Fr Kevin Kilgore

The Poisonwood Bible.

It’s a strange title, isn’t it? The Poisonwood Bible.

It’s a story about a family from my home state of Georgia. The father, Nathan, is a Baptist minister whose community has decided he will serve as a missionary in central Africa.

And like the disciples in today’s Gospel, his church believes in the importance of not ministering alone; so Nathan is being sent with his entire family.

Before they go, their friends warn them that there’s a weight limit at the airport; each person can only bring forty-four pounds of luggage.

So the four daughters, ages 5 to 16, rush to their rooms and start putting on as much of their clothes as possible – several pairs of socks, six dresses each, cake mix buckled around their waists, all covered by thick outer coats.

Even so, when they arrive at the airport, the family is a total of sixty-one pounds over weight! Slightly embarrassed, they begin digging through their suitcases, deciding what items are essential versus what can be left behind.

This gesture of removing items from their suitcase points to something deeper… something they – and maybe we –all  need to do.

***

In the Gospel, Jesus sends the Apostles out on their first missionary journey. And they are instructed to take nothing with them – no food, no cash, no suitcase. Not even a change of clothes.

All they have is the Word of God.

***

Why does Jesus insist on such extreme poverty?

First and foremost, it lends credibility to their message. The Apostles are driving out demons and curing the sick. And they’re doing it all for free, proving they’re not looking to get rich; they’re looking to save souls.

They don’t want people’s money; they want them to believe.

Secondly, Jesus wants the Apostles themselves to grow in trust. Not knowing where their next meal will come from or who will shelter them that night tests their faith; it challenges them to believe that God will provide for their every need.

And he does – day after day – through the hands of strangers or newly converted Christians. Thus the Apostles see our faith at work; when they’re in need, someone’s there to help.

***

“Jesus instructed them to take nothing for the journey.”

Though we’re not missionaries like the Apostles – or even the Price family in The Poisonwood Bible– the Gospel still challenges us to consider what things we need to leave behind.

On the surface, we may have some extra clothes or food that we can donate. And while that’s certainly important, let’s dig a little deeper.

***

What weighs me down?

Am I carrying a grudge that I’ve nursed for too long? Am I refusing to forgive those who’ve hurt me?

Am I carrying the weight of a sin that never seems to go away? Do I struggle to trust God or worry about my future?

What do I need to get rid of?

***

“Jesus instructed them to take nothing for the journey.”

No food, no cash, no suitcase. Not even a change of clothes. All they had was the Word of God – and the belief that their every need would be provided for.

In a similar way, there may be things we need to let go of – thoughts, feelings, or sins that weigh us down.

Jesus challenges us to let them go today. We will only be happier if we do.

As he himself says, “Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28).

Have you ever walked with a splinter in your foot?

It’s amazing how something so small and seemingly insignificant can cause so much pain! That tiny splinter can make you walk with a terrible limp until it’s finally removed.

***

This idea of walking with a limp, or carrying a painful burden, is what Saint Paul is referring to in our second reading. “A thorn in the flesh was given to me,” he says, “an angel of Satan, to beat me from becoming too elated” (2 Cor. 12:7).

***

Saint Paul is in the midst of his ministry, travelling the world and building up new Christian communities.

And while he’s experiencing the incredible joy of knowing the Lord and bringing thousands of people to Jesus, he’s discovered that there are a handful of false preachers following in his footsteps, preaching a different message to these newly converted towns, causing confusion about who Jesus is.

Is he really God or just a humble carpenter from Nazareth?

This is what causes Saint Paul such pain, knowing that some of these first Christians are being misguided and losing their faith. It’s like a “thorn in his flesh,” or a splinter in his foot.

But he knows that God will not allow him to use this as a reason to give up. Rather, he must remind these communities of the Truth and then move on to other cities and preach the Good News to anyone who will listen.

It’s a lesson that he learned straight from Jesus.

***

By this point in the Gospel, Jesus has already healed people with diseases, cast out demons, and even raised a 12-year old girl from the dead. And now he returns home to visit his family and friends. Yet he’s not welcomed as a “hometown hero” like we might expect.

Rather, his identity is questioned by those closest to him… “Where did this man get all this?” they say.“What kind of wisdom has been given him? … Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mark 6:3).

Saddened by their lack of faith, Jesus experiences a painful thorn in his flesh… unbelief. More than anything else, that is what causes him anguish.

What brings him consolation, on the other hand, are those who approach him with faith, believing that he has the ability to heal, to save, to change lives. These are the ones who experience his power.

***

Can’t we see something of our own story in this? Like Jesus and Paul, many of us have experienced frustrations or disappointments in life that can feel like “thorns in our flesh,” or splinters in our feet.

What are these thorns for me? What burdens me or weighs me down?

***

Perhaps it’s the heaviness of finances – of making ends meet, the stress of raising a family, the anguish of losing a loved one unexpectedly, or the weight of the future – not knowing what will happen as we move into high school, college, start a new career… or even as we age.

Whatever our thorns may be, Paul reminds us that we must press on in faith, knowing that the Lord is with us. As Jesus himself says, “Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

***

Perhaps it’s equally as important to remember this: just as a tiny splinter can cause someone irritation, so a small act of kindness can bring someone joy.

Oftentimes we don’t know the burdens that other people are carrying. But we can brighten their day by saying a kind word, uttering a prayer, posting a positive message on Facebook, or listening to them with sincerity.

So how might we support someone else, or bring them joy this week?

***

As we move ahead this Sunday morning, may we repeat together those words of Saint Paul, “Lord, your grace is enough for us.”

 

 

 

Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born … and the day you know why.”

***

Looking back at my time here at Mount Virgin, I’ve grown to understand more of the “why.” I was born to be a parish priest, to minister to God’s people.

I can only begin to tell you how grateful I am for these past two years of ministry. It’s been an immense honor to baptize your children, to celebrate your weddings, to anoint your parents and spouses, and bury your loved ones.

I cannot imagine anything more meaningful in life than this. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for being open, for welcoming me into your lives, allowing me to be your servant – and, in many cases, your friend.

***

“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you know why.”

Today we celebrate the first of these two days for John the Baptist. We rejoice at his birth, knowing that he will eventually lead thousands of people to Jesus. That is why he was here.

But John reminds us that we all have a destiny, a path marked out for us from our mother’s womb. There is a particular reason why God brought us into this world; we’re unique, called to build up God’s kingdom in different ways.

John was just one builder, one set of hands.

As the Lord says through the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know well the plans I have for you… plans for your welfare, not for evil, to give you a future full of hope… You will find me when you seek me, when you search for me with all of your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

***

Even if we haven’t followed God’s plan to a “t,” even if we’ve made mistakes along the way or followed a path of our own choosing, God is still with us, urging us to start again and follow him.

***

“The two most important days – are the day you were born and the day you know why.”

John only came to understand “why” he was born, how he fit into God’s bigger plan, while he was living in the desert. As it says in the Gospel, “The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:80).

We might say John remained “hidden” until God called him forth into the light, to begin building up God his kingdom.

***

Traditionally, the desert has been seen as a place of isolation, where there is nothing for miles and miles; nothing except you and God.

In fact, some of the very first Christians followed John’s example and moved out of major cities, into the desert alone; like John, they wanted to discern God’s will for their lives without all of the worldly distractions.

We might say these Christians wanted to understand WHY they were here in this world, and how they fit into God’s master plan.

But we all need that – we all need a type of “desert experience,” days or moments when we pray to God alone, asking him to reveal the meaning of our lives and how we fit into his plans.

What, then, is the meaning of my life? Have I found it?

Why am I here?

How am I building up God’s kingdom?

***

In my own case, I do that as a parish priest. Thirty-three years ago, while the Lord was knitting me together in my mother’s womb, he was also planting the seed of a calling – a call to love and serve his people.

I’m so glad that call was first spent here, ministering to so many of you.

And in many ways, you’ve equally ministered to me. You’ve washed my feet with your kindness, covered me in prayer, and welcomed me into your homes.

I pray you will be able to do the same for Father Marco as he begins his priestly ministry here next week.

Together, may you continue to build up God’s kingdom, knowing that this young priest still loves you and prays for you.

May God bless you all in the days and years ahead. Amen.