"FREEDOM CONSISTS NOT IN DOING WHAT WE LIKE,

BUT IN HAVING THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE OUGHT."

                           - Saint 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 finished!

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 ：

Jesus brings fire.

The image of fire may mean transformation. It may also symbolize purification.

Jesus tells us in the gospel that He brings fire.

His words and actions both inspire and challenge those who hear them.

He has inspired many people. His words and actions have drawn people to follow Him and instill

the values of the kingdom He preached. Jesus' words also challenge those who hear Him.

 

Many have developed a distaste for Jesus because He challenged unjust social systems in His time.

He unmasks hypocrisies among religious leaders. Perhaps it is good to

ask ourselves how the person of Jesus, both His words and actions, inspires and challenges us.

How does it transform me personally as I continue to follow Him and His ways?