Daily Lectionary Readings for October 21, 2010 – Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

As part of my own daily devotions I am posting my own paraphrases of the the Daily Lectionary here on my blog (along with a short reflection on one or more of the readings). God willing, this will not be a short term thing.

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may give you,
in accord with the riches of his glory he may give you
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
Shout out for joy, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the righteous is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre sing his praises.

For  the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is trustworthy.
He loves justice and righteousness;
the earth is full of the LORD’s steadfast love.

But the counsel of the LORD stands forever;
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own heritage.

But see, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his steadfast love,
to deliver them from death
and sustain them in famine.

Luke 12:49-53
[Jesus said:]
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already kindled!
But I have 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 give peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
For 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.”

Reflection for Today – On Luke
Fire!  Jesus has come to set the earth on fire.  Fire can be very destructive.  Jesus demonstrates his knowledge of this fact when he talks about the divisions that will come as a result of some people following him:  fathers against sons, mothers against daughters, and so one.

But fire is also, an any student of literature can tell you, a symbol for passion.  And perhaps some of the division Jesus speaks about is a result of the passion that his followers have (or should have).  To be on fire for Christ can be a scary thing, for those who witness such a thing, as well as for those who are burning.

Quote for Today
“Some day, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we will harness for God the energies of love and then for the second time in the history of the world man will have discovered fire.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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