Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 2: 16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message 
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, 
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate a new year, and in that sense, a new beginning. Thank God! 

We also celebrate a new beginning for Mary, who becomes a mother for the very first time. 

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Being a first-time parent must be thrilling. 

I’d imagine it involves a mixture of emotions: incredible joy over creating a life. But, at the same time, feelings of fear and inadequacy, wondering how you’ll provide for your child. 

I’m sure Mary felt similar emotions, only she’s not the mother of any ordinary child; she’s the mother of God himself. The sense of responsibility must’ve been overwhelming at times.

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The Gospel tells us that Mary pondered the events of the last nine months in her heart. 

To ponder literally means to “piece together.” Mary didn’t have all of the answers to her questions about what was happening in her life; like us, she tried figuring it out, stitching together the meaning of it all in her heart.

For example, why would God choose her to be his mother? How can God become a man? How can Mary protect Jesus from evil in the world? How will she provide a safe and loving home for him? 

Questions she’ll have answered in time.

What Mary knows today is the fact that Jesus has chosen to be entirely dependent upon her while in her womb – relying upon her body for warmth, nourishment, and protection. 

Life for these two is just beginning. 

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Because of her charity, God blesses Mary with thirty-years of quiet living, solitude with Jesus. What happens between them during those years isn’t recorded in the Gospels; it’s as if it’s their secret.

We can assume Mary got to know Jesus intimately. She learned his mannerisms; his personality; she watched him make friends. Things a mother delights in.

But Mary also knew when it was time to share Jesus with the world. In John’s Gospel, it’s at the wedding in Cana when Jesus turns water into wine, officially beginning his public ministry. 

But Jesus only performs this miracle after Mary’s prompting. 

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I wonder if Mary intuited where this would all lead.

The crowds will discover the power of her son; some will seek to take advantage of Jesus; some will love him; others will hate him.  The religious authorities, in particular, will be threatened by Jesus’ teachings and authority.

I’d like to think, as a mother, Mary knew it all.

She becomes the only person present with Jesus when he opened his eyes in Bethlehem and thirty-three years later closes them on Calvary. 

Only Mary was with Jesus as he drew his first breath and exhaled his last.

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This knowledge of the role she’d play in the salvation of the world could’ve caused Mary to feel terribly inadequate; at times she must’ve clung to the angel Gabriel’s words from the night of the Annunciation: “Do not be afraid, Mary. You’ve found favor with God.”

Gabriel’s words must have given her strength. God was with her.

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But the same is true for us today.

God is with us, perhaps not in the flesh and bones of Jesus, but he is with us in one another, in Christ’s words, in prayer, and in the Eucharist.

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Whatever 2021 holds in store for us, we can approach each day with confidence, remembering the gift we have because of Mary: 

Emmanuel, God with us. 

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Gospel: Luke 2: 22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. 
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This will be our only encounter with Simeon in scripture. But he appears for a very particular reason. Simeon teaches us the value of trust.

Although it feels at times like God is delayed, Simeon reminds us that God is faithful; the Lord acts in our lives.

But God’s timing is different from ours. As we hear in the Psalms, “In your eyes, a thousand years are like a day gone by.”

God isn’t in a rush.

In Simeon’s case, the Lord promised that he would appear to him before his death. Although the Lord waited until Simeon was frail, he kept his promise. He acted. He appeared in the child Jesus.

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Simeon’s experience of waiting reminds me a bit of this last year at Saint Pius X. You prayed for a pastor for almost six months. 

It must’ve felt like a thousand years, but for God, “a thousand years are like a day gone by.”

I wonder how many of us didn’t give up hope; how many trusted like Simeon that God would act?

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Perhaps we’re waiting on another prayer to be answered. An illness to be cured; a vaccine; a job; a relationship to be mended.

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It’s hard being patient. But good things come to those who wait. The key is remembering that for God, “a thousand years are like a day gone by.”

It takes time, but the Lord will act.

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Gospel: Matthew 2: 13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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While I hope everyone experienced some joy this Christmas, 2020 was different.

2020 was a COVID Christmas. Most of our shopping was probably done online, as we avoided large crowds, wore face masks, and tried to be socially distant.

Dinner tables were downsized as we could only gather with our closest family members or friends. The rest we had to see on FaceTime or Zoom. 

Then there were the permanently empty seats left at the Christmas table, spots once occupied by a parent, a spouse, or even a child.

While Christmas is meant to be a joyful season, for some it’s a mixed bag.

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Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. 

We remember and pray for the infants murdered by King Herod in his ruthless search for Jesus. It’s a stunning, jarring feast. It’s almost impossible to imagine a king issuing a death warrant for children.

But we celebrate this feast to remind us that there’s both light and darkness at work in our world – and by extension, both joy and sorrow at Christmas.

While Jesus survived Herod’s wrath that year, others didn’t.

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This feast always makes me more sensitive to the suffering of others, those who taste more sorrow than joy.

I think of those spending the holidays in a hospital bed with COVID, cancer, or another illness; those who remain quarantined in nursing homes, isolated from their families.

Those who lost loved ones this year; and those who spend the holidays working double-shifts to put bread on the table.

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While I hope we’ve all been joyful this Christmas, we must also remember those who struggle. May we shoulder their burdens; dry their tears; break their isolation; and come to their aid.

Holy Innocents, pray for us.

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