Fr Kevin Kilgore

***

Gospel: Matthew 13: 54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Today we celebrate the life of a man whom we know almost nothing about, Saint Joseph the Worker.

Joseph was an ordinary carpenter from Nazareth until he became the foster father of Jesus. In spite of his important role in salvation history, giving Jesus the line of David, Joseph never speaks a word in the Gospels, disappearing from the scriptures when Jesus is twelve. 

God spoke to Joseph, but only in dreams, first encouraging him to not be afraid to take Mary into his home. Later, another angel appeared, warning him to leave the very same home with Mary and the Christ-child in tow, because King Herod wanted Jesus dead.

So, the Holy Family took what little they had and walked the same road that cuts through Gaza today, from Bethlehem to Egypt. After an indefinite period of time in exile, they returned home – to a simple life.

***

Simple because Joseph never went to college. He never wrote a book. He never owned shares in the stock market. He never held public office. He never made the news. He never held a position of power. He did nothing memorable in the world’s eyes. 

He was from a small town; uneducated; a carpenter; a foster father; a refugee.

A nobody.

***

But 2,000 years have come and gone, and we still honor his life. Out of the billions of people who’ve lived and died, Joseph is one of the few our world still remembers fondly.

Maybe that’s because we all see something of ourselves in him. 

He worked hard. He loved deeply. He was a faithful husband. A devout father. And, most importantly, obedient to the tasks that God entrusted to him, even when only directed in a dream. 

Joseph shows us what really matters in the end.

Fidelity. Humility. Taking responsibility for the tasks that God has given us to do. If we can emulate his example, then we, too, shall be blessed in the eyes of God. 

Saint Joseph the silent, obedient worker, pray for us!

***

***

Image credits: (1) Church Pop (2) Saint Joseph the Worker, CDP (3) Tonini Church Supply

***

Gospel: John 13: 16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Why does Jesus insist on washing Peter’s feet, but not his head?

To teach him how to follow… feet first.

What’s the alternative? To think before we walk; to reason before we follow; to bargain before we surrender.

***

Think of how often Peter was taught this lesson.

***

He first met Jesus on the shores of Galilee. And with two simple words, “Follow me,” Peter dropped his nets, left his family, and followed Jesus.

Sometime thereafter, Peter was faced with same lesson. While he and the other disciples were fighting for their survival on the stormy Sea of Galilee, Jesus suddenly appeared to them, walking on water.

Then he invited Peter to do the same. 

All Peter needed to use were his feet. For a moment, he did what no other human being has done. He walked on water like his Lord. 

It wasn’t until Peter began to rationalize what was happening that fear flooded his heart and he began to sink like lead.

***

Again, at the Last Supper as we hear today, Jesus kneels down to wash Peter’s feet. He winces as the water comes rushing over his toes – not only because of the embarrassment of having his Master perform the task of a slave.

But also, on a deeper level, Peter understands what his Lord is saying. “Do not use your head to make sense of where I am going. Use your feet to follow me.”

***

How often do we find ourselves in Peter’s position? 

We try to think before we walk; to reason before we follow; to bargain before we surrender. Yet the same dynamics present at the Last Supper are true today. Jesus invites us to follow him…

Feet first.

***

***

Image credits: (1) The Light of Christ Journey (2) Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, Ford Maddox Brown (3) The Pocket Testament League

***

Acts: 12:24 – 13:5

The word of God continued to spread and grow.

After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

The Word of the Lord.

***

***

Today we hear about the first missionary journey ever recorded in Christianity.

Starting in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas sailed west to Cyprus, north into Turkey, south to Jerusalem, then finally back to Syria. It was a three-year journey filled with risk and reward. 

Paul was stoned at least once. He and Barnabas fled for their lives multiple times. But they also performed miracles, such as healing a crippled man, and converted many along the way.

Their journey also inspired Paul to write some of his pastoral letters, including his Letter to the Galatians. In spite of resistance and widespread persecution, Paul, Silas, and many others persevered, causing the infant Church to grow at a rapid pace. 

***

How did they do it?

***

They were courageous. Even when it meant risking their lives, these Christians believed so strongly in the resurrection that not even the threat of death could stop them.

They were open to the Holy Spirit. As we are reminded in our first reading, the disciples sent Paul and Barnabas on mission only after prayer and fasting – two ways in which we still receive grace today.

They worked in teams. Saint Paul is one of the most travelled missionaries in history. But he was rarely alone. Among those who accompanied him were: Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla, and Aquila.

***

The Lord needs the same type of disciples today: people who are courageous, who are open to the Holy Spirit, and who are team players.

Why not you and me?

***

***

Image credits: (1) Stanwood United Methodist Church (2) Paul and Silas Flogged, Alamy (3) Pinterest