20th Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 18, 2019 – Father Ray Pothireddy

Fr. Ray explains how In today’s Gospel, Jesus preaches the Word of God which continues to divide families. The fire that Jesus came to bring is the fire of love and the fire of hope. The disruption, division and revolution which Jesus causes in society are necessary to reset what is fractured. Even though Jesus brings discord and causes division, he is the source and summit of true and lasting peace. Jesus’ sense of justice brought him into conflict with those who exploited the weak and the poor. Standing up for what is right and working for justice and truth is a higher aim than unity. And working for those aims will sometimes cause division. As his loving followers, we should use this fire to inspire us to care, to love, to serve and to bless each other with the gift of faith. Let our friendship with Jesus always challenge us to always be on fire for it is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good.