Fr Kevin Kilgore

***

Gospel: John 17: 1-11

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

When do you sing out loud?

Perhaps at a concert or on a hot summer day while driving in the car alone – windows down, hair blowing in the wind, not a care in the world.

To me, singing is a bit like whistling – it’s hard to do when your sad or angry, but easy to do when joyful.

***

Today we celebrate the feast of Charles Lwanga and his companions, who sang to God during the most difficult moments in their lives.

By the end of the 19^th century, Catholicism was spreading like wildfire throughout Africa. But often when the Church begins to flourish, it also meets resistance. 

Such was the case in in Uganda.

The local king didn’t pay any attention to Christianity taking root, budding beneath his throne, until he was confronted directly by Christ’s teachings through Saint Charles Lwanga.

Charles told the king that he was living a life of immorality and debauchery, and that his actions offended God. The king should repent.

Much like King Herod after being confronted by John the Baptist, this earthly royal became so enraged that he forced Charles and his Christian companions to march into the woods for two dreadful days, then he burned them on wooden stakes.

As they endured their death march, Charles and his companions sang songs to God – a sign of just how deeply rooted their faith in Christ had become.

***

As the old Swedish proverb reminds us, “Those who wish to sing always find a song.”

It’s not only true on good days, while jamming out a concert or cruising down the highway; it can also be true while under duress. 

May Charles and his companions pray for us, that even in the darker hours of life, we’d turn trustingly to God, finding a song to sing.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Saint Charles Lwanga, The Saints Project (2) Singin’ in the Rain, The Guardian (3) StickPNG

***

Gospel: John 16: 29-33

The disciples said to Jesus,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

During the last few weeks at daily Mass, we’ve been reading from Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse,” his final words to his Apostles before his arrest, crucifixion, and death.

This seems odd in the Easter season, when we’re focused on the joy of the resurrection! But today we’re invited to hear Christ’s words in light of Pentecost, which we will celebrate on Sunday.

***

After Jesus ascends into heaven and sends forth his Spirit upon the Apostles, he leaves the life – and the future – of the Church in their hands.

And with this authority, a series of lessons – some of which are shared during his “Farewell Discourse,” and others, which are taught by his actions.

For example, as Jesus reaches the end of his earthly life at the tender age of 33, he teaches his Apostles that life is not about duration, but donation.

Time is God’s gift to us. What matters is not how much time we have, as much as how well we use it.

In his case, Jesus spent every word, every moment, every ounce of his energy glorifying his heavenly Father and serving his neighbor. 

***

How do we use our own time, especially in regard to faith and charity? 

***

Make a “donation” today. 

Set aside a few moments to do something beautiful for God. 

In some small way, be like Jesus, “who has loved us and given himself for us.”

***

***

Image credits: (1) X, Quote by John Lennon (2) The Sacrament of the Last Supper, Salvador Dali, 1955 (3) AZ Quotes

***

Gospel: Luke 24:46-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;
but stay in the city
until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany,
raised his hands, and blessed them.
As he blessed them he parted from them
and was taken up to heaven.
They did him homage
and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
and they were continually in the temple praising God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

We are in the season of First Communions, Confirmations, graduations, and weddings.

Some parents are bursting with pride as their child prepares to graduate from kindergarten. Others rejoice over their child receiving their First Communion. Others are preparing to walk their son or daughter down the aisle, wondering, “Where did the time go?”

It’s a season of transitions – of endings and beginnings.

The entire world watched as the Catholic Church experienced a significant transition, too – the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV.

***

Today’s Feast of the Ascension celebrates, perhaps, the most important transition of all – the return of Christ in glory to his Father. 

After his death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples over the course of forty days to rekindle their faith that was depleted by the Crucifixion; he was not a ghost or a figment of their imagination. He is alive!

He appeared to them while they were hiding behind locked doors in Jerusalem, offering his peace. He lit a charcoal fire and was reconciled with Peter. He invited Thomas to slide his finger into his wounded hands and side.

It’d be unthinkable for such radical manifestations of the Lord to grow fewer and fewer until they finally petered out. This season of resurrection appearances had to reach a climax. 

Today it does.

The ascension draws the life of Jesus of Nazareth to a close, enthroning him as the King of heaven. “If you loved me,” he says to his disciples, “then you would rejoice that I am going to my Father.”

So, the Lord raises his hands, blesses them, then vanishes from their midst, leaving them wondering, “Where did he go? And what do we do now?”

Their curiosity is satisfied by the angels who appear to them.

“Men of Galilee,” they say, “why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

So, go. Do something. Tell someone!

***

At first, the Apostles rejoice.

Luke tells us, “they were continually in the temple praising God.” They held on to the hope that Jesus would come back for them tomorrow… or next Tuesday. 

But a week turned into two weeks… Two weeks turned into two decades… Two decades have turned into two millennia.

Here we are still waiting, wondering, what do we do now?

***

The Lord remains present in our world, just not in the same way he once was. Jesus speaks to us in the present whenever the scriptures are read. He offers himself to us in the Eucharist. He absolves us in confession.

And at Pentecost, he sent forth the Holy Spirit, making all the baptized his body on earth until he returns in glory. 

Now the followers become the leaders; the listeners become the preachers; the healed do the healing. Generation after generation must heed the call to, “Go, make disciples.”

***

This week, every priest in the Archdiocese of Newark gathered for our semi-annual convocation. It was not only an opportunity for prayer and fraternity, but also for Cardinal Tobin to share more of his vision for the future of our local church.

The “good news / bad news” is that we’re facing both great challenges and great opportunities. The structures of tomorrow’s Church will look different from those of today. 

For example, in 20 years, the number of available pastors will drop by 50%… even if we ordain several priests each year. 

Such a shocking statistic can make us question how we will carry the mission of the Church forward – a feeling the disciples must’ve also wrestled with after Christ vanished from their midst. 

To echo their question: What do we do now?

Exactly what they did – something; anything. Preach, pray, heal, witness to the Gospel by word and deed.

We know the Church is not simply a cluster of priests; the Church is all of us. Over the next several months, the Archdiocese will share opportunities for every voice to be heard.

Here in our own parish, more than 50 parishioners will gather on June 7 to analyze the data from our most recent survey, incorporating the voice of all 350 respondents into our next parish-level strategic plan. 

Whatever opportunities or challenges lie ahead of us, we will face together. 

***

We’ve entered a season of transitions – of endings and beginnings.

On this Feast of the Ascension, may God grant us the grace to begin anew – responding to the opportunities of our age with courage and creativity, making disciples of all, starting with you and me.

***

***

Image credits: (1) iStock (2) The Ascension, John Singleton Copley, 1775 (3) scripture-lullabies.com