“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” Today in the Scriptures, we get a glimpse into the soul of our Lord and Master as He expresses words of anguish and anxiety. It reminds us that Jesus experienced the fullness of the human condition, including yearning for the good of those He loved. How often do we look at the lives and actions of those we care for and yearn for the day they find the comfort only God can provide? Our children, our friends, and our loved ones. Jesus is telling us two things this morning:
First, His Heart aches for the salvation of all, and He is working to accomplish that. Sometimes we think God’s plan isn’t working out as we planned. We can trust that God is doing everything possible to help guide every person to salvation. It’s up to them to listen to His guidance and us to continue to pray and be examples to show them His light.
Secondly, while the world tells us we must be tolerant, Jesus reminds us today that He will not “tolerate peace at any cost.” He will not bring the ease and comfort reflected in the status quo but rather a sword that will separate the eager from the contented.
We, too, should be yearning for our trials, cross, and journey toward being a Saint. Sometimes we grow tired and anxious. Jesus knows that feeling. Instead of giving up or allowing it to slow Him down, the scriptures record that He set His face and turned toward Calvary. He continued to trust the Father’s plan and placed one foot in front of the other until He fulfilled it on the cross. And so we, as disciples, must continue to pray and place one foot in front of another until we arrive at our own Calvary. It’s ok to be anxious, even to desire that God’s plan comes into view quickly. But we can’t give up. We have to steel ourselves and continue to live as our Master did, with our eyes fixed firmly on the destination ahead of us.
A homily for Thursday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time, Year 2: October 20th, 2022