St. John Paul Ⅱ 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Ephesians 3:14-21

And now I kneel in the presence of the Father from whom every family in heaven

And on earth has received its name.  May he strengthen in you the inner self through his Spirit, according to the riches of his glory;  may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith;may you be rooted and found­ed in love.

All of this so that you may understand with all the holy ones the width, the length, the height and the depth—in a word, that you may know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled and reach the fullness of God.

Glory to God who shows his power in us and can do much more than we could ask or imag­ine; glory to him in the Church and in Christ Jesus through all generations for ever and ever. Amen.

 

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

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 12:49-53

 I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled; but I have a baptism to undergo and what anguish I feel until it is over! Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth?

No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided; three against two, and two against three. They 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 her mother-in-law.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Today we hear a Gospel that may strike us as quite disturbing. Jesus says that he did not come to bring peace but division! What has become of the evangelist Luke who at the beginning of his Gospel has the angels announce “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will”? 

Is he contradicting himself? Can the Prince of peace really bring division?There is no contradiction; only a clarification. Christ is the Prince of Peace! He came to reconcile us to the Father (see Ephesians 2)!

Assuredly Christ desires unity and not division in the Church, the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4)! But the peace of Christ is founded on the acceptance of Jesus and his teachings.

It is a peace that is based on a common allegiance to Christ and his gospel without compromise, the believer cannot allow human affiliations, even family relationships,to take precedence over relationship with Christ and the Gospel.