20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel Reflection
One of the symbols of Jesus Christ in our liturgical celebrations is the Paschal Candle. We always bless a new one during the Easter
Vigil celebration. The Paschal Candle represents Jesus as the Light of the World. So basically, like what Jesus said in the Gospel, He is also the fire
that sets the earth blazing. But the Lord did not come to destroy. The fire of Jesus that sets the world on fire is to purify us, just like raw silver or gold that
is being put on a fire to burn all the impurities they have to make these elements more valuable.
However, the Lord also came not for peace but division. We may be scandalized by these words of the Lord, yet we can understand this using
the context of the premise above, in which Jesus came to purify us, and also, in the context of the early Christian communities, where Christians
had been a mixture of Jewish and non-Jewish believers. The Gospel of the Lord had shaken the faith of the people back then, because others found it
hard to accept the teachings of Jesus. So sometimes, in a family, those who accepted Jesus as their Savior were in disagreement with the other
members of the family who were not convinced of the Christian way of life.
Yet, there is a saying that there is always calmness after the storm. There is a new beginning after chaos. And so, when there are times that your
life is undergoing a lot of challenges, be not afraid because you are being purified by the Lord in order that you become the person that you ought
to be, a precious child of God
Have a blessed week.
Rev. Leo Ayuyao, SSS
