Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
The season of fall finally seems to be upon us. It is a time to marvel at the beauty of the changing colors in the leaves, sit around a fire, and enjoy the cool crisp air. William Allingham, a 19th century Irish poet, connected fire and fall in a different way, “Now Autumn's fire burns slowly along the woods and day by day the dead leaves fall and melt.”
In today’s gospel Jesus says, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! (Luke 12: 49-50). Earlier in Luke’s gospel, John the Baptist said, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier that I is coming…he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (3:16). The Greek word for baptize is immerse. Indeed, Jesus came to immerse us into the fire of the Holy Spirit. When we think of the image of a fire it can be tempting to focus on its destructive power. Fire can consume all that is touches, but not without giving back warmth and light. Jesus’s passion and death brought with it a fire that would cleanse us of our sins and give victory over death. Our baptism requires us to die also. In the death of our sin and selfishness, we can live more fully for God and for others. As St. Paul said in the first reading, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
So as winter approaches, we know the days will get shorter, the weather will grow colder, and many plants will die. However, let us be reminded that in even in death there is also new life. Jesus's broken body was resurrected from death so that all may experience the joy of eternal life. The fire of God’s love was cast upon the disciples at Pentecost, and they went out to the earth as other Christs. In baptism, the Holy Spirit comes to us and remains within us. May our prayer today be that we might experience the fire of God’s love in our hearts so that we too can share the good news. “We are the voice of Jesus, we are His hearts and hands, we are His body in our land. Stand up, live the story, to all the world proclaim. Go out to all creation, lighting the fire, fanning the flames” (“Hearts on Fire” Michael Mangan, composer).
-Jessica Gabrielli