Daily Gospel Reflection for October 22, 2015

Today's Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

Optional Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope

This is a difficult gospel for me to wrap my mind around. I will readily admit that I had to ask a priest friend for some guidance regarding Jesus’ words, as they can seem a little harsh! At first glance, it appears as though Jesus is going against everything He’s said in the gospels previously and now telling us to seek strife and division.

This is not actually what Jesus is saying. Rather, He is issuing us a warning of sorts. If we follow Christ, we will inevitably be a cause of division for some. The message of the gospel is a hard one to understand, and occasionally those around us will be unable to accept it. Unfortunately, some of our co-workers, friends, or even family members will reject what we say.

No matter who disagrees with us, Jesus asks us to stand firm. We have brothers and sisters, both the saints in Heaven praying for us, and the Church as the body of Christ here on earth, and these are both wonderful sources of strength for us. When we feel under attack from those around us, we should reach out to them in confidence and ask our Lord to seal us in the faith of our Baptism, for He desires unity even more than we do.

As difficult as division may be, may we remain strong, and allow the witness of our faith to speak through the darkness of confusion around us.

Ponder:

Despite the division I see around me, how can I reach out to others who may disagree with me?

Pray:

Heavenly Father, you are Lord of all. Help me to sow seeds of unity in the lives of all those I meet, that they may come to find you. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Allison DeWolf