Fr Kevin Kilgore

On March 20, 2015, a young woman named Farkhunda Malikzada was attacked by a mob of men outside of a popular mosque in Afghanistan.

Hundreds of people watched as these bloodthirsty men beat her with sticks and stones, ran over her over with a car, set her body on fire, and threw her over a bridge into the river below.

As they beat her, the crowds cried out, “God is great! God is great!”

***

This attack started because these men accused her of burning a copy of the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book…. an offense punishable by death.

Instead of questioning her – or giving her the benefit of the doubt – they took justice into their own hands and killed her.

***

Farkhunda was not only a daughter, a sister, and a friend.

She was also innocent.

***

After a brief police investigation, the truth came out that she was attacked because she courageously confronted several men who were selling drugs outside of the mosque.

Fearing for their own safety, they falsely accused her and incited the attack. Thus an innocent life was taken to protect the lives of the guilty.

And I can’t help but see something of Christ’s own story in that.

***

Jesus was innocent. But he died for the guilty… he died for me.

Yes, God is great. But that’s because he has not condemned us; rather, he’s loved us and given himself for us.

***

As we contemplate Jesus hanging from a tree, we must embrace the new and final commandment he gave us hours before his death:

“Love one another.” (John 13:34).

Think about that person who irritates us or gets under our skin. Think about those we pass on the streets, holding cardboard signs asking for bread, or the homebound – stuck, unable to come to church.

Think about those faces we see on the news – the addict, the poor, the refugee; those the world neglects.

Think about those living under our own roof – our spouse, our children, our self. How are we loving them?

***

Answer this question and we’ll bring glory to God and peace to his people on earth.

(Gospel: “… So from that day on they planned to kill him…” (John 11:53)

***

Jesus refers to his death as his “hour,” the crowning moment of his life and ministry.

John, in particular, paints a haunting picture of Jesus, who is painfully aware of this moment from the very beginning of his ministry to the very end of his life.

Jesus knows it’s going to happen.

So when the Sadducees and Pharisees finally plot to kill Jesus in today’s Gospel, he has already known it would happen for the last three years.

Imagine that burden.

Imagine the psychological, the physical, the spiritual, and the emotional burden that Jesus carried. For at least three years, he knew how and when he’d leave this world.

But instead of changing course or walking a different path, Jesus keeps on going. Each day he recommits himself to preaching the Truth, to  healing, loving, and serving those in need.

He has no regrets.

***

Unlike Jesus, we cannot number our days. Some of us may have three years to live; others may have more, others may have less. We know neither the day nor the hour. All that’s guaranteed is today.

Should this not give us an even greater incentive to make each day count?

Let’s think like Jesus. How can we use this day to spread love, to bring glory to God and peace to his people on earth?

(Jeremiah 20: 10-13: “I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.”

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked “!)

***

We can all relate to Jeremiah, one of the great prophets of the Old Testament.

He never had it easy. His faith was constantly tested.

When he was first chosen by God, Jeremiah was young and idealistic. In fact, he cried out with delight, “When I read your words, I devoured them! They became my joy and the happiness of my heart!”

He was ready to save the world.

But some years into his ministry, this same man complained to God: “You duped me, O LORD!” You’ve made me a fool. Jeremiah had one simple mission: to lead Israel to repentance. A message nobody wanted to hear.

His ministry caused him to lose everything, even his closest friends. Remember their words towards him in our first reading, “Terror! Terror on every side! Let us denounce him!”

Jeremiah was betrayed. He must have been heartbroken.

But even in this dark and difficult hour, he calls upon God his, “mighty champion.”

***

Anyone who journeys with God will feel the highs and lows of faith, like Jeremiah. You may feel close to God on your wedding day, after giving birth to a child, or even having a small prayer answered.

Or you may feel distant from Him after losing a loved one, struggling through a lukewarm marriage, or even having a hard day at work.

Wherever we may be on our faith journey, our challenge is to be like Jeremiah, remembering that God our “mighty champion” is with us. As we sang in the Responsorial Psalm:

“I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer… In my distress I called upon the LORD…[and] he heard my voice” (Psalm 18:2 – 7).

The same God who strengthened Jeremiah is with us. He will hear every prayer we offer him this day.