Today, 9th of December, we celebrate
Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
In those days, the princes said to the king:
"Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin."
King Zedekiah answered: "He is in your power";
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
"My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city."
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18
R./ Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the Lord,
and he stooped toward me.
R./ Lord, come to my aid!
The Lord heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R./ Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the Lord.
R./ Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the Lord thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R./ Lord, come to my aid!
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Gospel Reading: Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is 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 establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
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."
I Have Come to Set the Earth on Fire
Dear brothers and sisters, peace and all good to you.
In Europe, it’s hot outside, but we live in a world that is cold in matters of faith. Around us, Mass and Church life interest very few people, and it’s rare to see news about the Church on the front page of newspapers or in TV headlines. And if they do talk about it, it’s often in a negative way—like news of abuse cases.
When we don’t really know what to do with our lives, because the messages we hear are so relativistic—anything goes—Jesus comes, and today He doesn’t exactly comfort us. This is the same Christ who can say, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light. Let the little children come to me; Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. But today Jesus shows Himself not as a refuge, not as a place of welcome, but as a dangerous person. The symbols He uses are fire and the sword: fire that burns and destroys, leaving desolation behind; a sword that wounds, cuts, and divides.
In Jesus’ teaching, there is a constant use of paradox. At one moment He says He is gentle, peaceful, and humble, and that His yoke—His cross—is easy and light. But now—as we hear in this Sunday’s Gospel for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time—He says that He has not come to bring peace to the earth, but division. The use of paradox—something also found in Eastern spirituality—helps us think more deeply, not staying on the surface. A large part of Jesus’ Kingdom is about thought, about our ability to discern. We cannot stay at a superficial level with Christ, nor just accept without reflection what others say about Him.
It might be hard to reconcile these two kinds of words. The best thing is to leave them as they are and try to learn from their message, even if it remains mysterious to us.
That’s why we must keep these words of Jesus about fire and the sword, along with His words about carrying the cross in His footsteps or about His followers receiving a hundredfold in this life—with persecutions. We cannot tame the Gospel. We cannot rewrite it by removing the parts that trouble us. We cannot blunt God’s Word, turning it into dull metal that can’t cut, or into a wooden knife. Even less can we tame God Himself, making Him too “domesticated,” turning Him into a cozy grandfather in slippers.
Yes, God is light, and in Him there is no darkness or evil. But the experience of God and the life of faith will not always be calming, peaceful, and soothing; they can also stir up within us a deep, life-giving restlessness. God is the One who is not at our disposal, who does not submit to our wishes.
This is the testimony of believers who have had a deeper experience of God. Remember Isaiah’s vision: a seraph touching his lips with a burning coal to purify them. Remember the words of St. John of the Cross: Oh gentle cautery, oh delightful wound! The mystic’s experience, in the end, is not so different from that of ordinary believers—though more intense and refined. John of the Cross describes it as the experience of fire, of a wound, of being pierced by a sword. God is three times holy, and His holiness both fascinates and makes us tremble. We must learn to love God for God’s own sake.
In our prayer life we must be ready for moments of abundance and devotion, and also for moments of dryness—times when we feel unheard, when our prayers seem to fall into emptiness; in our faith life we must be ready for times of closeness to God and times of desolation and abandonment. Faith lives in light and shadow; it is holding on in the night. We cannot reduce God to a geometry theorem. We might want to say with Unamuno: “One sign, Lord, just one—one that will put an end to all the atheists in the world.” Those called to be prophets, missionaries, or witnesses of the Gospel may go through trials like the prophet Jeremiah, whose fate was in the hands of a weak and easily manipulated king.
Jesus has brought us Good News that, like fire, must become a blaze. This Good News disturbs, threatens public peace, unsettles families, and provokes division, tearing, and confrontation. Jesus appears—yesterday and today—as a “sign of contradiction,” like a banner, which can be a banner of peace or a banner of war. We shouldn’t be surprised: great passion always leads to the Passion and the giving of one’s life. To be passionate means to suffer as Jesus did, true sign of contradiction for all men and women.
That means Jesus becomes, for each person, a real divider and a stumbling block. Before Him, each of us must take a stand: some will accept Him and be saved; others will reject Him and be lost. That’s why the Gospel—essentially a message of peace—becomes at the same time a declaration of war. And He will be the only ultimate criterion that divides humanity, until God Himself, at the final judgment (Mt 25:31ff), makes His own division.
History tells us that after the struggle comes peace, just as calm follows the storm. The Lord Jesus will always help us find peace and calm. But we cannot expect to find peace on false or dishonest foundations. The Kingdom of God is built on freedom, peace, justice, and love. And it’s obvious that many oppose freedom; they do not love peace because war is more profitable; they create their own version of justice to keep oppressing; and for them love is just another tool for manipulation and abuse, instead of seeing others as brothers and sisters. With such opposition, peace seems impossible. But this peace will one day come in its fullness—and it will come from Jesus Himself. Meanwhile, we must do our part, here and now.
In Europe, it may be hot outside, but perhaps we remain cold. Often we feel tired and fearful of the discomfort of being a Christian today, of standing against abortion, loveless sex, the death penalty, corruption, economic injustice… It’s our mission to continue Christ’s work and set the world around us on fire. Like my friend Pablo, who many weekends travels through Spain and Europe with other evangelizers to speak with people, give them a holy card or a Bible verse. To everyone they meet, they speak about the Lord—without fear. Let’s examine our daily life: if we’ve never been a cause of disagreement at work or among friends, maybe it’s because we find it hard to express our Christian convictions. May we be a sign that challenges those who meet us. That will mean we are on the right path.
Your brother in faith,
Alejandro Carbajo, cmfGreetings
We must run with perseverance
the race we have entered,
with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
May the Lord Jesus give you that strength you need
and be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. I Have Come To Bring Fire
Today the Lord confronts us with the question: How fiery is your love? How fervent is your faith? Can our faith accept contradiction and ridicule without reducing us to silence? Perhaps we are resigned to the evil in us and in the world and do not stand up for what is right and good. If we love the Lord and people enough, we do not tolerate an easy peace that puts our conscience to sleep. In this Eucharist we pray to the Lord for the fire of his Spirit.
B. No Easy Peace
Is there anyone of sound mind who doesn't want peace? Jesus promised: "I leave you peace; my peace I give you," and he meant it. Yet today we hear him say: "I am here to bring you not peace but rather division." Is there not a contradiction here? No, for he simply wants to say: My peace and your peace must not be a guilty peace of compromises with evil. It is a peace that allows itself to be disturbed by injustice and wrongdoing that contradicts our faith. We are here together with the Lord who gave up his own peace to accept even death so that we might be free and happy.
Penitential Act
A. I Have Come To Bring Fire
Where is the fire of our love and our faith?
Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you came to bring us your fire:
Kindle in us the fire of a courageous faith.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you came to bring us your fire:
Kindle in us the power of a love
that commits itself to you and to people.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you came to bring us your fire:
let it wake us up from our indifference and fears.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us, Lord, for we have been lukewarm.
Give us the quiet courage to live our faith deeply
and to love without hesitation.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
B. No Easy Peace
The responsibilities of faith and love
at times disturb our easy peace.
We ask forgiveness from the Lord
that we have not allowed ourselves to be disturbed when needed.
(pause)
"Do not disturb," we say,
and we silence our conscience.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
"Do not disturb," we say,
and we close our eyes to the needs of our neighbor.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
"Do not disturb," we say,
and we tolerate injustice and discrimination.
Lord, have mercy.R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and forgive us our cowardice.
Light in us the fire of your Spirit
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that we may follow Jesus
without fear or guilty compromise
(pause)
God our Father,
by his life and death your Son showed us
the stony road that leads us to life and love.
Let the fire of his Spirit burn in us,
that we may reject easy compromises with evil,
with guilty, uncommitted peace,
and silent complicity in iniquity.
Make us honest and straightforward like Jesus,
so that with him we may put your will and love
above everything else.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: A Prophet Not To Be Silenced
It would have been easy for Jeremiah the prophet to keep silent. But the Spirit made him speak up to the leaders and tell them that they were wrong and that they made him suffer for it.
Second Reading Introduction: Jesus Brings Our Faith To Perfection
Our faith should be strong enough to make us follow Jesus even when the road of life is difficult and our faith is tested.
Gospel Introduction: I Have Come To Bring Fire
Faith brings to the disciple of Jesus not an easy peace, but struggle, tension, and contradiction, for the disciple has to follow the master on the way of the cross.
General Intercessions
Let us ask the Lord Jesus that he may fill his Church and the world with the fire of his love and life. Let us say: R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
• Jesus, set your Church afire with the flame of a deep concern to bring your Good News to all. May the Good News dialogue with the world, and with its aspirations and needs. We pray you: R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
• Jesus, inflame all Christian Churches with a passion to work untiringly toward unity in you. We pray you: R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
• Jesus, inflame the leaders of nations with the fire of seeking justice and peace for our world, and respect for the human dignity of all. We pray you: R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
• Jesus, give the fire of your strength to all who have to pass through the fire of suffering, failure, and discrimination, and keep them from discouragement. We pray you: R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
• Jesus, light your fire again in those whose faith has become lukewarm or who have lost the way to you. We pray you: R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
• Lord, inflame our hearts with the fire of your love. Make us recognize and serve you in our neighbor, especially in the poorest. We pray you:R/ Lord, put our hearts afire.
Lord Jesus, make our hearts burn with your love as we hear your Word and eat from your table, now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father,
we bring before you bread and wine,
gifts of peace and joy.
In our struggles and tensions,
may we never buy an easy peace
by sacrificing for the sake of our own comfort,
the truth and justice demanded by the gospel.
May we not fail in the service we owe our neighbor.
Nourish our hesitant faith
with the body and blood of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
By his death Jesus paid the price for his fidelity to people and to goodness and truth. Let us offer ourselves with him and ask for his strength, that we may give all praise to the Father.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
In faith and hope
we pray to our Father in heaven
in the words of Jesus our Lord:
R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace in our day.
Let it not be the easy peace
that comes from self-contentment
or the lack of involvement,
but an interior peace
which accepts the struggles of faith
and which dares to opt
for the challenging way of the loving service
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus our Lord,
who accepted the cross
and disregarded its shame
to lead us in our faith.
He invites us to his table
to inflame us with faith and love.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
your Son has spoken to us
his stirring, challenging Word
and shared his own strength with us.
Send us out to live our faith
in all its consequences,
and even to be, if necessary,
a sign of contradiction, like your Son.
But sustain us in faith
and give us endurance,
that with Jesus your Son
we may live in your joy and peace
for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
Jesus brought fire on earth
to burn with a bright flame.
May our living faith be
such a fire and such a flame,
with the blessing of Almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in peace and live our faith. R/ Thanks be to God.
