DAILY HOMILIES #division

But the day you decide to make God your number one, you are faced with a tough choice, either to break loose of your family bonds or to remain there unable to grow spiritually. This is the division Christ is speaking about. It is a division from the world but at the same time, it will bring Peace to your soul, a peace that the world itself does not understand.

What kind of wisdom am I operating with right now? Is this decision I am about to take fuelled by worldly wisdom? Is there an element of Faith in what I am about to do? Could it be the case that Jesus is telling me to throw my net for a catch and I am protesting strongly against the move based on what I already know about fishing?

As much as family is important, serving God leaves no room for compromise. We cannot avoid the divisions that must come or the hatred of others in our determination to seek first God’s kingdom. Like Jeremiah, we shall surely face persecution but everything we suffer is a form of fire that purifies us from impurities just as gold is purified by fire. Our real enemy is not people but sin.

If it were possible to summarize the words of Jesus in last Sunday's Gospel passage, it would be John 15:12 which reads: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus wants us to continue His mission of saving the world by replicating His sacrificial love, especially for our enemies. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus prays for us. In this prayer, Jesus expresses His desires for the Church and also reveals our identity and mission further