October 23, 2025 Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Romans 6:19-23; Luke 12:49-53
St. Paul continues to mull over the concepts of sin and death, sanctification and eternal life. All of us as human persons stand in need of inner transformation. It is possible only when we are able to submit ourselves to the holy will of God. Paul is aware of the Romans and their lifestyle, namely their natural limitations influenced by the non-believers. When we travel to a particular destination we come across two pathways or roads and we are not sure which one to choose and proceed ahead. Making a choice means weighing the pros and cons of our choice. However, we are supposed to know which one leads to eternal life and which one will make us slaves to sin and lead us to ruin. It is better to be a slave of God rather than a slave to sin. It is because God is our Creator and Father.
The Gospel reading of today is rather frightening and confusing. It needs to be interpreted and understood in the way St. Luke wants us. The fire that Jesus Christ came to bring is the Holy Spirit who is a powerful and life-giving energy. Fire also purifies our infirmities and cleanses us from our sin. When we choose Christ, we say ‘No’ to the world and worldly things. And that brings division in human society and families. When one obliges to live the demands and the commandments of God, all the members of the family will not support. Divisions are bound to happen. The baptism that Jesus speaks about is probably his own death on the cross which he voluntarily embraced to fulfil the will of God. He sees his sufferings as baptism. He had his own struggles to accept them as we recall his experience in the Garden of Gethsemane and the experience of abandonment on the cross. There is no doubt that everything in life comes with a cost!
Call to Action: Making a choice to follow Jesus closely either as a married person or a celibate religious or priest needs certain amount of spiritual maturity that comes over the years through initial and ongoing formation. One has to actively participate in them.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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