Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted 
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach 
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter; 
James, son of Zebedee, 
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, 
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; 
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Whenever the names of the Twelve Apostles are read, it’s easy for us to focus on their shortcomings because we know how this story ends. 

Peter, the leader of the pack, will sink into the stormy Sea of Galilee after daring Jesus to call him out of their boat. He will later be rebuked by Jesus, who calls him, “Satan.” 

James and John’s mother will approach the Lord just outside of Jerusalem, asking for her sons to have a special place in his kingdom, an ask that comes immediately after Jesus predicts his crucifixion and death.

Judas will betray the Lord for thirty lousy pieces of silver. All of them, with the exception of John, will abandon the Lord as he dies for them on a cross.

Yes, the Apostles were imperfect people – as are we.

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But consider the other side of the story. With the exception of Judas and John, all of the Apostles are martyred for their faith. James being the first just three years after Christ’s resurrection.

All of them boldly preached the Gospel – not just in word, but by their very lives. The Acts of the Apostles tells stories of Peter performing miraculous deeds, of mass conversions and baptisms, of the Church slowly moving into more organized form.

In spite of great trial and their own personal limitations, the Apostles rose to the occasion, continuing Christ’s ministry here on earth, which continues to this day.

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Now there are more than 200,000 Catholic parishes around the world; 1.4 billion Catholics; 650,000 religious; 5,000 bishops; 400,000 priests; 50,000 deacons; and 1 pope.

The Church has founded more hospitals, schools, orphanages, and soup kitchens than any other institution in human history, well aware of Christ’s teaching: “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”

No one would’ve ever foreseen this the day Jesus died. And maybe that’s the point. God can do the impossible. Starting with twelve imperfect followers, Jesus forever changed the course of human history, impacting even us today.

As members of Christ’s body on earth, how might we expand his reach? 

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Image credits: (1) Nigel Walsh, YouTube (2) Nicolas Poussin, public domain (3) X.com

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Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At this point in Mark’s Gospel, to say that Jesus has become a celebrity is an understatement; people are coming from more than 100 miles away to see him!

Fueling his fame and mystique is the fact that unclean spirits are literally collapsing before him, crying out, “You are the Son of God!”

So, why does Jesus silence them?

Interestingly, no one is allowed to call Jesus the “Son of God” in Mark’s Gospel without being rebuked or silenced until he is crucified. 

After Jesus cries out, “It is finished!” and breathes his last, the centurion proclaims, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 

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But, again, why does the Lord shy away from this title until his death?

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In the ancient world, kings and emperors would often refer to themselves as a “son of God.” They believed it was their divine right to conquer, rule, and possess. 

There were enough Jewish nationalists at that time willing to fight for their freedom that, if a rumor started spreading that Jesus believed himself to be an earthly king by divine decree, then a riot would’ve ensued as people fought to crown him.

If that happened, then his entire life and mission would’ve been wildly misunderstood. 

This is why the demons praise him using the title “son of God.” Not because they want to praise the Lord of glory, but because Satan wants to confuse people about who Jesus really is, something that’s happened throughout the centuries.

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How many wars have been started falsely in the name of religion? How many people have replaced a Crucified Christ with the prosperity gospel? How many have mistaken God for a divine vending machine, or worse, an impersonal Being?

Getting God wrong can be a terrible thing.

Truly, Jesus is the Son of God. But, as Saint Paul reminds us, “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave… becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

May Jesus grant us the grace to love and understand him for who he really is – humble and obedient, powerful and compassionate.

One who came, not to be served, but to serve.

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Image credits: (1) The Bible App (2) Biblword.net (3) Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, Ford Madox Brown

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Gospel: Mark 3: 1-6

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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In ancient Palestine, most men made a living through manual labor. For example, Joseph was a carpenter. Paul was a tent maker. Peter was a fisherman. Tradition states that this man in today’s Gospel was a stone mason.

Like many other professions, masonry required the use of both hands. Thus, his withered hand not only prevents him from working; it’s also symbolic of his state in life. He’s paralyzed; all income and opportunity have dried up. 

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His injury also represents the withered hearts of the religious authorities, who’ve become paralyzed, deadened inside through a harsh interpretation of the Law.

The fact that they aren’t moved by this miraculous healing, or wish that Jesus would simply have done it on another day, implies they’ve placed legal boundaries around compassion.

It’s okay to be compassionate six days a week, but don’t dare lift a finger on the Sabbath; that’s God’s day, as if God could ever rest from charity. 

This is what angers Jesus so much, because love is the highest law.

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Today we’re all invited to reflect upon our own personal limitations. 

Do we place a boundary around charity? Do we miss opportunities to love, to give, to forgive, to serve Christ in our neighbor? 

If we have failed, most often it isn’t because we are unwilling to do good; often, we’re too busy to notice the needs of others.

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“Jesus said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was restored.” 

Yes, God worked on the Sabbath, because love is the highest law. May we have that same attentive eye towards our neighbors today.

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Image credits: (1) Petrie Flom Center (2) My Lutheran Roots (3) BOOST Radio