Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is not easy to jump over the shadows of doubt and resignation, but little by little, the Lord gives strength to do good work, and the resources that we now have can be honed and trained so that we can grow in endurance.
Gospel according to Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until its completed! “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Reflections
During the last few week’s Gospel readings, Jesus greeted the disciples with the words: “Peace be with you!” (John 20:21). Instructing the disciples, he spoke about being ready to listen to the word of God and to act on it. In today’s Gospel, Jesus delivers a shocking, passionate, and we may say, disturbing statement: “I came to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!” and his next statement is not the least reassuring either: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Fire, restlessness and division, these are images that we associate with fervor and action. So how are we to interpret Jesus’ words in light of the Gospel message, according to which Jesus is Love Divine and the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6)?
To reach the right interpretation, we need to understand the meaning of fire in the Biblical context. Fire in the Bible appears in several examples, each time referring to the presence of God. (1) For example, God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush that was not consumed (Exodus 3:2); God led the Israelites and protected them in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21-22); the Holy Spirit appeared to the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire (Matt 3:11; Acts 2:3). Elsewhere, fire refers to God’s glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13); his presence and protection (2 Kings 6:17); holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), righteous judgement (Zechariah, 13:9); and wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16). In each of these instances God’s presence in the fire refers to transformation, purification, cleansing, and inspiration. (1,2) Jesus wishing this fire to be kindled and to burn therefore is meant to signify the all-consuming presence of God to be manifested over all the world. (1)
The reference to baptism, calls in mind Jesus’ baptism by water, during which he was submerged into the River Jordan by John the Baptist to emerge again and be confirmed as God’s beloved, ready for his mission. This powerful image is the prefiguration of his death and resurrection. (1) Thus, baptism by fire refers to the suffering and death of Jesus, followed by resurrection, which is the redemptive work of God. The stress that Jesus refers to is not anxiety, but passion for the completion of God’s work through victory over sin and death. The way through this baptism of fire is trough the passion of the Cross. Through suffering and death, Jesus opens the door to the freedom of eternal life. (3) He experiences this mission as an all-encompassing and consuming mission, and he is entirely subjecting himself with all his power and will to the will of God in establishing the Kingdom of God.
Division refers to the new Covenant which fulfills the Old Covenant but radically surpasses it. The land that we are given in the New Covenant, the Promised Land, is the homeland of all humanity. It is an eternal Kingdom in which justice, mercy and peace reign forever. (4) Achieving unity and completion requires doing away with anything that hinders the Kingdom of God, and anything that is contrary to its vision. (1, 2) For example, idolatry, the worship of any ideas, persons, or objects has to give way to loyalty to one, everlasting and supreme being—God, which creates conflicts between ideologies, political powers, even down to intimate family relationship. Nothing that takes away from being faithful to following the will of God is worthy of the Kingdom of God. Peace, unity, and harmony can be experienced only by struggling and striving to listen to the will of God, and to follow it. Following the voice of the Good Shepherd requires a degree of autonomy, and integrity to follow one’s convictions and mission in life. What is meaningful for one person cannot be ordered, commanded, or imposed by another. (5) It is meaningful only when it can be freely chosen and responded to, out of one’s will and determination.
Saint Theresa of Avila (1515-1582), who established the Discalced Carmelite order, chose Anne of St. Bartholomew (1549-1626), an uneducated lay sister at the time, as her travel companion, and later, successor. (6) Blessed Anne did not know how to read or write, so initially, she was Saint Theresa’s personal secretary. One afternoon, Saint Theresa gave her two lines of her own writing, asking her to copy the words which took her the full afternoon. However, in what was considered a miracle, she was able to write using the letters which she had memorized. With time, she became a prolific writer. This is how she became Saint Theresa’s most trusted friend and confidante. (6)
After Saint Theresa’s passing, Sister Anne received several invitations to travel to France and to the Netherlands to establish new convents. These were countries where she had never travelled before, and she was seized with fear. In her prayer, which she recorded in her diary, she complained to God about not being fit for this task, saying “I am but a straw.” She heard God replying to her: “Yes, but with straws I light my fire.” (6) The daughter of a devout peasant couple who passed away earl in her youth, tending sheep until she was twenty years old, she often felt inadequate and compared herself to “simple straw.” In Paris for example, while the nuns were greeted by the people, she slipped into the kitchen and prepared a meal for the hungry and the homeless. She explained to the young, rich women from noble families who wanted to join the order that she was “only a shepherd.” Despite her fears, she used her skills to most of her abilities. Whether it was to visit communities of nuns to encourage them to serve the poor, or engaging in practical works of charity, she was instrumental in the expansion of the Carmelite Order in France and the Northlands. She was proclaimed “blessed” by Pope Benedict XV in 1917. (6)
Contemplating the life of devoted individuals makes us understand why the desire to follow Jesus can stir us up spiritually and kindle a flame in our hearts. It is not easy to jump over the shadows of doubt and resignation, but little by little, the Lord gives strength to do good work, and the resources that we now have can be honed and trained so that we can grow in endurance.
When Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30), he is not contradicting himself: He is ready to show us how, with a lot of dedication, one can fashion oneself to be one of God’s trusted artisans—artisans of peace. (7)
References
- Sacred Space (2025). Commentary on Luke 12:49-53. Living Space/Sacred Space by the Irish Jesuits. Retrieved from: www.livingspace.ie. Accessed; August 13, 2025.
- Saint Margaret’s Church Prestwich (2019). Commentary on Luke 12:49-53. Retrieved from: www.stmargaretprestwich.com. Accessed; August 13, 2025.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (2025). Article 12. “I Believe in Life Everlasting.” Retrieved from: www.catholicculture.org. Accessed; August 13, 2025.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (2025). Article 1725. Retrieved from: www.catholicculture.org. Accessed; August 13, 2025.
- Frankl, V. E. (2014). The Will to Meaning. New York, NY: Penguin Book.
- Carmelite Sisters of Ireland (2025). Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew. Retrieved from: www.carmelitesisters.ie. Accessed: August 13, 2025.
- Pope Francis (2015). “Become Artisans of Peace in Your Daily Lives”. Retrieved from: www.americamagazine.org/pope-francis-holilies/2015/06/06.