Daily Catholic Lectio. Thu, 24 October ’24. I came to cast fire!

Daily Catholic Lectio

Thu, 24 October ‘24

Thursday of the XXIX Week of the Year

Ephesians 3:14-21. Luke 12:49-53

I came to cast fire!

‘The fire of Jesus that burns within us reminds us of our baptismal call; keeping the fire of Jesus alive leads to divisions in our relationships.’

The gospel reading revolves around three words: ‘fire,’ ‘baptism,’ ‘division.’

In the First Testament, ‘fire’ symbolises the termination of the old. The Lord God, who delivered the people of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, walked along them as the pillar of fire (cf. Exod 14:19–20). The pillar of fire not only guided them as light to their feet but also stood as a dividing pillar between Pharaoh and the people of Israel. The pillar of fire, after destroying the Egyptian army, disappears. The slavery is terminated.

Further, in the narrative of the prophet Elijah encountering the prophets of Baal, fire consumes the sacrifices along with the water that had been poured in. This fire created a division between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Fire terminates the old.

Fire terminates the old, devours everything, and is unquenchable. Jesus wishes that this fire burns today, here, and now.

However, something bothers Jesus. The baptism that is awaiting The baptism that Jesus talks about could either refer to the baptism of blood that he would receive on the cross or the baptism of the fire of the Holy Spirit that his church, his body, will receive after the ascension. This creates anxiety, stress, and haste in Jesus.

When the body of Christ, the entire community of disciples, gets baptised by fire, there will be a division in the relationships, and the close family ties will begin to sever.

How do we apply this gospel reading to our lives?

(a) Jesus is the fire that burns in our hearts!

The disciples moving towards Emmaus felt their hearts burning because of Jesus’s words. Jesus’ presence burns in each of us – sometimes it is aglow, sometimes dim. We need to keep the flame or the spark alive to keep moving in our spiritual lives.

(b) The baptism that we received!

The baptism that we have received must push us towards the baptism that is waiting for us. The baptism of eternal life, which will be obtained through our death, Our lives have a purpose.

(c) Accepting the relationship rifts

Keeping the fire of Jesus alive will create division in our household. Our choices will distance us from others. But let us remind ourselves that life thrives in division. The cutting of the umbilical cord is a division of the child from the mother, but this division initiates the new life of the child. The division of cells develops biological life. The division of the atom gives forth tremendous energy. We need to accept the relationship rifts as part of our growth.

In the first reading, Saint Paul, exhorting to the Ephesians, writes that ‘the Holy Spirit is being poured into the hearts of the faithful as the basis of their faith.” The Holy Spirit instils in us the fire of love.

‘The fire of Jesus that burns within us reminds us of our baptismal call; keeping the fire of Jesus alive leads to divisions in our relationships.’

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The ‘pilgrims of hope’ keep the fire of faith alive through their love. (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 233)

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy