💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 23 💖

First Reading - Romans 6:19-23 

Gospel - Luke 12:49-53

Have you ever seen how fire, though dangerous, can also purify, refine, and renew? It destroys what is impure but gives light, warmth, and strength to what endures. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says something striking and even unsettling: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already blazing!” He is not speaking of destruction, but of a fire that transforms — the fire of divine love, truth, and conviction that purifies hearts and renews lives.

In the first reading, St. Paul reminds us of the same truth in a different way. Before we met Christ, we were slaves to sin — living in darkness, following desires that led to emptiness and death. But through grace, we have become servants of righteousness, living for God and bearing fruit that leads to holiness. The contrast is sharp: sin promises freedom but ends in death; obedience to God may cost us something, but it brings life and joy.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of division — not because He desires conflict, but because choosing Him demands courage. When truth enters a world built on falsehood, it will divide. When love confronts selfishness, it will challenge. The fire of Christ forces us to decide: will we live for comfort or for conviction, for popularity or for truth, for ourselves or for God?

Every day, we face choices that either feed or extinguish the fire of Christ in us. We can let the flame of faith burn bright by prayer, forgiveness, compassion, and integrity. Or we can smother it with compromise, indifference, and fear. To follow Christ means to stand firm, even when our values make us unpopular or misunderstood — even when doing the right thing isolates us.

Dear friends, the fire that Jesus brings is not one of destruction but of purification. It burns away our pride, selfishness, and complacency so that our hearts may shine with His light. God does not want half-hearted disciples; He wants men and women whose faith burns brightly — who live passionately for what is good and true.

Today, let us ask ourselves: Is the fire of Christ alive in me? Do I let my faith influence my choices, my words, my relationships? Or have I grown lukewarm, content with comfort instead of conviction?

May we allow Jesus to ignite in us the fire of His Spirit — a fire that purifies, strengthens, and sends us out as witnesses of His love. The world needs people whose hearts are on fire for God — people who live not in fear, but with courage and compassion.

Let us, then, keep that flame alive — through prayer, service, and faithful living — so that when Christ looks upon us, He will see the fire of His love blazing brightly in our hearts.