Fr Kevin Kilgore

Pop culture often reflects what we think, value, and believe. For example, one thing that we all value is family.

So there’s been a variety shows over the years like the Partridge Family, the Simpsons, Married with Children, or Modern Family, that attempt to reflect different experiences of family life. We may relate to some of them, or maybe none at all.

But I’m sure we’d all agree that the family is the place where the deepest love – and yet the deepest wounds – can be felt. It’s the place where plates can fly one minute, and shouts of laughter can be heard the next.

It is where life is created, where children are affirmed, where we find our deepest sense of belonging. It’s a place where Jesus eagerly desires to make himself known.

And today he tells us how to make God present: “Love one another” (John 15:17).

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I grew up in a single-parent household, so my family consisted of my mom, my older brother, me, and a few pets along the way. Thus Mom had the sole joy and the sole responsibility of raising us, whatever the highs or lows may have been.

For example, I remember when I was little I would occasionally have nightmares. I’d wake up in a panic, and rush downstairs to my mother’s room, where I’d curl up with a blanket and sleep at the foot of her bed.

She was never bothered by my presence. She’d just sit up, kiss me on the forehead, and assure me that everything would be ok. The boogey man lurking in my dreams wouldn’t catch me that night…

I also remember the years Mom spent driving my brother and me to school before going off to work herself. Eight to ten hours later, she’d come home, prepare us dinner, do the dishes, and tuck me back into bed.

Mom wasn’t perfect, but in many ways, she was my hero. She put clothes on my back, food in my stomach, and a roof over my head. Most importantly, she loved me. She said it, she showed it, and I knew it.

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I’m sure all of our parents gathered here this morning make the same sacrifices for their children.

You get up and go to work everyday, even when you’re tired; you bring them to church, you do the laundry, cook dinner at night, buy your children clothes and toys, even when money is tight…

… you listen to their dreams, cheer them on at their sporting events, affirm them with hugs, and hope that somehow their futures will be better than your own.

This is how Jesus reaches out to us – he hugs us, he laughs with us, he cries with us, and he blesses us through our families.

Together, we build up the kingdom of God one day, one small gesture, at a time.

Let’s pause, then, and consider how exactly we do that in our own homes. How do we build up the kingdom of God by loving one another as Jesus has commanded us?

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Conversely, do we ever tear that kingdom down? Are we ever rude or disrespectful towards one another? Do we ever fight? Do we miss opportunities to listen to each other, to pray together, or to spend quality time together?

Are there ways that we might grow in love?

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Let me offer just one suggestion. We must remember our grandparents. They are the bearers of our history, the ones who loved us first.

But life can get so busy that we can forget to include them, causing some of our grandparents to fear they will be forgotten. If you’re able to, thank them and tell them you love them today.

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And maybe that’s the key for any family, any marriage, or any close relationship – end each day on a positive note, reminding those closest to you just how much they’re loved.

If we do, then we will continue building the kingdom of God one day, one small gesture, at a time.

 

 

Spring is finally here! For some of us, that’s not good news, as spring awakens our allergies, bringing weeks of sniffles and sneezing.

But, at the same time, spring is the most beautiful of seasons: it’s that time when nature comes fully alive.

Just drive down Harrison Avenue. We’ve all seen those trees bursting with life. The branches are so full of petals they look like puffs of pink and white cotton candy.

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Now I’m not a gardener, but I do know this: every tree or plant has two types of branches: those that bear fruit and those that don’t. Or, we might say, those that give life versus those that take it.

And herein lies our first lesson from Jesus today: get rid of those branches that aren’t bearing fruit.

We’ve all seen them. They are the dark, limp, decaying ones that shrivel up in the sun. Yet even as these branches are dying, they demand energy from the vine. And they give nothing back.

I find that a fascinating truth – branches take energy to die.

This is why a gardener’s eye is trained to look for them, because they sap the vine’s energy, making it harder for the healthy branches to grow and bear fruit.

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In a similar way, there are two types of branches in our lives: those that bear fruit and those that don’t.

Let’s focus, in particular, on those withering branches, the ones that sap our energy and bring us down. Think of those times when we get frustrated, stressed out, or when our heart is filled with fear and negativity.

These emotions are like withering branches. They drain us, keeping us from feeling healthy and at peace. Thankfully, Jesus offers us his help. He wants us to be happy, just as much as we do.

Where am I withering? Where am I being drained by negative thoughts, habits, or emotions?

Call on the name of Jesus, the Divine Gardener, who can prune those dead branches in our hearts.

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Lesson number two: Stay connected to the vine. Remember, your life is part of something bigger.

Let’s consider this from the perspective of someone who is not connected to the vine.

Imagine a driver who gets behind the wheel drunk, thinking, “It’s me and the road.” He sees himself in his own car, on his own highway, on his own mission to get home. He’s stuck in the world of, “Me, Myself, and I.”

In that moment, he doesn’t understand just how much his actions affect other people. He fails to see the bigger picture.

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On the other hand, there are those who see themselves as connected to the vine. They are part of their family, their community, their church, and the world.

They understand that their actions affect other people, so they work to be a force for good, even in little ways.

That may be as simple as listening to a friend’s troubles, smiling at a stranger, or praying for those who are struggling, even that driver behind the wheel.

How are we connected to the vine? In what ways do we strengthen others and give back to our family, our community, and our church?

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Remember Harrison Avenue. The trees are bursting with life. But if you look a little closer, you’ll notice two types of branches, those that are blossoming, and those that are not.

That’s really an image for our own lives. We’re all beautiful creations, bearing fruit for Jesus. But there may be areas in us that need to be pruned, withering branches that drain our energy and bring us down.

Will we let Jesus heal us? As he says today, “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (John 15:8).

When someone learns that I’m a priest, often their reaction is: “Oh, Father, so nice to meet you. There is such a shortage of priests in the Church today! You should be allowed to marry – then there be more of you.”

But I’m not sure that’s the answer…

What the Church suffers from today is not fundamentally a shortage of priests, but a shortage of disciples– men and women who really believe Jesus and put his teachings into practice…

What the Church needs, then, is YOU.

So what is Jesus trying to teach us today?

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First and foremost, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. We are his sheep. But why? Why must we be sheep?

Sheep are defenseless. They have no claws, no paws, no fangs, no venom. When a wolf comes along looking for his next snack, sheep have no way of defending themselves.

So when the wolf attacks, the sheep literally run around in a big circle, hoping they are not the one eaten! Can you imagine these poor animals thinking, “Catch him! Catch her! Just don’t catch me!” That furry frenzy reminds me a bit of musical chairs. Cowardice at its best.

The bottom line is sheep need a shepherd, because only he can defend them.

In the very same way, Jesus is telling us that we need him. HE is our shepherd. He is our protection. He knows that there are plenty of wolves lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack us and feed on our fear.

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What threatens me? What makes me run around circles like a sheep without a shepherd???

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For some of us, it may be that heavy weight of college loans or bills that pile up. Maybe it’s the pestering presence of a bully at school or at work, a negative turn in our health, a death in the family, a pink slip at work, dryness in prayer, or an addiction that never lessens its grip.

Whatever our burdens may be, we all know that feeling of being overwhelmed. Flustered. Afraid.

But Jesus says to us today, “Don’t run around in circles. Run to me!” As he says elsewhere in the Gospels, “Come to me, all you who are burdened and I will give you rest.” I will give you peace. I will give you security. I will give you hope.

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Lesson number one: Run to Jesus, our shepherd.

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And lesson number two: stay with the flock.

Sheep have a herding mentality. If a sheep gets separated from the flock, it instantly starts to panic. It literally stands in place and shakes because it doesn’t know how to find its way back home.

What it does know is that there are plenty of wolves hiding in the bushes, waiting for their next snack. The sheep’s only chance of survival is being found by its shepherd.

This is why Jesus says that he will leave the 99 for the 1 lost sheep. We would die without him.

But when Jesus finds us, he brings us back to the flock where we belong. He brings us back to the Church.

This is where we encounter Jesus. We encounter his mercy in the sacrament of confession. We receive his Risen Body and Blood in the Eucharist. And we interact with other members of his body when we care for one another.

Just as no sheep can survive alone, so no Christian should try to journey through life without the love and support of the Church.

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This image of a shepherd, his sheep, and those nasty wolves really is an image of our lives.

Though there will always be people or experiences that threaten us, we do not have to be afraid because we have one another – and, above all, we have Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who has loved us and given himself for us.