Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 21:15-17

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and
eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Many of us remember where we were when we heard the news that Pope John Paul II had died, entering eternal life on April 2, 2005. 

It was my brother’s 21^st birthday.

I was a sophomore at Seton Hall University, just a few months away from becoming Catholic. I remember being so inspired by John Paul’s life and example, especially his mantra: “Do not be afraid.”

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The Lord commands us more than 300 times in the bible to not be afraid. It’s a call John Paul himself was reminded of throughout his life.

When he experienced the death of his mother at 9 years old, and then his father, and then his brother; when he was left alone without his deepest familial roots, the Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid.”

When the Nazi’s invaded his homeland, closed his university, and forced him to work in a factory. He remembered those words, “Do not be afraid.”

When war broke out and he risked his life entering a clandestine seminary to study for the priesthood, he remembered, “Do not be afraid.”

When he became a professor teaching at the only Catholic university behind the Iron Curtain in Lublin; when he was called to become a bishop for the persecuted flock in Poland; when he was elected pope in 1978, called to feed God’s sheep…

And when he breathed his last on April 2, 2005, he must’ve felt those divine words ring in the deepest chambers of his soul, words which guided him since his youth:

“Do not be afraid.”

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John Paul’s journey is, in a sense, our journey. There are times in life when we all need to remember Christ’s words: “Do not be afraid.”

May John Paul intercede for us, that Jesus would give us the same strength to follow him, and be freed from any fear of the future. Pope Saint John Paul II, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Godsongs.net (2) Saint John Paul II Catholic Church (3) Etsy

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Gospel: Luke 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly. 
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Augustine once said, “I am terrified by what I am for you, but given comfort by what I am with you. For you, I am a bishop, but with you I am a Christian.”

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As bishop of the local church in Hippo, located in modern-day Algeria, Augustine was entrusted by God with the responsibility of caring for the spiritual welfare of his flock. 

This included preaching the Gospel, teaching against heresy, administering the Sacraments, visiting the sick, burying the dead, managing finances, and so on.

This was a heavy yoke placed upon his shoulders, and he understood the enormity of the task. As Jesus says plainly in today’s Gospel, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

In addition to the weight of his flock, Augustine was also a towering intellect, a prolific writer, and the most influential theologian of his age, if not ever. 

“I am terrified by what I am for you,” he says.

Had he misused his gifts – or led his flock into scandal – then the Lord would’ve held him accountable. This is partly why the pope and the local bishop are prayed for by name at each Mass; we ask God to grant them the grace to lead us honestly and courageously.

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Augustine’s consolation was never in his office as bishop, but in his identity as a baptized member of the Body of Christ. “I am given comfort by what I am with you,” he says.

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Fortunately, none of us has been given the enormous task of leading an entire diocese, or helping to shape Catholic theology as profoundly as Augustine did.

But we are all called to lead in various ways – I am as pastor of this parish; many of you are as a protector of your family; all of us are as Christians in this world. This responsibility should spark a holy fear – a type of awe – in our hearts.

We have been entrusted with much.

But with every layer of responsibility comes an equal – or greater – amount of grace. As Saint Paul reminds us, “We can do all things well through Christ who strengthens us.”

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Image credits: (1) Etsy (2) FCE-Probitas (3) iBelieve.com

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Gospel: Luke 12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At the time of Christ, the night was divided into three different parts – the first, second, and third watch.

Once the sun fell, soldiers would literally pace back and forth along the perch of the city walls looking for thieves or invading armies.

The third watch was always the hardest post, because it lasted from roughly 2 – 6 am, the darkest part of the night.

Anyone who’s ever had to stay awake that long knows how hard it is. As the night drags on, you must become more and more focused; otherwise, you’ll succumb to sleep.

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This is the type of vigilance the Lord asks of us spiritually in today’s Gospel. Live as if Jesus is coming by the end of the night. 

Statistically speaking, that’s highly unlikely. It’s already been almost 750,000 days since the Lord first spoke of his return!

Still, he wants us to, “Be alert! Stay awake!” Act as if judgment is coming.

So, what might it look like to prepare for the Lord’s coming, either at the end of the day or at the end of time? 

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Personally, I’d want to resolve any conflict; forgive wrongdoings; offer an apology wherever needed; and go to confession. 

I’d tell my family and friends that I love them; thank those who’ve been good to me; hug a friend; and say a prayer.

“Blessed are those servants,” Jesus says, who do these things.

Even if the Lord is delayed, as seems to be the case, seeking reconciliation, extending forgiveness, praying, and being grateful for those whom we love, is the healthiest way to live our lives.

Come, Lord Jesus.

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Image credits: (1) Christianity.com (2) Pinterest (3) Strengthened by Grace