October 20

St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin

Jesus said to his disciples, "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law"  (Luke 12: 49-53).

This may be a difficult passage to understand. What Jesus is trying to say is that not everything is OK. Sin is not OK. Some people mistake peace for just letting everyone do what they want but that never brings peace, it brings violence. He wants us to be courageous enough to understand that there should be a division between virtue and vice.

Lord, I want to live a life of virtue.

Impact Sports: Do I realize that it takes courage to be unselfish and generous?

Impact Life: Can I be content having less material things than others?