Lk. 12:49-53: “I have come to set fire.”

Jesus expresses his mission with a powerful image: fire. In the Bible, fire is a symbol of the presence and action of God who purifies, illuminates, and transforms (Ex. 3:2; Acts. 2:3). The desire of Jesus is that this fire of the Spirit be lit already on earth so that there will be a world renewed by love, justice, and truth. The fire of the Gospel implies that Christians should allow themselves to be carried away by the Spirit who purifies and ignites with love and passion for the Kingdom.

Jesus wants our hearts to burn with the fire of his Spirit…that fire that transforms, makes us uncomfortable, and demands decisions. To follow Christ is to live in the truth that liberates, even if it causes division. Jeanne de Lestonnac experienced this fire when she undertook the mission Company of Mary, with all the implications of misunderstandings and changes. What is our fire like? How do we feed it, so as not to let it go out?