“I have come to bring not peace but the sword.”
matthew 10:34
Reflection
Jesus tells the Apostles that he has come to bring the sword to earth, not peace. Family members will be set against family members; anyone who loves their family more than Jesus is not worthy of him. He also tells them that whoever receives him will receive the one who sent him.
While Jesus ultimately brings us true peace, his goal is not to give you a perfectly peaceful life, but rather one that draws you closer to himself, which includes difficulties and suffering. For some, this will come in the form of divides between family members. As Jesus states, daughter will be set against mother, and son against father.
This might be unpleasant to think about, but remember that Jesus wants you in heaven with him. If your own family is turning you away from Christ, you must separate in some fashion. You must love God above all else, not anyone here on earth. When Christ is the center of our life, we can love others better, even when they show us animosity.
When we truly follow Christ, our lives will be transformed. It may involve breaking ties with people and enduring great suffering. Yet when we lose our old way of life, we gain a new one – eternal life with Christ.
Saint of the Day
St. Kateri Tekakwitha: 1656 – 1680
“Who can tell me what is most pleasing to God that I may do it?”
St. Kateri
The Healing Word 