A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
The readings this week may seem a little scary. They talk about fire and division, which unfortunately is often interpreted as punishment to those who do not listen to His word. But there is a deeper meaning in this passage while reading it through scriptural lenses. Jesus, being the Son of God, wanted to break through the complacent minds of his own clan. The Jews believed that being blessed with wealth, riches and having a large family was enough to be called ‘the chosen people’. Please read the whole chapter that explains His teachings on being worldly.
I remember a proverb, “he who is on fire cannot sit on a chair”. Jesus wanted to break through this Jewish comfort zone. He wanted to ignite the flame and wished it were already blazing. He wanted to bring fire into their hearts with His word.
The power of the Word of God, as explained in Hebrews 4:12, completes its task… ‘the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart’.
The fire we receive through baptism is the true faith in Jesus. Without Jesus, everything becomes worldly, and anything worldly ends up divided. The fire of Jesus is like the sharp flame coming out of a fire-gun that welds metals or fire on the furnace to brighten up glittering gold. By use of strong words, Jesus is calling us to get ‘glittered in faith’ and stick to one another and to renounce anything worldly.
Let us try to see the flame of faith in ourselves and set it as a blazing fire through witnessing our faith.
God Bless,
Fr. Jay Raju
Reading 1: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Reading 2: Hebrews 12:1-4
Gospel: Luke 12:49-53
