Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 17 August ‘25
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 38:4–6, 8–10. Hebrews 12:1–4. Luke 12:49–53
Divisions That Unite
In a certain parish, a middle-aged man worked in the sacristy. He was fairly educated and had served there for many years. When a new parish priest arrived, he did not like him. The priest kept finding fault in everything he did. One day, in a moment of anger, the priest told him, “From tomorrow, don’t come to work. Settle your accounts.” The man pleaded with him, but the priest did not change his mind.
When he returned home, he sat thinking for a long time. He noticed that his yard was full of grass. He thought, “I could buy two cows to graze here.” Soon, he bought the cows, and his milk business began to flourish. Since he was used to waking up early for church, he now rose early to tend to his cows and milk them. With dedication, in just a few years, he became the owner of a large dairy farm.
Later, the parish priest was transferred. One day, the man drove to visit him in his new parish—this time in his brand-new car. Hearing a new car pulling up, the priest came out to see, but when he saw it was the former sacristan, he went back inside.
The man knocked on the door. The priest, still annoyed, asked, “What do you want? There’s no work for you here.” The man replied, “Father, I came to thank you. If you had not dismissed me from the sacristy, I would still be lighting candles there. But because you did, I now own a thriving dairy business.”
Some divisions or separations can lead to good outcomes. The break from his earlier job paved the way for this man’s financial growth. But, on the other hand, there are divisions that end in sadness, emptiness, and even death.
Not all divisions are evil. Today’s liturgy reminds us that some divisions are necessary and even fruitful.
In today’s first reading (Jer 38:4–6, 8–10), we hear of the division between the prophet Jeremiah and King Zedekiah. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had laid siege to Judah and set Zedekiah as a vassal king. This arrangement displeased the royal officials, who pushed Zedekiah to go to war against Babylon.
But Jeremiah warned that such a war would bring disaster. He insisted that surrender was the wiser path because he knew that this calamity had come upon them due to the sins of kings, officials, and people in breaking God’s covenant.
The officials saw Jeremiah’s counsel as political opposition and said, “This man must die; he is not seeking the welfare of the people, but their ruin.” They threw him into a muddy cistern to let him starve to death. But an Ethiopian court official named Ebed-Melech stood up for Jeremiah and saved him from the pit. In the end, the war against Babylon brought even greater destruction. Had they listened to Jeremiah, this disaster would not have come.
Their errors were twofold: (a) They could not distinguish between the word of God and their own words. (b) They treated God like a puppet, expecting Him to act according to their own plans.
Jeremiah’s words created division. But for those who recognised them as God’s words, that division brought life and protection.
The second reading (Heb 12:1–4) compares the life of faith to a race. The author says that we are surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses” and must throw off every weight and sin to run with perseverance.
He uses the image of a starting block in a race. It is heavy, fixed to the ground, and designed to give the runner a strong push for the first stride. But if a runner stays attached to the block or tries to carry it while running, he will fall and lose the race. The separation of the feet from the starting block is what allows him to win.
In the same way, the believer must cast off sin and burdens to run freely. And like a runner who fixes his eyes on the finish line, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
Jesus reached His glory through the shame of the cross. Though opposed by sinners, the division He created with His enemies led to His victory.
In the Gospel reading (Lk 12:49–53), Jesus shocks his audience and us: “Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” How can the “Prince of Peace,” whom angels praised as bringing “peace on earth to those on whom His favour rests,” say such a thing?
Here Jesus points to the division that comes when a person chooses Him. His message is not acceptable to everyone. Some will receive it; many will reject it. Those who reject Him will stumble over Him, and that stumbling will cause division. But for those who believe, that same division will unite them more deeply to Christ.
So, in summary:
In the first reading, Jeremiah’s division from the leaders connected people to God. In the second reading, the believer’s division from sin kept them connected to Jesus. In the Gospel, the division caused by choosing Christ leads to eternal victory.
Bringing it to our lives today:
The greatest struggles are not outside us but within us—whether it is waking up to an alarm, making life choices about marriage, vocation, or ministry. These inner battles can steal our peace and affect even our health. Why do we face them? Fear of knowing the truth, anxiety about the future, comparing ourselves to others, and trying to copy their success—all of these rob us of peace. But without struggle, there is no victory.
A heart that avoids all division is like a runner glued to the starting block—it will never move forward. When we throw off what is unnecessary at the right time, we can run quickly toward what is essential.
We can do this in three steps:
(a) Discern between God’s word and my word. Like Jeremiah’s contemporaries, we can prefer comforting words and mistake them for God’s voice. Silence, meditation, and prayer help us recognise the truth.
(b) Cast off burdens and sins. Carrying sin while trying to grow in holiness is like lighting incense while keeping a dead rat in the room—it does not remove the stench.
(c) Be ready for pressure. Even Jesus felt distress until His mission was complete. Life’s confusions and tensions often precede clarity.
If through all of this my eyes remain fixed on the Lord, then every division—whether painful or liberating—will ultimately draw me closer to Him.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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