Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck
Reflection on the Gospel of Luke 12:49-53
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we gather here today, we come as we are—some of us hopeful, some weighed down, all of us in need of God’s grace. And as we turn our hearts to prayer, we remember: Jesus is here with us. He listens to the silent words we can’t quite speak, the tangled concerns and quiet requests we carry. In this holy space, the Lord leans close and whispers, “I love you, my son. I love you, my daughter. I am always with you. Come—be with me, that our hearts may be one; one with our Father in heaven, united by the Holy Spirit.” Those words aren’t just comfort; they’re an invitation. If we listen, they set something stirring inside us—a fire, gentle but fierce.
The Fire Jesus Brings: Not Comfort, But Transformation
Now, when we open Luke’s Gospel and hear Jesus say, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12:49), it feels startling. This isn’t the Jesus we put on greeting cards or children’s storybooks. Here he speaks of fire—a force that can warm, but also challenge; that can purify, but also divide.
What is this fire? It’s not a wildfire or destruction. It’s the living fire of the Holy Spirit. The fire Jesus brings burns away what is false and cold in us. It purifies. It transforms. It wakes us up to God’s love—a love that doesn’t just gently nudge, but sometimes shakes us out of our comfort zones.
But Jesus knows this fire doesn’t spread without cost. He says, “There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!” He’s talking about the cross—the suffering and sacrifice at the heart of our faith. The Paschal Mystery: Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. That’s where the fire is lit. On the cross, Jesus gives everything. And when he rises, he bursts open the tomb with a love that even death can’t contain.
But the fire Jesus brings doesn’t always bring “peace”—at least not in the way the world imagines it. He warns us: “Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Not because God wants us to fight, but because to say “yes” to Jesus sometimes means saying “no” to things we’ve clung to, even parts of ourselves. Sometimes, it means standing apart, even from people we love, if their path leads away from God. The division Jesus speaks of isn’t about anger. It’s the honest truth that God’s love demands everything—and not everyone is ready for that.
Transformed by Love, Sent to Set the World Ablaze
So how do we cross from the world’s way to God’s way? It starts with letting Jesus set us ablaze. We let his love burn away our selfishness, our fear, our half-measures. We choose him—again and again, not just once, but every day. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it’s hard to understand. But slowly, the Holy Spirit shapes us into something new. We find ourselves freer, more joyful, more alive than we ever imagined.
And here’s the beauty: Jesus doesn’t light this fire in us just so we can sit and bask in its warmth. He sends us out. After the resurrection, on the shore of Galilee, the disciples see him by a charcoal fire. They are tired and confused—Peter especially, who denied Jesus three times beside another fire. What does Jesus do? He invites them, “Come and have breakfast.” He forgives. He restores. And then he sends them: “Feed my sheep.”
That’s the pattern. We let Jesus feed us, forgive us, set us ablaze at his fire. Then we go out and bring that fire to the world—not with force, but with love that can’t be hidden, divided, or put out. Divine life is never private. It overflows. It looks like healing, welcoming, feeding, forgiving. It looks like loving others the way Jesus loves us.
So today, ask yourself: Where is Jesus’ fire burning in me? Is there a place I’m resisting? Is there someone God is calling me to bring warmth to? Let us pray for the courage to let Christ’s love burn away what is small in us and make room for what is true. Let us remember his words: “I love you, my son. I love you, my daughter. I am always with you.” Let that love set us ablaze, so we can go out and give praise, thanksgiving, and glory to our LORD God—and love those around us with the fire that only Christ can give.
Amen.
About Our Guest Blogger
Blessed Carlo Acutis once said, “Not me, but God.” His words echo deeply in my own spiritual life. This blog is not about me, but about the work of the Holy Spirit. I choose to remain anonymous because the voice behind these reflections isn’t what matters — the One speaking through them is.
I am a lifelong Catholic with a deep love for Scripture, the sacraments, and the quiet ways God speaks through everyday life. Live the Eucharist was born from my desire to share how the Gospel and the Eucharist shape not just my Sundays, but every step of the journey.
My hope is that these reflections bless you, challenge you, and draw you closer to Jesus — truly present in the Eucharist and profoundly present in your daily life.
