Twentieth Sunday  Gospel C

Jesus aid to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!  

· What is this “fire” Jesus is referring to? It is a zeal for the Gospel message and life.

· Do you have this “fire” at the core of your being?

· What do you need to reignite this fire in you?

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 

· What is this “baptism” Jesus is referring to? It is his imminent suffering and death on the cross.

· This is the baptism Jesus was speaking of when John and James asked to sit at his right and left. Cf Mk 10:38.

· Can you embrace the mystery of the cross in your life?  With the same surrender as Jesus? What prevents you?

 Do you think  that I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.  From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

· This is a strange statement for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to make. What does he mean?

· Part of the life of the disciple is to choose to follow Jesus as Lord and Master even if it means to become at odds with family members.

· Have you ever experienced this division in your family because of your commitment to follow Jesus?

· Have you ever had to compromise to please others while knowing that this is not what Jesus wanted you to do?

· What application do we make in our lives from this passage?

o The “fire” will keep Jesus at the center of our lives, during any struggles we have with others because of our relationship with Jesus