Daily Readings - Thu Oct 22 2020
Ephesians
13So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Luke
49"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!50I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!51Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.52For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against 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.