THURSDAY OF THE TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, OCTOBER 22, 2026
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 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.”
REFLECTION
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! "
Perhaps for me, this statement of Jesus is startling at first. Even more startling is what He says later in the Gospel: He has come to bring division, even among families!
What is this fire? Why the division?
Jesus has come to bring us the fire of divine love, the fire of the Holy Spirit, the fire that purifies our hearts and transforms our lives. He longs for our hearts to be ablaze with love for Him!
But not everyone thinks, believes, or accepts the same truths. Division arises when some embrace Christ while others reject Him. Even within families, our faithfulness to Jesus may be met with misunderstanding, opposition, or rejection. After all, He is the Son of God who gave His life for every one of us.
Fire illuminates the darkness. Fire warms, purifies, and even destroys.
The fire of the Holy Spirit illuminates our conscience, convicts us of sin, calls us to a life of virtue, and draws us ever closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This divine fire must burn away everything that keeps us from loving God wholeheartedly: selfishness, pride, hypocrisy, sloth, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, and anger. We must open our hearts to the abundance of graces God so generously offers us.
But before this fire can be poured out upon the world in its fullness, Jesus must first undergo His Passion and Death. Through the Cross, He opens the way for the transforming fire of the Holy Spirit.
And so, we must ask ourselves: Which side will we choose?
Faithfulness to Christ or popularity with the world?
Truth or compromise?
Comfort or courageous action?
Fear of displeasing others or fear of displeasing God?
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