20 October, Thursday — Knowing the truth

Thursday of Week 29 in Ordinary Time

Eph 3:14-21
Lk 12:49-53

“I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!”

I have to admit that today’s gospel was quite a challenge to read and reflect on. How could Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and whom the prophets spoke of His coming, bring division? These are such contradictory statements. So I had to read up commentaries and reflections by priests and eventually found: The Truth!

Indeed, Jesus came to bring division. But this division, as I have read, stems from the truth. Families are divided because of the truth. And yes, the truth hurts. Jesus is the way, the TRUTH and the life, as He said it Himself. Hence, following the truth, following Him will bring division.

In Luke 14:26, Jesus said: “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple!” And more than anything, we as Christians are called to be followers of Jesus above all else. In other words, if we know the truth, we will have to follow Him  — Jesus.

Often, I am selective about the truth. If it benefits and sits well with me, it is the truth. If it doesn’t, then I try to justify my actions. That in itself causes a division within myself. If I am to follow Jesus, I have to follow Him wholeheartedly and not selectively. Yet, as St Paul prays in today’s first reading, may God give us the power through His Spirit for our hidden selves to grow strong, so that Christ may live in our hearts.

My brothers and sisters, God will give us the strength to grow strong and walk in His love. And as St Paul says, God can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Lee)

Prayer: Father, help me to know Your truth and to stand by it. Knowing that You are the way, the truth and the life. Grace me to live my life according to Your truth.

Thanksgiving: Lord, thank You for giving me the grace to differentiate right from wrong, truth from falsehood. Thank You for guiding and leading me in Your righteousness daily.