Fire

Today’s Gospel Text:  "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." Luke 12:49-53

Reflection: What would happen if the Lord were to cast that real fire upon the earth? Would we have survived his wrath?

But fortunately, for us, the fire which the Lord came to cast on the earth is the fire of mercy; the fire that has the power to purify us and save us.

Yet every act of God’s mercy may not save us and this is the sad reality of life which we tend to overlook. 

When my enemy is drowning and I in my mercy and compassion go to save him, he may harden his heart further and at that time may even feel extra charged with a wisdom based on pride.

He may now look at me as a fallen creature, worse than a crawling vermin and gloat at the superior wisdom he has over me; for such is the power of hate and enmity. 

God in Christ Jesus nevertheless still comes for those blessed ones who acknowledge that on their own strength they cannot save themselves.

Jesus through his death on the cross opened the windows of fire, the Holy Spirit, to all who can accept him.

The Holy Spirit convicts and purifies us with his fire, of sins that separate us from God, burns away the hardened heart and makes us obedient and submissive to the will of the Father.

He does not do it forcibly against our will but with our cooperation.

On the other hand when he does this work in us he makes the others around us uncomfortable and hence the division that is brought about in society.

Only the devil and the children of Satan will work towards a unity of humanity in such circumstances, based on what apparently seems to be good human values, which only produces short term gains.

As for those who are purified by this fire, they carry in their hearts the same fire to reach out with the love of Christ, primarily through the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ.

Prayer:  Send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.  Ps. 104:30

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