Fr Kevin Kilgore

(Gospel: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, you shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment… Matthew 5:20-26)

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The Church is widely known for making distinctions. For example, there’s a difference between an angel and an archangel, moral versus immoral, good versus evil, or a venial sin versus a mortal sin.

A venial sin might involve harboring a slight grudge in our heart towards someone who has hurt us; a mortal sin would involve intentionally acting on that anger – even to the point of murder.

While we are most likely not guilty of any mortal sin, we can commit venial sins all the time. The temptation is to brush them off, as if they are really not that big of a deal. I’m angry at someone…. so what?

The Gospel tells us that that grudge IS a big deal, because no sin is permissible in heaven. “Whoever is angry with his brother,” Jesus says, “will be liable to judgment” (Mt. 5:22).

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Given we are in the season of Lent, now is the perfect time for us to examine our conscience and see where we can grow in more perfect love. In other words: Do I judge others? Do I gossip? Do I harbor any anger?

Even if we don’t act on these feelings, Jesus still wants to remove them from our hearts, especially through the sacrament of confession, because we cannot enter the kingdom of God until we are perfect.

That is the challenge of discipleship: to forgive without limits; to love to a ridiculous level, just as Christ has loved us.

(“… A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”…  Mark 4:35 -41).

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We’ve all been terrified like the disciples.
And sometimes when we cry out to Jesus,
it seems like he’s asleep on a cushion…
But our cry always awakens him.

We might consider Christ’s response
to our prayers in one of three ways.
Think of it like a stoplight:
green, yellow, and red.

Sometimes when we ask Jesus for help,
he comes right away,
much like the disciples’ request.
“Calm the storm, Lord!”
And he does. Peace is immediate.

Other times, Christ’s response takes time.
The answer comes –
seemingly at the last minute – but it comes.
We might say the light was yellow.
These times are meant
to strengthen our faith;
looking back, God provided,
just not as quickly as we wanted.

But did we trust him while we waited?

Sometimes we pray
and it seems like we get no answer;
the light is red.
But instead of believing that Jesus simply says “no,” what if red means,
“I have something better planned for you?
Will you trust me
and open your heart to another path?”

Jesus always answers our prayers.
Sometimes the light is green –
the answer is an immediate “yes.”
Other times, the light is yellow –
Jesus will answer us,
but first he takes the opportunity
to strengthen our faith and trust in him.

And other times the light is red –
he wants to direct us on a different path;
what we prayed for simply wasn’t what’s best for us.

Either way, we must always trust
that prayer awakens Jesus from his slumber;
he will never ignore our cry for help. 
But will we accept the way
he chooses to answer?

(Jesus said to his disciples: “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.”

Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Luke 9: 22-25)

A daily homily given on Thursday, February 15, 2018:

Today’s Gospel reminds me of an elderly woman I once knew. An accident earlier in her life confined her to a wheelchair. I always felt so bad for her, that she had limited mobility – she couldn’t do even basic life tasks on her own.

But one day she said to me, “You know, many people look at me with pity; they see a wheelchair as a burden… But I see it as a blessing.

It helps me do everything – get around, see people, and be myself. Without my wheelchair, my life would be so dull.

***

Her positive attitude didn’t remove her paralysis, but it did free her from the heaviness of feeling bitter or sorry for herself. Self-pity simply gets us nowhere.

Think about Jesus as he carried his own cross. It was incredibly heavy, but he knew that it would lead to his resurrection. Having the right attitude was essential, even for the Son of God.

Where is the Spirit prompting me to change my attitude or perspective on life?

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For all of us, the right mindset can make any cross easier to carry.