First Reading, A reading from the prophet Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10

You bore me to be a man of strife for whole world.

The king's leading men spoke to the king. 'Let Jeremiah be put to death: he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this. The fellow does not have the welfare of this people at heart so much as its ruin'. 'He is in your hands as you know', King Zedekiah answered 'for the king is powerless against you'. So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well of Prince Malchiah in the court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank.

Ebed-melech came out from the palace and spoke to the king, 'My lord king,' he said 'these men have done a wicked thing by treating the prophet Jeremiah like this: they have thrown him into the well where he will die.' At this the king gave Ebed-melech the Cushite the following order: 'Take three men with you from here and pull Jeremiah out of the well before he dies'.

This is the word of the Lord

Second Reading, A Reading from the letter of the Hebrews 12:1-4

Let us bear patiently the struggle placed upon us.

With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, espcially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God's throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.

This is the word of the Lord

Gospel: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke Lk 12:49-53

I, have come not to give peace, but discord.

Jesus said to his disciples: 'I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!

'Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on 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; the father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection

20th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Jesus, the Prince of peace, has come to the world as agent of peace, joy and love. Wherever there was darkness of sin, he has brought the light of love; where there was sadness, he brought joy, and where there was ignorance, he brought knowledge. Today this Prince of peace declares that he has come to bring division and not peace. The ‘division’ about which the Gospel speaks today is the result of a decision to follow Jesus. There will be division between those who follow the values of the world and those who follow the values of Jesus; between the children of light and the children of darkness; between love and hatred. But those who accept Jesus and live according to his values, no matter what the circumstance are, will experience peace, the peace which the world cannot give. But before we experience that peace which Jesus offers, we be purified by the ‘fire’ that he sends. Fire is a symbol of purification. The fire of Jesus purifies us from sin, selfishness, hatred, indifference, superficiality, and it leads us to experience the freedom of the children of God. Fire is also a symbol of the force within a person. The fire of Jesus unleashes the dormant zeal and enthusiasm within a person and channelizes them for good. Purified by Jesus and driven by zeal for him, amidst difficulties and trials, we will experience peace – the peace which is the result of right relationship with God and others.