Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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In his novel, War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy wrestles with the stinging irony uniting love and war. Both test and transform the human spirit. Both cause people to search for meaning amidst the internal chaos of a ballroom or the overt chaos of the battlefield.

His story unfolds in 19^th century Russia while Napoleon conquers large swaths of Europe.

“War began,” he writes, “that is, an event took place contrary to human reason and to the whole of human nature. Millions of people committed against each other a countless number of deceptions, betrayals, thefts, robberies, arsons, and murders.”

Tolstoy laments the awful truth that these atrocities were often committed by one Christian against another.

A truth that has repeated itself throughout history.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Josaphat, a bishop and martyr, born in 16^th century Poland – a land which Napoleon himself would later divide and conquer. 

Born to Eastern Orthodox parents, Josaphat not only found his calling as a priest, but he also spent his life striving for Christian unity. To this day, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church are divided, a schism dating back to the year 1054.

Although there are cultural, historical, linguistic, and even theological differences between the East and the West, Josaphat couldn’t fathom how Christians could remain divided; rather, he sought to answer Christ’s prayer, “That they may be one, Father, as we are one.”

This call for unity is ultimately what cost him his life. In 1623, a mob of Eastern Orthodox Christians attacked him, beat him to death, then threw his body into a river. Amazingly, it was later recovered and buried in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

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Both Tolstoy and Saint Josaphat remind us that division is not something that only happens “out there,” in the cold and darkness of the world. Rather, we are all responsible for it.

As another Russian novelist put it, “If it were only so easy, but the dividing line between good and evil cuts through every human heart.”

When we survey the political landscape of our nation, or the religious landscape of our Church, in what ways do Christians still fight amongst themselves? And what would unity look like, instead?

May Saint Josaphat pray for us, that we would seek to live like him – an agent of Christ’s peace.

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Image credits: (1) CBR (2) Catholic World Report (3) Paulist Fathers

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Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate both the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours and Veterans’ Day.

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Born shortly after the legalization of Christianity in the early 4^th century and named after Mars, the Roman god of war, Martin was bred to be a warrior.

As the son of a veteran officer, he was required to enter into military service at the age of 15, though reluctantly. He was baptized sometime thereafter and quickly felt the burden of being a Christian.

Shortly before a battle was set to begin, Martin switched his allegiance from Julian the Emperor to Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. “I am the soldier of Christ,” he said, “it is not lawful for me to fight.” 

He was charged with cowardice and was jailed, but later released after volunteering to go to the front lines unarmed. Fortunately, peace terms were established before the battle began, and Martin was released from service. 

He made his way back home and converted his mother to Christianity, but not his father. For some years thereafter, he lived a solitary life as a hermit, though word of his good character eventually spread to the point that he was ordained a bishop.

Legend has it that, aware of this plot, Martin hid in a barn full of geese. But the geese, unhappy with his intrusion, gave him up. Humbled, he accepted his cross and became the second bishop of Tours.

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Of all the stories told, Martin is most famous for a gesture he performed in his youth. While still in military service, he passed by a scantily clad beggar. Moved with compassion, he cut his cloak in half and dressed the poor man.

That night, Christ appeared to Martin in a dream, thanking him for the warmth.

On this Veteran’s Day, Martin reminds us of our common call to be soldiers of Christ, to fight the good fight, to strive for peace, and to give ourselves away for God, Church, nation, and family.

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Like all vets, how might we be of service to others today?

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Image credits: (1) Awareness Days (2) Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, AL (3) Holley Gerth

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Gospel: Luke 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Pope Leo XIV is the 265^th pope. Of all the popes in history, only three of them have been officially recognized as “great.” It is the rarest title bestowed upon a person in the Church.

There’s Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Pope Saint Nicholas the Great, and Pope Saint Leo the Great, whose feast day we celebrate today. (Some have recently argued that Saint John Paul II may also be considered “great.”)

There’s an irony to being called “great” in the Catholic Church, because Jesus inverts the worlds values. “The greatest among you must be your servant,” he says.

Thus, to become great, you must become small; to be strong, you must embrace weakness; to lead, you must serve; and to live, you must die. Not only at the end of your life; but also now in a thousand little ways. 

Popes are considered “great” based upon their holiness, virtue, dedication to God, service to the Church, and above all, their leadership through a significant period in history.

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Pope Saint Leo the Great led the Catholic Church from 440 – 461 AD, and is remembered for two significant moments in history. 

In the year 452, Leo met with Attila the Hun, sometimes known as, “The Scourge of God,” because of his military brilliance, his consistent victory in battle, and his notorious brutality. 

In spite of Attila’s lust for blood and power, Leo was able to negotiate peace with him, preventing the invasion and destruction of Rome. 

The previous year, Leo also convoked the Council of Chalcedon, where the doctrine of Christ’s two natures – human and divine – was reaffirmed. This Council was essential in defining the Christian understanding of God.

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History will not call upon us to be “great.”

But God’s invitation to greatness remains open to us all.

We must simply follow the path of love, service, and surrender.

What might that look like for us today? 

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Image credits: (1) quotefancy.com (2) storyofgrace.org (3) freepik.com