‘I have come to bring fire to the earth!’
Our readings this Sunday strike a sombre note, but also provide words of encouragement for our journey in the footsteps of Jesus.
Jeremiah, in the First Reading, has been telling the people to trust in God rather than in political leaders. As a consequence of the persecution he suffers, he prefigures Christ in his Passion. But Jeremiah does not face death: he is raised up from the well.
The Psalm, as given to us, could be the prayer of both Jeremiah and of Christ himself. The psalmist praises the Lord for coming to his aid.
The Second Reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, encourages us to draw strength from the witness of all who have preceded us. We must not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith. We see how he has come through the cross to eternal glory.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples of his anxiety as he faces the ‘baptism’ of his death. The peace he brings will not be easy. We may have to lose the support of those we love in being true to Christ’s call.
As Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee year, we pray for and remember all those who are persecuted for their beliefs, as well as all those who suffer modern forms of slavery and trafficking. May God come to their aid through the concern and actions of their brothers and sisters.
