Daily Readings - Thu Oct 22 2020
Ephesians
13Because of this, I ask you not to be weakened by my tribulations on your behalf; for this is your glory14By reason of this grace, I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ15from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth takes its name16And I ask him to grant to you to be strengthened in virtue by his Spirit, in accord with the wealth of his glory, in the inner man17so that Christ may live in your hearts through a faith rooted in, and founded on, charity18So may you be able to embrace, with all the saints, what is the width and length and height and dept19of the charity of Christ, and even be able to know that which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God20Now to him who is able to do all things, more abundantly than we could ever ask or understand, by means of the virtue which is at work in us21to him be glory, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, throughout every generation, forever and ever. Amen
Luke
49I have come to cast a fire upon the earth. And what should I desire, except that it may be kindled50And I have a baptism, with which I am to be baptized. And how I am constrained, even until it may be accomplished51Do you think that I have come to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division52For from this time on, there will be five in one house: divided as three against two, and as two against three53A father will be divided against a son, and a son against his father; a mother against a daughter and a daughter against a mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on the nature of faith, love, and the challenges of following Christ. The first reading from Ephesians is a prayer of St. Paul, who, despite his own sufferings, intercedes for the believers, asking that they be strengthened by the Spirit and rooted in faith and love. He prays that they may come to know the immeasurable depth of God’s love and be filled with the fullness of God. This prayer is a beautiful expression of Paul’s desire for the Church to live in the richness of God’s grace and to glorify Him in all things.
The Gospel reading from Luke presents a stark contrast. Jesus speaks of His mission to cast fire upon the earth, a fire that will bring division rather than peace. He describes how families will be split—three against two, and two against three—because of the radical demands of following Him. This passage is not about Jesus bringing literal fire or physical division but about the transformative and often disruptive power of the Gospel. It challenges us to recognize that living as disciples of Christ will sometimes require us to stand apart from the world and even from those closest to us.
Together, these readings remind us that living a life rooted in faith and love is both a source of strength and a call to courage. Paul’s prayer encourages us to embrace the fullness of God’s love, even as Jesus warns us that this love will not always be easy or comfortable. In our daily lives, we are called to live with conviction, trusting that the fire of God’s love will guide us through the inevitable challenges and divisions. Let us ask for the strength to remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that the ultimate unity and peace we seek are found in God alone.