Jesus has come to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted.

Jesus said to his disciples:  “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.”...  Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.”

This Gospel imperative runs in the face of a more compassionate pastoral approach to ministry.  To become a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit, you simply need to be breathing and fill out a census card.  It is very, very easy.  I try to short circuit the hoops that people sometimes need to go through in the Catholic Church.  My mother taught me always to be kind and trust that God’s love will be revealed.

However, today’s Gospel invites to reflect on both disturbing love and the warmth of love.  Jesus has come to set the earth on fire.  Fire is frightening; it can burn up a city.  But controlled fire can warm the human heart.  Jesus offers the warmth of love and companionship.  The warmth of Jesus brings comfort and hope to the world when we live in isolation from each other.  The warmth of God’s love can inflame and heal our coldness.

There is also the fire that disturbs; love challenges as well as comforts.  The flame of God can be frightening in that it demands a world of justice, peace, and reconciliation.  The fire of this love is the fire that also warms and comforts.  The truth is:  Jesus has come to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.

If your body is in the Church today, you get a gold star from me as being a very active member of Holy Spirit.  After all, there are many parishioners who are not here today.  Its still summer.  So, congratulations.

However, however, I am not the final word on discipleship of the Lord Jesus.   Jesus is!  Jesus, of course, is the Savior and Lord of our lives.  For Jesus, being here on Sunday is just the beginning of our discipleship.  There is much more expected of me and much more to be expected of you.   Jesus expected the same prophetic fire that burned in him to burn also in the hearts of his followers.

In answering the call to follow Jesus, we are in for rude awakening as to the cost of discipleship.  We need to look no further than the crucifix to witness the extent of the giving love of Jesus.  He gave us His life.  The cost of discipleship for us is the kind of giving love that Jesus has given us.

It can be hard to tell the truth about what it means to be Catholic, to be a follower of Jesus, to be a disciple.  After all, we want people to feel good about being spiritual.

Sometimes we deny what is demanded of us because it embarrasses us or challenges us to change our way of thinking?  If we are serious about wanting to experience conversion in our lives, conversion can disrupt what we are used to.

The truth is we are all sinners.  Imagine yourself in conversation with Jesus, what truths do you need to share with Jesus about your need for God’s forgiveness – what about our failure to share more fully with those who are in need; how much of our income do we tithe; do we have time for God in our prayer life or are too busy; what kind of judgments or gossip are hurtful to others; how selfish are we in using our God-given gift of sexuality?

In truth, we are all great sinners.   Divisions in sin break apart the fundamental structure of human relationship.  As long as there is sin in human hearts, there will be attempts to turn aside from the truth, to deny the truth and even to deny that there is truth.

Thanks be to God, the truth of our life is also that God forgives any and all of our sinfulness and invites to rejoice and trust in God’s healing love for us.

 

What does discipleship of the Lord Jesus look like?  The center of our life is no longer our self; rather, Jesus is at the center of our life.  We acknowledge our sinfulness and, with God’s grace, we wish to do something about it.  Finally, we recognize and embrace that we are missioned to witness to the love of Jesus in all we say and do.

The truth is to belong to the faith community of Holy Spirit demands much more that filling out a registration card.  It is the commitment to make Jesus the center of our life and to be sent forth to proclaim the love of Jesus in all we say and do.

May we pray:  Holy Spirit, flame of God, hover over each of us as you did for the followers of Jesus at the first Pentecost.  Amen.