Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 17: 1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, 
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them; 
his face shone like the sun 
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, 
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here, 
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, 
then from the cloud came a voice that said, 
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes, 
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone 
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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God the Father only speaks twice in the Gospels. 

The first moment comes at Christ’s baptism.

Jesus is plunged into the Jordan River by John. Upon being drawn out of that watery tomb, the heavens are opened and the Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

Suddenly, the Father proclaims from the heavens, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

No other word is spoken from heaven until the Transfiguration, which we hear in today’s Gospel.

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Jesus leads his inner circle – Peter, James, and John – up a high mountain, where his clothes become dazzling white. The disciples stare in wonder as Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah, two prophets from the Old Testament. 

Suddenly, the Father appears again in a cloud, repeating the same words he spoke at Christ’s baptism: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Then the Father disappears, never to speak again, leaving Jesus alone with his disciples.

Why does the Father only appear at these two events in Christ’s earthly life? And why does he repeat himself, saying nothing else?

To affirm that Jesus is the Son of God; he is filled with the “Spirit of the Lord,” and thus Jesus speaks on his Father’s behalf. Whatever truths God wants to share with creation come from the mouth of the Lord.

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“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

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To “listen” to Jesus not only means to hear his voice, but also to obey what he says. Doing so assures us a share in his divine life, which we receive a glimpse of today. How do we make time to listen to, and act upon, the voice of the Lord? 

May the words of the prophet Samuel become a daily mantra for us: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

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Image credits: (1) Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Michelangelo (2) The Transfiguration, Raphael (3) Where God is Now Ministries

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Gospel: Matthew 15: 21-28

At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The healing of this woman’s daughter is one of only two miracles in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus performs at a distance. The other being a centurion’s slave. In both cases, the person healed is a Gentile, not a Jew.

This is important for two reasons. 

First, Jews held a very exclusive idea of God. They were a holy people; an appointed race; a nation set apart by God to be blameless in his sight. 

As the Psalmist tells, “He proclaims his statutes and laws to Israel. He has not done this for any other nation; he has not taught them his decrees” (Psalm 147:20).

Second, in the ancient world, Jews and Gentiles were enemies. Jews allowed themselves no contact with other people or nations, lest they became impure – and by extension, unpleasing in God’s eyes.

Thus, for Jesus to heal a Gentile was mindboggling, if not outright scandalous, which is why Mattew wants his listeners to experience the tension building between Jesus and this desperate mother in today’s Gospel.

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First, she hears of Jesus approaching and rushes out to greet him, shouting repeatedly for mercy. In spite of being dismissed by the disciples, and completely ignored by the Lord, she continues in desperation, pleading for help. 

When Jesus finally does acknowledge her, she falls at his feet, disregards him calling her a “dog,” and returns a blessing, instead, calling him both “Lord” and “Son of David,” titles of respect, if not also an acknowledgment of his divinity. 

Only after this woman has been brought to the very brink of despair, does the Lord heal her daughter and commend her faith, saying he’s not found anything as profound in Israel.

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What might this harrowing passage mean for us?

It serves as a reminder that there is nothing more appealing to the Lord than a person of faith, which transcends every boundary, including nation and race.

Sometimes the Lord tests our faith only to strengthen it.

And God has come to save us all, beginning with those – like this mother – who will do anything to reach him.

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Image credits: (1) Back to the Bible (2) Jesus and the Canaanite Woman, Benjamin Beeks, Medium (3) Tumblr

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Gospel: Matthew 9:35 – 10:1

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds,
his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint John Vianney, the Patron Saint of priests.

John was born in 18^th century France and raised by his parents who were humble farmers. Not receiving any formal education until he entered the seminary, John was never among the brightest students in his class, but he was known as among the holiest. 

Three years after his priestly ordination, he was sent to the small town of Ars, with just 230 residents. There he not only dedicated his life to the spiritual care of the faithful; he also became known as a warm and gentle confessor.

As his reputation spread, John began spending up to 18 hours a day inside the confessional, administering the Sacrament to people from all around France – and beyond. Some estimates state that he eventually heard more than 20,000 confessions a year.

What was once a sleepy town in France became known as, “the great hospital of souls.”

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Part of what made John such a unique priest was the fact that he was merciful to everyone who sought his counsel, imposing very minor penances on pilgrims, while performing much greater penances for them himself.

Examples included eating a very meager diet, as little as a single potato a day, while allowing himself a few meager hours of rest.

Before his death, John was quoted as saying, “If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die – not of fear, but of love.” 

John understood that priests are not only Christ’s representative on earth, making the Lord present through the grace of the Sacraments; but priests are also called to live like Jesus, who gave his very Self for the sake of his flock.

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Today let’s pray for all priests, especially for those in need of spiritual renewal, that like John, we’d be gentle confessors; embrace a life of penance; and bear the heart of the one whom we represent:

The Good Shepherd.

Jesus Christ.

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Image credits: (1) Franciscan Media (2) Saint John Vianney, Wikipedia (3) Children of the Eucharist