The life and work of a Christian is all about fire. It is the fire of the Holy Spirit. We are to be fired up for the righteousness of God. Our sins are to be burned up with the fire of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Fire is to come down upon us through baptism in the Spirit.
The problem with most of God’s people today is the lack of fire. They are not on fire but are often drab, lazy, comfortable, clueless. They are at home in and with the world. Is it any wonder that our Church today is challenged? Many Catholics are lapsed. Many clerics are liberal. Many hierarchs are modernist.
Elijah was one of the great prophets. He was fiery. His “words were as a flaming furnace.” (Sir 48:1). He “three times brought down fire” from heaven (Sir 48:3). At the end of his time on earth, he did not die but was “taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses.” (Sir 48:9).
Elijah was to return before the coming of the Messiah, and “restore all things.” (Mt 17:11). Jesus said that indeed he had already come, in the person “of John the Baptist.” (Mt 17:13). Now John himself was fiery. When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism, he called them a brood of vipers and demanded that they show evidence of their repentance (see Mt 3:7-8).
Jesus himself said that he had come to set the earth on fire, and how he wished it were already blazing (see Lk 12:49). In doing so, he would bring division, even among the closest of kin.
How can God’s people today be on fire with the Spirit?
We must be committed to help restore all things in Christ. Much of this is the work of evangelization. We must be instruments of bringing down the fire of the Spirit upon people and the world.
We must be willing to denounce the hypocrites, liberals, and modernists in our Church, including hierarchs. We must challenge them to repentance and turning to authentic faith in Jesus. Our prophetic words are not intended to be soothing but as a flaming furnace.
We must be willing to face opposition and ostracism from relatives, friends, and confreres, as we proclaim the authentic gospel and reject the culture of the age.
Either all these or face the fires of hell.
December 11, 2021
Today’s readings: Sirach 48:1-4,9-11 Matthew 17:9-13
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