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Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Almost 12 years ago to the day, the entrance to a mine in northern Chile collapsed, leaving 33 men trapped 2,300 feet beneath the surface of the earth. Suddenly, they were enveloped in darkness… a darkness that would prevail for 69 days.
News of their situation went viral as they became known as, “Los 33”… “The 33.”
An international team of doctors, scientists, and engineers worked around the clock to save them. And, miraculously, they did.
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When “the 33” were being extracted out of the earth, one of the primary threats to their health was light.
Although light is necessary for survival, if we are deprived of it long enough – as those miners in Chile were – then instant exposure to it can feel like fire.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses strong – and strange – language. “I have come to set the world on fire,” he says, “and how I wish it were already blazing!”
What exactly is this “fire” that he’s referring to? Does Jesus want to set the world ablaze? Or burn us like miners coming out of a cave?
Of course not.
But there is something which he came to burn away: the darkness – the sin – that separates us from God.
This is why he describes God’s love as a “fire.” When God is with us, his love for us burns like a fire, purifying our lives.
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If you are in a good place spiritually, then that love feels like a “fire” in the best sense of the word – it warms you and illumines your path.
As the Psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp for my path and a light for my steps.”
God’s love can also fill your heart with fiery passion. As the prophet Jeremiah reminds us, “Your WORD is like a fire in my bones; woe to me if I do not preach it!”
We see this divine fire at work in the lives of all the Saints, who put God first in their lives.
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But, if you’re not in a good place spiritually, then that same divine “fire” can feel painful as it purifies.
For example, the first day of sobriety can feel like fire to an addict. God is burning away an addiction.
Telling the truth can feel like fire to someone caught in a lie. God is burning away dishonesty.
Forgiving a deep-seeded wound can feel like fire to someone who’s been nursing a grudge. God is burning anger away.
An act of humility can feel like fire to our ego.
Honesty, self-control, forgiveness, and humility … these are all good things! They’re necessary for spiritual growth and healthy relationships. They’re the fruit of God’s Spirit working in our lives!
But, in order for these virtues to grow, God must melt away our pride. That’s hard. It burns.
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Think about those Chilean miners stuck inside a cave for 69 days. They were deprived of light for so long that immediate exposure to it would’ve singed their eyes and skin. They needed gradual exposure before returning to the light.
Similarly, the more distant we are from God, the more his love can burn like a purifying fire when we are exposed to it. But the suffering it causes is meant to lead us to salvation.
As the Book of Wisdom reminds us, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God…because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them.”
As we emerge from various trials in life, we may find that our faith in God was tested – and strengthened – as gold in the fire.
So, what has my spiritual journey been like?
Am I ever tempted to shy away from the light, to retreat back into the cave, as it were? Are there parts of me that the Lord still wants to purify out of love?
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“Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us,” the Letter to the Hebrews says, “and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,” who came to set the world on fire with God’s salvific love.
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Image credits: (1) RobertCliftonRobinson.com (2) Aleteia (3) Ask for the FIRE of God, WordPress