Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Matthew 10: 7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words–
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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We’re all familiar with the old saying, “There are two sides to every story.”

Such is the case in today’s Gospel. Jesus sends his disciples out to preach and to cure with the added instruction, “Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or a walking stick.”

It seems like the Lord is stripping them bare, as if they must fend for themselves in a hostile world like lambs among wolves. But the Lord is building upon a Jewish tradition, which the Apostles would’ve understood. 

In the ancient world, it is customary for people to part with their belongings such as a walking staff, shoes, and girdle of money, and to cleanse the dust from their feet before entering the Temple to pray. 

They were to address God “unburdened.” Afterwards, people would gather their belongings and re-enter the world.

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By instructing his disciples to part with their things before going out into the world to preach and heal, Jesus is teaching them to treat the entire world – including every person they meet – as if it is within Temple.

Everyone is a potential dwelling place for God. As the Psalmist proclaims, “The earth is the LORD’S and its fullness, the world and all who dwell within it.”

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But the other side of the story is this: if the disciples are going out into the world without a penny to their name, then they’ll need the support of brothers and sisters along the way.

While the Gospel should be preached free of charge, it is also an honor to care for those who preach it, which is why the Church emphasizes the need for charity.

This is particularly true of supporting religious orders like Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, who keep nothing but the Word of God, and depend entirely our support.

Perhaps this is what the Lord is asking of us today: to see the world as holy; to care for the poor; and to support those who preach the Gospel – not only in word but with their very lives.

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Image credits: (1) Sunday Social (2) God in All Things (3) Shepherd Thoughts

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Gospel: Matthew 10: 1-7

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Much can be said about the selection of the Twelve Apostles. Why were these men chosen? What was it about each of them that elicited Christ’s calling? And when standing shoulder to shoulder, what did the Apostles think about each other?

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It was an incredibly diverse group – so much so that without Christ as their shepherd, some of these men might’ve been bitter enemies. Perhaps that’s part of the point.

There was Peter, often the emboldened spokesperson at the center of it all. John, the Beloved Disciple, the youngest and perhaps most idealistic. Judas, the treasurer turned betrayer. And so on.

But there were two Apostles, in particular, who were polar opposites, Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot.

Jews hated paying taxes to Rome. They wanted their own sovereignty, government, and land. The idea that Matthew, a Jew, would work in cahoots with the Romans was inconceivable to people like Simon.

Simon was likely part of a patriotic movement known as the “Zealots,” who were willing to go to extreme measures, even violence, to fight for Jewish independence. Thus, to him, Matthew would’ve been someone who was “sleeping with the enemy.” 

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Yet Jesus was able to bring all of these men together, setting aside their differences, uniting them under a single purpose: the salvation of souls. It not only speaks to the Lord’s leadership, but also the docility of these men who were open to change.

We still need God’s Spirit to unite us under the bosom of Mother Church today, with the successor of Peter at the very center. Are we not reminded of this after the recent, and necessary, excommunication of the Society of Saint Pius X?

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May the Apostles intercede for us, that we would band together with the same courage, humility, and willingness to change for the salvation of souls.

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Image credits: (1) Our Sunday Visitor (2) Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter, Peter Paul Rubens (3) Crossroads Initiative

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Gospel: Mt. 9:32-38

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s nothing that pained the Lord more than human suffering. Throughout his life, Jesus was moved in his very innards with pity for those who were sick, weak, hungry, sorrowful, and lost. 

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Consider his reaction to the widow of Nain. Seeing her son being carried out of town to his grave overwhelmed the Lord with such sadness that he interrupted the caravan and touched the man’s coffin, commanding him to come back to life.

Or at the sight of lepers who, banished from society, incited fear in everyone who saw them. Instead of running away from such fearful creatures, Jesus embraced them, skin to skin.

And in today’s Gospel, Jesus is moved with pity for the “crowds,” who represent not a single individual, but all of humanity. I can only imagine how troubled he must’ve felt that he didn’t have the time to minister to every individual on a case-by-case basis. 

But instead of throwing his arms up in surrender – as we are sometimes tempted to do ourselves – Jesus turns to his disciples inviting them to participate in his ministry.

“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few,” he says, “so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

This marks the beginning of Jesus sharing his power with his disciples, a decision you might say driven by God’s compassion for and pity on humanity.

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Here we find the beautiful, yet deeply challenging, truth of Christianity: Jesus only lived long enough in this world to model for us how we are to respond to suffering.

Not like the religious authorities of his day, who turned religion into a handicap and refused to help the weak and vulnerable in society. Rather, we are to become limbs of Christ himself, continuing the work he started.

Unfortunately, so much of the pain and suffering in this world continues – not because God is unaware or deaf to the cries of the poor – but because some allow a film of indifference to cover their eyes.

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It’s been said a “saint” is simply someone who allows Christ to work through them. 

May we all be “saints,” allowing the compassion of Christ to stir us in our innards, allowing his power and mercy to come alive through us. What might that look like today?

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Image credits: (1) The Calling of the Apostles, Domenico Ghirlandaio (2) Jesus Follower (3) The Essential Challenge of Christianity, Word on Fire