Gospel Reflection - 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C


Luke 12:49-53

Jesus speaks of coming to earth to divide us. How can that be? Isn't He the Prince of Peace? Of course He is! He has come to establish peace, but not necessarily here on earth. Furthermore, to do so He must first cause divisions. 

Jesus requires our cooperation to reach the peace He gives & unfortunately, not all of humankind has chosen to use their gift of free will to follow Him. Take a look at the news or any social media site! Everyday, there are wars being waged, heightened violence, an increasr in the breakdown of families, even dissension within our Catholic Church. Many of these divisions are what Jesus was speaking of inducing. Not quite peaceful, is it?

We all start off following the path to Heaven, but not all will make it, sadly. Jesus would like nothing more than to welcome all to His Father's Kingdom, but it is a choice each individual must make for themselves. He will not force us. 

To stay on track, we must "...persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes on Jesus...," as today's second reading from Hebrews states. Is it difficult? Yes, but "...we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...." (Hebrews 12:1) The saints & angels, Jesus & Mary are all with us to guide & support. We are not alone. With their help & by keeping our eyes on Jesus, we can join Him to set the world on fire!

Do you know someone who has let divisions pull them away from following Jesus? How can you help them return?

What difficulties do you face running the race before you?

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