in your wrists while gripping the steering wheel!

It’s quite an unpleasant experience — for us and for the car.

At some point, our roads become so damaged they’re nearly impossible to drive on. Only then does the Department of Transportation finally come and fill those potholes in.

But when they do, it’s like a brand new road – or you might say, a new beginning.

***

In all fairness, bad roads are not only a Jersey phenomenon – they existed all over the ancient world, too. And like us, kings hated them.

The only difference is they had the power to repair them!

In fact, before a king would visit a town, he’d send his messengers before him to notify the villagers of his coming.

It became their responsibility to level any pothole or remove any obstacle in his way. A smooth path was a sign of welcome to the king.

This is what the prophet Isaiah is talking about when he said:

“Prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain” (Isaiah 40:3-4).

Isaiah knows that one day the Lord will visit his people in the flesh, so Israel must be ready to welcome him.

***

John the Baptist repeats this ancient prophecy in today’s Gospel, saying, “Prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight his path!”

John knows the time has come; the Lord is on his way.

But he also knows that what God wants is not a ready road, but a ready heart.

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God wants a ready heart.

***

For this reason, John travels in haste throughout the region, telling everyone in Israel to repent. They all had obstacles or potholes in their lives that needed to be repaired.

For some it was a lack of faith. For others it was a lack of concern for their neighbor, a hardened heart, or even the false worship of another god.

Though their struggles may have been different, everyone needed to repent and prepare the way of the Lord.

Interpreting John’s warning, the question becomes for us, “Where are the potholes in our own lives?” 

Are we weak in faith? Have we failed to show concern for our neighbor? Are we in need of forgiveness, either from God or someone else?

***

Advent is the time for us to seek a new beginning. 

In order to do that, we must first examine our own lives and see where we may have failed to love – either ourselves, our neighbor, or our God.

And then ask for that forgiveness, particularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Lord’s mercy is always available, but it can only be received with a penitential heart.

***

We all run over potholes from time to time. You may even hit a few on your way home, especially if you’re driving on Pompton Avenue.

But like our roads, we are all imperfect — we’re in need of some repair.

Let’s be patient with each other, then, especially as we gather around the table this Christmas, knowing we are all in need of a Savior.

Come, Lord Jesus!

 

What do the following companies have in common: Dunkin’ Donuts, Google, and Apple?

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They all have mission statements.

For example, the mission of Dunkin’ Donuts is, “to make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores.”

The mission of Google is, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

The mission of Apple is, “to design the best personal computers in the world.”

I’d say they’re all pretty effective, no?

***

In the Gospel, Jesus reveals his mission statement. “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”

And the truth Jesus is speaking about is his identity as the Son of God, “the way, the truth, and the life.” He is not one among many; he alone can lead us to heaven.

But in the face of many other religions, philosophies, and worldly distractions, we all must decide for ourselves whether or not we believe him.

Is Christ our King?

***

This is a question everyone must answer, even Pilate.

As we hear in the Gospel, the religious authorities finally arrest Jesus and bring him to Pilate, demanding that he execute him.

Though this is the first time that Jesus and Pilate have met, Pilate has heard of him before.

He knows that Jesus has developed a following, particularly through his preaching, his love for the poor, his interaction with sinners, and his performance of miracles.

Pilate knows Jesus is not only unique – perhaps divine; he is also innocent.

Wanting nothing to do with killing an innocent man, Pilate says to the crowds, “You take this man and judge him according to your own laws.”

But they are relentless; they will not leave until Pilate makes his decision. Is he for Jesus or against him?

We know how the story develops from here. Pilate buckles under pressure and hands Jesus over to be crucified.

Imagine that – sentencing the Son of God to death.

***

But strangely enough, Jesus turns these horrible circumstances into an opportunity to reveal the depths of his love.

As he draws his final breath, he gazes upon the men who’ve nailed him to a tree and prays, “Father, forgive them.”

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“Forgive them.”

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Jesus died to save us all, even the men who nailed him to a tree. “For this is the will of my heavenly Father,” he says, “that all men might not perish, but might have eternal life.”

God only asks two things of us in return – to love him with all of our heart, and our neighbor as our self.

A significant part of fulfilling that second commandment – loving our neighbor as our self – involves sharing the Good News of the Gospel with them in both word and deed.

Imagine yourself as the visible face of Christ.

The way you and I speak and live our lives influences the way others see Christianity. The more joyful, honest, humble, and compassionate we are, the more people want to know why.

And we know what some may not – Jesus is the source of everything that is good. He is the one who produces the joy in our hearts, the pep in our step, our hope for the future.

So how do we share our faith in Jesus with others?

Invite friends to Mass, forgive people when they hurt us, pray for those in desperate need, and above all, serve Jesus in the poor.

***

Just as companies like Google, Apple, and Dunkin’ Donuts have mission statements, so does Jesus – “to testify to the truth.” And the truth is that he is the Son of God, “the way, the truth, and the life.”

He is not one among many; he alone can lead us to heaven.

As his disciples, we’re drawn into his mission of testifying to the truth by sharing our faith with others.

How might we do that this week?

***

When is the world going to end?

It’s a question that’s haunted and fascinated human beings seemingly from the beginning of time. If there was a beginning, the logic goes, then certainly there must be an end. So when is it?

I’m sure many of us remember Y2K.

People emptied grocery stores and gas stations, fearing the Internet would crash – and perhaps the world would end – as the clock struck midnight ushering in the year 2000.

Then there was Harold Camping, a former radio evangelist, who predicted the world would end on May 21, 2011.

On that day, he said, Jesus would come again in his fiery glory, taking only 3% of the world’s population with him. Thankfully he, too, was wrong.

Then there was the hysteria of the Mayan calendar, which predicted the world would end on December 21, 2012.

Wrong again.

But fear not, there’s still another guess. Hundreds of years ago, Sir Isaac Newton predicted the world would end in 2060. The jury is still out on that…but something tells me he’ll be wrong, too.

***

In the Gospel, Jesus has reached the end of his public ministry. He’s entered Jerusalem, where he’ll soon be handed over and put to death.

Fully aware of this, he addresses one of his disciples’ most pressing questions – when will the world end? Or, said differently, when will he return in glory?

Though he doesn’t give an exact date and time, Jesus mentions signs that will precede his second coming.

“In those days,” he says, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

You might say God will turn the lights off on earth. Then Jesus will come, revealing himself as the source of all light.

***

Seems vague to me.

Perhaps we should focus, then, on two things that we 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 darker, and the time for harvesting is over. Winter is at hand.

As we prepare to mark the end of this calendar year –  and celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday – we should take a few moments to reflect upon the blessings of 2018.

Where have we felt God working in our lives?

And how have we responded to the needs of others?

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And though we know neither the day nor the hour, we also know on a deeper level that our own lives are coming to an end.

Think of the person who just received a terminal diagnosis…Or the officer who didn’t return home from work…Or those who’ve lost their lives in the California wildfires.

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

It’s a sobering truth, but the Gospel urges us to remember that all things are passing, even the world and we who call it home. We should live our lives accordingly, then.

So how ready are we to see the Lord?

Are there any changes we want to make? Or are we content with the direction of our lives?

***

Perhaps the goal of every Christian should be this – to make the words of Saint Paul their own.

At the end of his life, which also came somewhat unexpectedly, Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy:

“The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness. And not only me, but all those who have longed for Christ’s appearing.”

Paul wasn’t concerned about Y2K or the Mayan calendar. The world would end in God’s time, not his. He simply made it his mission to love the Lord with all his heart and his neighbor as himself.

Now Paul rests from his labors in the kingdom of God, where love alone remains.

So how might we follow Paul’s example and love the Lord our God with all our heart and our neighbor as our self for all the remaining days of our lives?