Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.” These words of Jesus were very important to the founder of my congregation, Fr. Thomas Judge, CM. Their importance is highlighted in their inclusion in our Rule of Life. The message: the gospel has an urgency which requires a response. The fire bell is ringing, what are you going to do. For some reason it reminds me of a saying of Chairman Mao from the Little Red Book: a revolution is not a dinner party. Jesus is saying the gospel is not a dinner party, either. It requires that we place all of our life, our actions, thoughts, values, under the gospel umbrella. Jesus prophesies that if we do so it will cause conflict, cause division. The gospel demands compassions, generosity, forgiveness. The world expects the guarding of possessions, prestige, retribution. The gospel is not transactional but transformative. Don’t be surprised if even people who are close to you disagree with your desire to do and think as Jesus did.
