Let Us Purify Ourselves And Be Transformed To God’s Likeness.

First Reading: Jer 38:4-6,8-10
The leading men of Jerusalem spoke to the king. ‘Let this man be put to death: he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this. The fellow does not have the welfare of this people at heart so much as its ruin.’ ‘He is in your hands as you know,’ King Zedekiah answered ‘for the king is powerless against you.’ So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well of Prince Malchiah in the Court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank.

Ebed-melech came out from the palace and spoke to the king. ‘My lord king,’ he said ‘these men have done a wicked thing by treating the prophet Jeremiah like this: they have thrown him into the well where he will die.’ At this the king gave Ebed-melech the Cushite the following order: ‘Take three men with you from here and pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies’.

Second Reading: Heb 12:1-4
With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God’s throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.


Gospel: Lk 12:49-53
I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo and what anguish I feel until it is over!

Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided; three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, son against father; mother against daughter; daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”


Reflection:
By Anabelle Payod-Balla

“I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled.”

Fire is the word that struck me in this Sunday’s gospel. Fire represents love, warmth and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Fire is also a purifying agent that can transform a mud into shimmering pure silver. It brings out God’s beauty within us. Helps us die from our old ways and be born anew again.

Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert in the many stages of purification process, of removing himself from the desires and wants of the emotional and physical plane. It was there that he confronted the "devil" of denser human emotional needs. As we all know, he did succeed and made it through the cross. Afterwards, He rose from the dead in His purest form.

Jesus indeed went through a purification process and I believe He wants us to do the same so that like Jeremiah, He can save us all from the mud of death (first reading).

Our life on earth can be considered as the purifying agent. Everything that happens to us can transform us. Most of the time, it’s not easy, in fact painful if you honestly submit yourself to the process. But God will be there for us to help us get through it. We can also think of Jesus who suffered for us on the cross so we don’t go weary (second reading). Let Him be our inspiration.

Father, please set us ablaze and help us endure the fire that can transform us to Your Likeness. Allow us to die in our old self so we may live in You. Amen.

Let us purify ourselves and be transformed to God’s likeness.