Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s readings make an interesting pair. Whereas the passage from Ephesians seems uplifting, the gospel reading from Luke might be one we’d rather forget. And yet both of these texts are a part of our tradition, and they are not contradictory but rather complementary. In the gospel passage, Jesus informs his disciples that he has not come to establish peace on earth, but rather division. He describes this in terms of familial relationships; households will be divided because of belief (or unbelief) in Jesus and the gospel message. And, in fact, this is an apt description that bespeaks the significance of faith in Jesus. It is life-changing, so life-changing that it has the potential to cause disruption in family life. This passage particularly makes sense if we think of other alternatives: some might have imagined their messiah to be a unifying warrior who would sweep the people up in his leadership as he established his kingdom. Instead, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are a testament to God’s complete and selfless love. It is this love that will set the earth ablaze.

Paul prays that the Ephesians will be rooted and grounded in this same love, and that they will know this love of Christ that surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3:17, 19). This is not only a prayer from Paul, but an exhortation to the Church at Ephesus to live in the Triune God. Such a Christian life, rooted and grounded in love, is what truly sets the earth ablaze. Christians are called to share in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, to partake of this paschal mystery by embodying it in our daily life.

Again, this is not about causing division or seeking dissension, but being committed to the life-changing nature of Christian faith. The paschal mystery ought to change the way that we see the world, directing and shaping our thoughts and actions. U

Undoubtedly we fall short of this commitment. And surely Paul knew the Ephesians would have the same struggle. And this is precisely why the last line of this chapter of Ephesians is so profound: “Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph 3:21). Ultimately, it is God who makes Christian life possible, and so we turn to God to give him the glory he deserves as we strive to love him and those around us.

Today, let us pray for God’s power to be at work within us, so that our lives may attest to his glory. Maria Morrow