THURSDAY, TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of Pope St John Paul II
Eph 3: 14-21; Ps 33: 1-2,4-5,11-12,18-19; Lk 12: 49-53
WHEN LOVE SETS THE HEART ON FIRE
St. Paul tells us to be rooted and grounded in love, while Jesus declares, “I have come to bring fire upon the earth.” One speaks of love; the other speaks of fire. Yet these are not two different messages. The love of Christ is itself a fire. A tree does not become strong because its branches are beautiful, but because its roots run deep. In the same way, our Christian life cannot depend only on pleasant circumstances or the appreciation of others. We need deeper roots.
St. Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts and that we may be rooted and grounded in love. What a beautiful image! We are not merely asked to know Christ, speak about Christ, or occasionally remember Christ. We are invited to make our hearts His dwelling place. But love, when it is genuine, does not leave us unchanged. A small flame placed in a cold room changes the atmosphere. A fire does not merely illuminate; it gives warmth, consumes what is useless, and transforms what it touches. This is the fire Jesus speaks about: “I have come to bring fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled”
Perhaps this is the fire we sometimes resist. We want Jesus to comfort us, but not necessarily to challenge us. We want His peace, but not always His truth. We want Him to bless our choices, but we may hesitate when He asks us to change them. The fire of Christ burns away our pride, selfishness, resentment, jealousy and indifference. It warms the heart that has grown cold. It gives courage to the person who is afraid. It gives light when the path ahead is uncertain. A Christian is not called to be a troublemaker, but neither are we called to be people-pleasers. The deeper question is not, Will everyone approve of me? but, Will Christ find a home in me?
Response: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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