Commentary on the Gospel of
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C - "I have come to light a fire in the world" (Pope Francis).
(Pope Francis): Christ in the world, through the Holy Spirit, is a fire without limits, a universal fire. This was seen in the early days of Christianity: The witness of the Gospel spread as a beneficial impact overcoming all divisions between individuals, social categories, peoples and nations. The witness of the Gospel burns away all forms of particularism and keeps charity open to all, with a preference for the poorest and most excluded.
Jesus tells us: "He has come to set the world on fire" (Lk.12,49), the fire he came to bring is the Kingdom of God, for this he came and died. His whole life was called the Kingdom of the Father, and to this task He dedicated all His parables, actions and miracles.
What should be our response to the fire spread by Jesus? Fire, action, burning love, intensity of life; this defines what the saints have been, even the contemplatives. I vomit out the lukewarm" says the Apocalypse; that is, the mediocre. What should we do then? To evangelise, to complicate our lives, as Jesus did, to discover those who do not know God in order to tell them about Him. Because He brought us love and many preferred and still prefer hate, He brought us light and they preferred darkness. He brought us life and we prefer death.
Our concern should not be to "convert" but to live with fidelity and coherence our own Christian convictions. May our life become a questioning and stimulus that encourages us to search with total sincerity for the ultimate truth of life.
Let us fight against the temptation to give in to discouragement: "Let us shake off everything that hinders us, and let us run the race that is ours. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who initiated and completes our faith".
And it must be said again: "Jesus has come to set the world on fire. As Christians called to change its temperature, we may have become a mere thermometer to measure it, instead of being like thermostats that change the heat of our world.
Prayer: Lord, do not let us be tempted to proclaim your Gospel in the wrong way. Give us strength in our faith.
(Psalm 39) "Lord, make haste to help me".
"HAPPY SUNDAY TO ALL".
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Fiery Peace
Read:
Prophet Jeremiah is persecuted for being faithful to his mission as a prophet. Witnessing the Gospel is never easy; persecutions follow. But the model of Jesus must comfort and encourage us. Jesus forewarns the disciples that his Gospel will not be pacific, but will cause violent divisions among people.
Reflect:
How can the “Prince of Peace” say that he has come to bring division? Perhaps the key is in John 14:27, where he says that the peace he offers is not the kind the world gives. It is not a peace that is all about having no troubles or suffering or enemies. His peace is a “fiery peace” that turns our world upside down. When one definitively opts for Christ, it often goes against the grain of the world, causing rupture of relations. Stories abound of martyrdom that accompanied those who chose Christ over worldly values and relationships. Yet, in the midst of all these, there was an undefinable, indescribable, unearthly peace that reigned their hearts. Christ offers such peace which can survive violence and death; not the ephemeral, empty worldly peace.
Pray:
Pray for the fire of Christ to illumine our hearts to find peace only in him.
Act:
Read a book/watch a movie about a martyr saint.
