Each person is a unique creation by God. And while differences can bring richness to life, it can also be a point of strife.

This past Sunday’s Gospel from Luke (Lk 12:49-53) seems out of character for Jesus. First He mentions setting the earth on fire; isn’t that what hell is supposed to be? Why would He want the world to burn? Then he talks about causing division, not just among nations but even within a family. The Messiah was to bring unity, so that all the tribes of Israel would be one nation. How can the Messiah bring a nation together when individual families are pitted against each other? 

There are several mentions in the Old Testament that describe God as a refiner or the analogy to God purifying His people like a refiner uses fire to burn away impurities. For those of us who are unfamiliar with refining precious metals, the refiner would continue to burn away the impurities until his own reflection could be seen in the metal. It is this understanding that makes the analogy so meaningful; God wants us to be reflections of Himself. God is love and mercy and wants us to mirror His love and mercy to each other. Since Jesus and the Father are One, Jesus wants what God the Father wants. Images of His Sacred Heart are illustrated with the refining flames of His love for us. As He loves us and purifies us with His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, He wants us to reflect that same ardor to our neighbor. His fire, however, is similar to that of the burning bush that Moses encountered, where it was fully engulfed in flames, yet did not cause the destruction of the tree. When we fully embrace the love Jesus has for us and reflect it towards others, we are like that tree in that we are not consumed by the fire, but rather become the best version of ourselves.

Being a reflection of Jesus in a secular world that prizes physical comforts and ease over the basic needs of others is going to cause agitation. Each person has free will, and thus we cannot force anyone, nor does Jesus, to believe and practice Jesus’ example. While we may strive to bring love, mercy, and peace to all we encounter, those on the receiving end may not appreciate our efforts. For example, if we spend time volunteering at the parish, that is time spent away from our family. This can seem like we care more for others than our family members, who may feel hurt and rejected. Instead of rejoicing that we can help others and share our talents with others, family members may respond with negative comments about our work. There are countless stories about saints whose family members tried to prevent them from following God’s calling. Divisions between the various Christian religions is also a source of grief for many. Even today, there are individuals who suffer family ruptures when they convert to Catholicism, which is ironic, since we all believe in Jesus and what He taught. 

Our earthly journey may be plagued by strife within our relationships. Sometimes others will be angry with us, while we hold grudges against another. When we allow the fire of Jesus’ love to penetrate our hardness of heart, we open ourselves and our relationships up for Him to heal. Perhaps it will be while we walk the earth, but for some it may not be repaired until purgatory. One thing that is for certain, heaven will be one household of harmony, since we will all be perfect reflections of God.