Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Yesterday I talked about the responsorial psalm, which said “You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation,” and about how we receive from this spring, the Lord’s strength, courage, and most importantly his love and joy.
Today the Lord says to us in the Gospel, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” We receive these gifts from the spring of salvation, and then we go out and set the world on fire! Our hearts should already be on fire with the love of the Lord. We need to spread that love to everyone we meet! It is time to step out of our comfort zones and spread the Good News of Jesus.
The Lord also says in the Gospel that there will be consequences: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” This is a hard pill to swallow!
Are we ready to give up our worldly possessions to fight for God’s Kingdom? As St. Catherine of Siena said, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!”
Reflection by Br. Maximilian Burkhart, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources