By John Desing csc –
Readings: Rom 6: 19-23; Lk 12: 49-53
In today’s first reading, St. Paul addresses his people with his prophetic message which is both indicative and imperative. His message was: once we were slaves to sins and lawlessness, which implies rejection of the love of God offered us gratuitously. But now we have a chance to be a slave to God, which requires us to live a life of righteousness and then, inherit eternal life.
In the gospel, Jesus speaks of his fire. This fire is referred to as the Holy Spirit that burns in the life of Jesus to fulfill the will of the Father since his baptism. Jesus wants each one of us to experience that fire of love, passion for Christ, and compassion towards others. Jesus himself says in Mt 12:50, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven are my brothers, sisters, and mother.” The same principles apply here too.
Jesus challenges us whether we have the courage like him to confront our immediate relatives and friends about their wickedness and immoral behavior. If so, we could be probably seen as a cause of division and rupture in our social circle. Jesus was looked at as a sign of contradiction and hindrance to the Pharisees because he courageously pointed out their wrongdoings.
Likewise, we will also face the same fate of hatred by our family members if we follow the gospel values faithfully and others do not. Jesus’ words, “I have come to bring division” is not just a challenge but a call to change our hearts. In each of us there is a Divine Fire that can purify our sinful tendencies. We are also challenged to choose God first over other things. If God is our first priority, then we cannot compromise the values of the kingdom.