Thursday of the Twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Ambrose (c.340-397), Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 7, 134 (cf. SC 52, p. 55f.)

"Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother... for the sake of my name, will receive a hundred times more ” (Mt 19,29)

In almost every passage of Scripture the spiritual meaning plays an important part. But in this passage especially we must look for spiritual depth within the thread of its meaning... How is it that he himself can say: “Peace I leave with you, my own peace I give you” (Jn 14,27) if he has come to divide fathers from their sons, sons from their fathers, breaking their connection? How can we be called “cursed if you dishonor your father” (Dt 27,16) yet fervent if we abandon him?

If we understand that religion comes first and filial devotion second then we will understand this question to be clarified: for we have to pass on to the human after the divine. For if we have duties towards our parents, how much more to the Father of our parents to whom we owe thanksgiving for our parents?... He doesn't say, then, that we must give up those we love but that we must prefer God before all else. Besides, do we not find in another book: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10,37). What is forbidden is not to love your parents but to prefer them to God. For our blood relations are among God's blessings and no one is to love the good things they have received more than the God who conserves the blessings he has given.

'To judge rightly of the goodness and perfection of any one's prayer, it is sufficient to know the disposition he takes to it, and the fruits he reaps from it.'

St. Vincent de Paul

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 12
49.	I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?	Ignem veni mittere in terram, et quid volo nisi ut accendatur ?	πυρ ηλθον βαλειν εις την γην και τι θελω ει ηδη ανηφθη
50.	And I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized: and how am I straitened until it be accomplished?	Baptismo autem habeo baptizari : et quomodo coarctor usque dum perficiatur ?	βαπτισμα δε εχω βαπτισθηναι και πως συνεχομαι εως ου τελεσθη
51.	Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.	Putatis quia pacem veni dare in terram ? non, dico vobis, sed separationem :	δοκειτε οτι ειρηνην παρεγενομην δουναι εν τη γη ουχι λεγω υμιν αλλ η διαμερισμον
52.	For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three.	erunt enim ex hoc quinque in domo una divisi, tres in duos, et duo in tres	εσονται γαρ απο του νυν πεντε εν οικω ενι διαμεμερισμενοι τρεις επι δυσιν και δυο επι τρισιν
53.	The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against his father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.	dividentur : pater in filium, et filius in patrem suum, mater in filiam, et filia in matrem, socrus in nurum suam, et nurus in socrum suam.	διαμερισθησεται πατηρ επι υιω και υιος επι πατρι μητηρ επι θυγατρι και θυγατηρ επι μητρι πενθερα επι την νυμφην αυτης και νυμφη επι την πενθεραν αυτης

49. I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled?
50. But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straightened till it be accomplished!
51. Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

AMBROSE; To stewards, that is, to Priests, the preceding words seem to have been addressed, that they may thereby know that hereafter a heavier punishment awaits them, if, intent upon the world's pleasures, they have neglected the charge of their Lord's household, and the people entrusted to their care. But as it profits little to be recalled from error by the fear of punishment, and far greater is the privilege of charity and love, our Lord therefore kindles in men the desire of acquiring the divine nature, saying, I came to send fire on earth, not indeed that He is the Consumer of good men, but the Author of good will, who purifies the golden vessels of the Lord's house, but burns up the straw and stubble.

CYRIL; Now it is the way of holy Scripture to use sometimes the term fire, of holy and divine words. For as they who know how to purify gold and silver, destroy the dross by fire, so the Savior by the teaching of the Gospel in the power of the Spirit cleanses the minds of those who believe in Him. This then is that wholesome and useful fire by which the inhabitants of earth, in a manner cold and dead through sin, revive to a life of piety.

CHRYS. For by the earth He now means not that which we tread under our feet, but that which was fashioned by His hands, namely, man, upon whom the Lord pours out fire for the consuming of sins, and the renewing of souls.

TIT. BOST. And we must here believe that Christ came down from heaven. For if He had come from earth to earth, He would not say, I came to send fire upon the earth.

CYRIL; But our Lord was hastening the kindling of the fire, and hence it follows, And what will I, save that it be kindled? For already some of the Jews believed, of whom the first were the holy Apostles, but the fire once lighted in Judea was about to take possession of the whole world, yet not till after the dispensation of His Passion had been accomplished. Hence it follows, But I have a baptism to be baptized with. For before the holy cross and His resurrection from the dead, in Judea only was the news told of His preaching and miracles; but after that the Jews in their rage had slain the Prince of life, then commanded He His Apostles, saying, Go and teach all nations.

GREG. Or else, fire is sent upon the earth, when by the fiery breath of the Holy Spirit, the earthly mind has all its carnal desires burnt up, but inflamed with spiritual love, bewails the evil it has done; and so the earth is burnt, when the conscience accusing itself, the heart of the sinner is consumed in the sorrow of repentance.

BEDE; But He adds, I have a baptism to be baptized with, that is, I have first to be sprinkled with the drops of My own Blood, and then to inflame the hearts of believers by the fire of the Spirit.

AMBROSE; But so greet was our Lord's condescension, that He tells us He has a desire of inspiring us with devotion, of accomplishing perfection in us, and of hastening His passion for us; as it follows, And how am I straightened till it be accomplished

BEDE; Some manuscripts have, "And how am I anguished," that is, grieved. For though He had in Himself nothing to grieve Him, yet was as He afflicted by our woes, and at the time of death He betrayed the anguish which He underwent not from the fear of His death, but from the delay of our redemption. For he who is troubled until he reaches perfection, is secure of perfection, for the condition of bodily affections not the dread of death offends him. For he who has put on the body must suffer all things which are of the body, hunger, thirst, vexation, sorrow; but the Divine nature knows no change from such feelings. At the same time He also shows, that in the conflict of suffering consists the death of the body, peace of mind has no struggle with grief.

BEDE; But the manner in which after the baptism of His passion and the coming of the spiritual fire the earth will be burnt, He declares as follows, Suppose you that I am to give peace, &c.

CYRIL; What say you, O Lord? Did you not come to give peace, Who art made peace for us? making peace by your cross with things in earth and things in heaven; Who said, My peace I give to you. But it is plain that peace is indeed a good, but sometimes hurtful, and separating us from the love of God, that is, when by it we unite with those who keep away from God. And for this reason we e teach the faithful to avoid earthly bonds. Hence it follows, For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, &c.

AMBROSE; Though the connection would seem to be of six persons, father and son, mother and daughter, mother in law and daughter in law, yet are they five, for the mother and the mother in law may be taken as the same, since she who is the mother of the son, is the mother in law of his wife.

CHRYS. Now hereby He declared a future event, for it so happened in the same house that there have been believers whose fathers wished to bring them to unbelief; but the power of Christ's doctrines has so prevailed, that fathers were left by sons, mothers by daughters, and children by parents. For the faithful in Christ were content not only to despise their own, but at the same time also to suffer all things as long as they were not without the worship of their faith. But if He were mere man, how would it have occurred to Him to conceive it possible that He should be more loved by fathers than their children were, by children than their fathers, by husbands than their wives, and they too not in one house or a hundred, but throughout the world? And not only did he predict this, but accomplish it in deed.

AMBROSE; Now in a mystical sense the one house is one man, but by two we often mean the soul and the body. But if two things meet together, each one has its part; there is one which obeys, another which rules. But there are three conditions of the soul, one concerned with reason, another with desire, the third with anger. Two then are divided against three, and three against two. For by the coming of Christ, man who was material became rational. We were carnal and earthly, God sent His Spirit into our hearts, and we became spiritual children. We may also say, that in the house there are five others, that is, smell, touch, taste, sight, and hearing. If then with respect to those things which we hear or see, separating the sense of sight and hearing, we shut out the worthless pleasures of the body which we take in by our taste, touch, and smell, we divide two against three, because the mind is not carried away by the allurements of vice. Or if we understand the five bodily senses, already are the vices and sins of the body divided among themselves. The flesh and the soul may also seem separated from the smell, touch, and taste of pleasure, for while the stronger sex of reason is impelled, as it were, to manly affections, the flesh strives to keep the reason more effeminate. Out of these then there spring up the motions of different desires, but when the soul returns to itself it renounces the degenerate offspring. The flesh also bewails that it is fastened down by its desires (which it has borne to itself,) as by the thorns of the world. But pleasure is a kind of daughter in law of the body and soul, and is wedded to the motions of foul desire. As long then as there remained in one house the vices conspiring together with one consent, there seemed to be no division; but when Christ sent fire upon the earth which should burn out the offenses of the heart, or the sword which should pierce the very secrets of the heart, then the flesh and the soul renewed by the mysteries of regeneration cast off the bond of connection with their offspring. So that parents are divided against their children, while the intemperate man gets rid of his intemperate desires, and the soul has no more fellowship with crime. Children also are divided against parents when men having become regenerate renounce their old vices, and younger pleasure flies from the rule of piety, as from the discipline of a strict house.

BEDE; Or in another way. By three are signified those who have faith in the Trinity, by two the unbelievers who depart from the unity of the faith. But the father is the devil, whose children we were by following him, but when that heavenly fire came down, it separated us from one another, and showed us another Father who is in heaven The mother is the Synagogue, the daughter is the Primitive Church, who had to bear the persecution of that same synagogue, from whom she derived her birth, and whom she did herself in the truth of the faith contradict. The mother in law is the Synagogue, the daughter in law the Gentile Church, for Christ the husband of the Church is the son of the Synagogue, according to the flesh. The Synagogue then was divided both against its daughter in law, and its daughter, persecuting believers of each people. But they also were divided against their mother in law and mother, because they wished to abolish the circumcision of the flesh.

Catena Aurea Luke 12

The Second Glorious Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Temple of the 12 Apostles

Capernaum, the Holy Land

Saint Paul of the Cross, priest

Saint Paul of the Cross, priest
Optional Memorial
October 19th
[In the dioceses of the United States]

(1694-1775) Saint Paul was born in Liguria, Italy. He devoted himself to the service of the poor and the sick, and is best known for his apostolic zeal and his great penances. In 1720 he founded the Congregation of the Passion (the Passionists).

Collect:
May the Priest Saint Paul,
whose only love was the Cross,
obtain for us your grace, O Lord,
so that, urged on more strongly by his example,
we may each embrace our own cross with courage.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.

Saint Paul of the Cross - Founder of the Passionist Congregation, 1694-1775
A Brief Biography Of Saint Paul Of The Cross[Founder of the Passionists]

Information: St. Paul of the Cross

Feast Day: October 19

Born: January 3, 1694, Ovada, Piedmont, Duchy of Savoy (now modern-day Italy)

Died: October 18, 1775, Church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Rome

Canonized: 29 June 1867, Rome by Pope Pius IX

Major Shrine: Church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Rome

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Paul of the Cross

Feast Day: October 20
Born: 1694 :: Died: 1775

Paolo Francesco Danei or Paul Daneo was born at Ovada, in northern Italy, into a family of merchants. He was a good and pious Christian who practiced his faith.

When he was nineteen years old, Paul decided to become a soldier, but after one year he left the army.

During the summer of 1720 Paul had three visions (in his dreams) about starting a new religious order. He couldn't understand what was happening, so he went to his bishop for guidance.

The bishop studied his case and believed that the visions were real. He told Paul to go ahead and do what he was being told to do in this special call from God.

Paul spent forty days in prayer and penance. He then started the order called the Barefoot Clerks of the Cross and the Passion (Passionists).

Paul was joined by his brother John and two other young men. Paul and John were ordained priests by the Pope. Ten years later, they started the first Passionist monastery.

The Pope approved the new order. He also agreed to the new rule St. Paul added, a short time later. Besides the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Paul of the Cross added a fourth vow: devotion to the passion of Christ.

By 1747, the Passionists had three monasteries. They were preaching parish retreats everywhere in Italy. Paul was a preacher of such power that even tough soldiers and bandits cried when they heard his sermons.

St. Paul asked people to imitate the patience of our dear Jesus because this is the height of pure love and to practice heroic goodness through patience that has been strengthened by courage.

He wanted people to live in such a way that others may see in them Jesus crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy.

Before he died in 1775, Paul of the Cross also started a congregation of Passionist nuns.

Thursday

October 20, 2016

The Habit

“Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. Speak to Him often of your business, your plans, your troubles, your fears of everything that concerns you. Since His delights are to be with you, let yours be found in Him.” - St. Alphonsus Liguori

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: Ask yourself, “Pray with someone today.”

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, October 20

Liturgical Color: Green

St. Bertilla Boscardin died this
day in 1922. She joined the
Sisters of St Dorothy, Daughters
of the Sacred Heart, and was
trained as a nurse. She was
known for her compassion,
staying with wounded soldiers
during bombings of World War I.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: October 20th

Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, priest

MASS READINGS

October 20, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

May the Priest Saint Paul, whose only love was the Cross, obtain for us your grace, O Lord, so that, urged on more strongly by his example, we may each embrace our own cross with courage. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (1)

Passionist Cupcakes for St. Paul of the Cross

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Activities (3)

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Prayers (2)

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Library (3)

Old Calendar: St. John Cantius (Kanty), priest; St. Irene (Hist)

St. Paul of the Cross devoted himself to the service of the poor and the sick. He is best known for his apostolic zeal and his great penances. He founded the congregation of the Passionists.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. John Cantius (or Kanty), one of the patrons of Poland. In the Ordinary Form, St. John's feast has been moved to December 23, and is an optional memorial.

Historically today is the feast of St. Irene, a Portuguese nun who was martyred in defense of her chastity in the year 653. Her shrine, the “Santarem,” has played a key role for the great quality and beauty of the Catholic Faith that the Portuguese people have lived, even until today.

St. Paul of the Cross
St. Paul of the Cross was born at Ovada in the Republic of Genoa on January 3, 1694. His infancy and youth were spent in great innocence and piety. He was inspired to found a congregation, having while in ecstasy beheld the habit which he and his companions were to wear. After consulting his director, Bishop Gastinara of Alexandria in Piedmont, he reached the conclusion that God wished him to establish a congregation in honor of the Passion of Jesus Christ.

On November 22, 1720, the Bishop vested him with the habit that had been shown to him in a vision, the same that the Passionists wear at the present time. From that moment the saint applied himself to prepare the Rules of his institute, and in 1721 he went to Rome to obtain the approbation of the Holy See. At first he failed, but finally succeeded when Benedict XIV approved the Rules in 1741 and 1746. Meanwhile St. Paul built his first monastery near Obitello. Some time later he established a larger community at the Church of Sts. John and Paul in Rome.

For 50 years St. Paul remained the indefatigable missionary of Italy. God lavished upon him the greatest gifts in the supernatural order, but he treated himself with the greatest rigor, and believed that he was a useless servant and a great sinner. His saintly death occurred at Rome in the year 1775, at the age of 81. He was canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1867.

Patron: Passionist order.

Symbols: Man in Passionist habit, black tunic and mantle, leather belt and rosary with emblem over the heart; cross; book with cross; heart emblem of Passionist order.

Things to Do:

Make a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament and spend some time meditating on Christ's passion.
Study and discuss the symbolism of the emblem of the Passionists, perhaps making a banner.
Learn more about St. Paul of the Cross.
One of the apostolates of the Passionist order is preaching at missions, retreats or parish renewals. Try to have your parish arrange a yearly retreat/mission/renewal.

Irene
Irene, a beautiful and chaste Portuguese girl, was murdered before she reached the age of 20. Her noble, pious parents, wishing to protect and prepare her to
take her rightful position in society, sent her to a convent school and then arranged for a monk to tutor her privately at home.

"An assiduous pupil and a devout believer, the only times she ever left her house was to attend mass or to pray in the sanctuary dedicated to Saint Peter on his feast-day. A young nobleman named Britald happened to see her on one of these rare outings and fell desperately in love with her. Every time that she went out he waited to catch a glimpse of her, followed her to church, and eventually made his suit known to her; however, Irene gave him to understand that she would never marry him.

"Thus rejected, Britald fell into a deep depression and became so ill that the doctors who were called in to tend him gave him up for lost. Hearing of this, Irene visited him and told him that she had refused him because she was no longer free, having already taken a vow of virginity.
"Britald at once accepted her decision and gradually recovered his health. Before Irene left him he had sworn that he would respect, and make others respect, her vocation as a holy virgin, and the two had parted like brother and sister, promising each other that they would meet again in Paradise
“Irene returned home and resumed the life of seclusion and study, intending to make her entrance into a convent before long. But the monk who was giving her private lessons proved to be a lecherous scoundrel, and behaved towards her in a manner as dishonorable as Britald's was honorable.

“Irene repulsed him and had him dismissed at once; but his lust turning to a desire for revenge, the monk then began to spread slanderous rumors about her. To those who asked him why he was no longer giving the girl her private lessons, he replied that he had left on learning that she was about to become a mother.

“This rumor quickly circulated throughout the town and at length reached Britald who, being frank and trusting and unused to lies, believed what he was told. In a passion of rage and jealousy, he hired a mercenary soldier to kill her. Soon afterwards, as she was returning home from visiting an old man who was crippled, the assassin approached her from behind and killed her with a single stroke of his sword.

“Her body, which was thrown into the river, was later retrieved by some Benedictines on the banks of the Tagus, near the town of Scalabris. They gave her a proper burial, made known her story, and not long afterwards, so great was the veneration in which she was held, the name of the town of Scalabis was changed to Santarem (Saint Irene)" (verbatim from Encyclopedia).

The Benedictines say that the legend as handed down is full of fiction, but the essential facts are certain: She was a Portuguese nun who died c. 653 in defense of her chastity in the ancient town of Scalabris.

Excerpted from St. Patrick Church

Things to Do:

Santarem in Portuguese means “Saint Irene”, patron of the city. In the Church of St. Irene we can find the Miraculous Crucifix of Monteiraz. Chuch documents relates that the Body of our Lord became alive (like the Miracle of Limpias), Jesus arm came down from the crucifix and embraced a small shepherd girl of the time of the Eucharistic Miracle. The crucifix belonged to a community of the 12 benedictine monks (Abby of 12 apostles) is from the XII century, it is still venerated today. Visit this link to learn more about the Eucharistic Miracle.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Ephesians 3:14-21

Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest (Optional Memorial)

Know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

According to an old Norwegian proverb, “That which is loved is always beautiful.” If you give the proper care to a flower, it becomes what it’s supposed to be—beautiful. If you show love to a person who hasn’t known much love, that person can become more like they were meant to be—more generous, more patient, more kind. For the ideal of beauty isn’t so much on the outside of us as on the inside. It’s not about what we have or what we know but who we are.

That kind of beauty is what Paul wanted to foster through the prayer in today’s second reading. The first thing he prayed for was that his readers be empowered so that they could start feeding the poor, caring for the sick, or evangelizing the lost. He then prayed that they would be filled to overflowing with God’s love. He knew that those who were “rooted and grounded” in Christ would have the right foundation on which to build the new Church (Ephesians 3:17).

This is a vital point for us to learn. Jesus wants us to build the Church, but he wants us to do it with his power, not just our effort. He wants us to learn how to minister out of his love and not just our own good intentions. To this end, He offers us deep experiences of his love so that we don’t have to settle for an intellectual grasp of it or a theoretical understanding. His goal is that we would know his love in our deepest part, our “inner self” (Ephesians 3:16).

As you pray today, try to see yourself as a child of your heavenly Father. Perhaps using the psalms, reflect on his greatness and love. He created everything; even your next breath comes from him. His Son redeemed you on the cross with a love beyond all telling. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a glimpse of how great that love is. Let his peace fill you as you enter his presence. Know that he doesn’t just “like” you. He actually delights in you!

“Father, help me experience the depths of your mercy so that I can live in the fullness of faith. Lord, set my heart aflame with your love.”

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
Luke 12:49-53

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for October 20, 2016:

In honor of Respect Life month, take part as a family in local pro-life activities: pray outside an abortion clinic, collect donations for a women’s care center, or attend a special Respect Life Mass.

Regnum Christi

October 20, 2016 – Jesus’ Fire Must Be My Own

20 Oct 2016

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Steven Reilly, LC

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.”

Introductory Prayer: Father, I place myself in your presence. I firmly believe in you and love you with all my heart. I entrust myself completely to your merciful but demanding ways, knowing that you only seek to lead me home to heaven.

Petition: Lord, help me to ignite awareness of your love all around me.

1. The Spark That Must Become a Blaze: Jesus’ intensity and passion break out in radical expression in today’s Gospel. He yearns for a divine conflagration in the hearts of his disciples. Jesus endured a true baptism of immersion, steeped in the pain of Golgotha, precisely so that our own baptism would not be a mere ceremony. Rather he wanted our baptism to be a holy spark of divine life that, with care and formation, would become a growing flame of authentic Christian holiness. Indeed, let us fan that flame and never allow external pressures, or our own mediocrity, to extinguish it.

2. Peace, at Any Price? Jesus corrects a misperception in some of his listeners. Some no doubt expected him to usher in the messianic peace, when the lion would lie down with the lamb (see Isaiah 11:6-9). No, the time for that peace will be at history’s end, when God’s Kingdom is established in all its fullness. Till then, Christianity will often find itself in conflict with the powers of the world. We want to be considered nice people, yet our convictions will at times bring us conflict. May the spark of our soul be a strong-enough flame to accept those moments and avoid the cheap peace of acquiescing with the world.

3. Put Up Your Dukes? Should Catholics be people spoiling for a fight? Not if they want to be good Catholics! Those who love fighting and arguing may very well find themselves in divided households, but not for the reasons Jesus really means. Courtesy, gentleness, and the finer details of charity should characterize the person who wants to be like Christ. These kinds of people seek to unite, not divide. When they are dividers, it is because they have to be. They know when the point arrives that if they bend any further, they’ll break—where flexibility would degenerate into infidelity. There are tough, sad moments when being faithful to Christ means a head-on collision in a very important relationship, such as the ones Jesus mentions. But when it’s a question of where our first loyalty lies, there is no debate. Christ must come first.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you are the center of my life. I thank you for my family and pray that I will never be a stumbling block for their faith. Give me the wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent. Help me, so that I will never compromise the Gospel, nor needlessly alienate those whom you have sent me to serve.

Resolution: I will strive to set a good spiritual example for my family and will invite someone who has strayed to consider coming back.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 6

<< Thursday, October 20, 2016 >>

St. Paul of the Cross

Ephesians 3:14-21
View Readings

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19

Luke 12:49-53
Similar Reflections

FAMILY VALUES

"That is why I kneel before the Father from Whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name; and I pray." —Ephesians 3:14-16

Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity. The Trinity is the eternal, ultimate Holy Family. After His Incarnation, Jesus lived in another holy family with Mary and Joseph. Therefore, Jesus has high standards for family life. He calls families to be holy, sacramental signs of the Trinity as Family.

To make holy, Trinitarian families, Jesus:

lights "a fire on the earth" to purify families (Lk 12:49),
was baptized, that is, immersed in, the pain of His death on the cross (see Lk 12:50; Mk 10:38),
surfaces the divisions in families in order to deal with them through forgiveness, repentance, and healing (see Lk 12:51ff),
dwells in the hearts of family members through faith (Eph 3:17),
enables us "to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of" His love (Eph 3:18), and
does "immeasurably more than we ask or imagine" (Eph 3:20).

Jesus is offering each of us the miracle of a holy, Trinitarian family. Accept His offer by accepting Him as Savior and Lord of your life and your family.

Prayer: Father, make my family a miracle and Your masterpiece.

Promise: "To Him Whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine..." —Eph 3:20

Praise: St. Paul of the Cross and his Passionist priests have evangelized far beyond Italy. He had a special ministry to the sick, the dying, the lapsed, and the sinner needing reconciliation.